Pamela Tiffin Wonso (October 13, 1942 – December 2, 2020) was an American film and television actress.

Early life

Tiffin was born in Oklahoma City to Stanley Wonso and Grace Irene (Tiffin) Wonso of Russian and British ancestry, but grew up in suburban Chicago, where she achieved success as a teen model. She attended

Hunter College Hunter College is a public university in New York City. It is one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York and offers studies in more than one hundred undergraduate and postgraduate fields across five schools. It also admi ...

and appeared in a short film, ''Music of Williamsburg'' (1960).

Hollywood career

Tiffin was vacationing in Hollywood when she visited the

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

lot at the age of 19. She was spotted by producer

Hal B. Wallis Harold Brent Wallis (born Aaron Blum Wolowicz; October 19, 1898 – October 5, 1986) was an American film producer. He is best known for producing '' Casablanca'' (1942), '' The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1938), and ''True Grit'' (1969), along ...

, who had her

screen test A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a came ...

ed. This led to her being cast in the film version of ''

Summer and Smoke ''Summer and Smoke'' is a two-part, thirteen-scene play by Tennessee Williams, completed in 1948. He began working on the play in 1945 as ''Chart of Anatomy'', derived from his short stories "Oriflamme" and the then-work-in-progress "Yellow Bir ...

'' (1961). She then played the daughter of

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

's boss in the comedy ''

One, Two, Three ''One, Two, Three'' is a 1961 American political comedy film directed by Billy Wilder and written by Wilder and I. A. L. Diamond. It is based on the 1929 Hungarian one-act play ''Egy, kettő, három'' by Ferenc Molnár, with a "plot borrowed par ...

'' (1961), directed by

Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-American filmmaker. His career in Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Classic Holl ...

who called her "the biggest find since

Audrey Hepburn Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress and humanitarian. Recognised as both a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, t ...

". She earned a Golden Globe nomination for this film as well as one for ''Summer and Smoke''. 20th Century Fox gave her the leading role in the musical ''

State Fair A state fair is an annual competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population, usually held in late summer or early fall. It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in th ...

'' (1962), a remake of an earlier film, where she was romanced by

Bobby Darin Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American musician and actor. He performed jazz, Pop music, pop, rock and roll, Folk music, folk, Swing music, swing, and country music. He started his car ...

and directed by

José Ferrer José Vicente Ferrer de Otero y Cintrón (January 8, 1912 – January 26, 1992) was a Puerto Rican actor and director of stage, film and television. He was one of the most celebrated and esteemed Hispanic American actors during his lifetime, w ...

. She was one of the three leads in MGM's comedy '' Come Fly with Me'' (1963). Tiffin studied at Columbia and continued to model. She guest starred on '' The Fugitive'' and filmed a pilot for Fox, ''Three in Manhattan'', that was not picked up. She made two films with

James Darren James William Ercolani (born June 8, 1936) known by his stage name James Darren, is an American television and film actor, television director, and singer. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, he had notable starring and supporting roles in fi ...

, both aimed at teen audiences: '' For Those Who Think Young'' (1964) and ''

The Lively Set ''The Lively Set'' is a 1964 American color action drama sport film directed by Jack Arnold and starring James Darren, Pamela Tiffin, Doug McClure and Joanie Sommers. Plot Casey Owens, a young mechanic, has developed a design for a turbine car e ...

'' (1964). Fox put her in another remake, '' The Pleasure Seekers'' (1964), a new version of '' Three Coins in the Fountain''. She co-starred with

Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor and producer. Initially known for playing tough guys with a tender heart, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-yea ...

in the 1965 western ''

The Hallelujah Trail ''The Hallelujah Trail'' is a 1965 American Western mockumentary spoof directed by John Sturges, with top-billed stars Burt Lancaster, Lee Remick, Jim Hutton and Pamela Tiffin. It was based on the book of the same title (originally released as " ...

'' and went to Italy where she appeared in a segment of ''

Kiss the Other Sheik ''Kiss the Other Sheik'' ( it, Oggi, domani, dopodomani, also known as ''The Man, the Woman and the Money'') is a 1965 Italian comedy film in three segments, directed by Eduardo De Filippo, Marco Ferreri, and Luciano Salce. It stars Marcello Mas ...

'' (1965) with

Marcello Mastroianni Marcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni (28 September 1924 – 19 December 1996) was an Italian film actor, regarded as one of his country's most iconic male performers of the 20th century. He played leading roles for many of Italy's top di ...

. She returned to make the private-detective film ''

Harper Harper may refer to: Names * Harper (name), a surname and given name Places ;in Canada * Harper Islands, Nunavut *Harper, Prince Edward Island ;In the United States *Harper, former name of Costa Mesa, California in Orange County * Harper, Il ...

'' (1966) with Paul Newman. She then performed in '' Dinner at Eight'' on Broadway.

Italy

Giornata nera per l'ariete (1971) - Pamela Tiffin

In 1967, Tiffin decided to move to Italy "to find out what I want". She appeared in ''

The Almost Perfect Crime ''The Almost Perfect Crime'', also known as ''Delitto quasi perfetto'' and ''Imperfect Murder'', is a 1966 Italian crime-comedy film written and directed by Mario Camerini. Cast * Philippe Leroy: Paolo Respighi * Pamela Tiffin: Annie Robson ...

'' (1966) with Philippe Leroy; '' The Protagonists'' (1968); ''

Torture Me But Kill Me with Kisses ''Straziami ma di baci saziami'' (internationally released as ''Torture Me But Kill Me with Kisses'') is a 1968 Italian comedy film directed by Dino Risi. The film parodies Italian photonovels and the popular subculture. It had a great commercial s ...

'' (1968), a hugely popular comedy; and ''

The Archangel ''The Archangel'' ( it, L'arcangelo) is a 1969 Italian comedy film directed by Giorgio Capitani and starring Vittorio Gassman. Cast * Vittorio Gassman as Fulvio Bertuccia * Pamela Tiffin as Gloria Bianchi * Irina Demick as Sig.ra Tarocchi Rod ...

'' (1969) with

Vittorio Gassman Vittorio Gassman (; born Gassmann; 1 September 1922 – 29 June 2000), popularly known as , was an Italian actor, director and screenwriter. He is considered one of the greatest Italian actors, whose career includes both important productions ...

. The February 1969 issue of ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...

'' did a photo feature titled "A Toast to Tiffin". She made her first American film in two years when she played a liberal college student and the love interest to

Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (born Peter Alexander Freiherr von Ustinov ; 16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, filmmaker and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits ...

in the comedy ''

Viva Max! ''Viva Max!'' is a 1969 comedy film directed by Jerry Paris and starring Peter Ustinov, Jonathan Winters and John Astin. The film was written by Elliott Baker and based on the 1966 novel of the same name by James Lehrer. Plot Riding a white h ...

'' (1969). She performed ''

Uncle Vanya ''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1898, and was first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre under the direct ...

'' on stage and was in an episode of ''The Survivors''. Tiffin returned to Italy to appear in '' Cose di Cosa Nostra'' (1971), '' No One Will Notice You're Naked'' (1971), ''

The Fifth Cord ''The Fifth Cord'' (Italian language, Italian: ''Giornata nera per l'ariete'', lit. "Black Day for Aries") is a 1971 Italian giallo film directed by Luigi Bazzoni. The film's Italian title reprises Dario Argento's practice of using animals in the ...

'' (aka Evil Fingers) (1971), '' E se per caso una mattina...'' (1972), ''

Deaf Smith & Johnny Ears ''Deaf Smith & Johnny Ears'', also known as ''Los Amigos'', is a 1973 Spaghetti Western film starring Anthony Quinn and Franco Nero. The film is loosely based on the life of Deaf Smith, with direction by Paolo Cavara. Plot The Republic of Texas ...

'' (1973), '' Kill Me, My Love!'' (1973) with

Farley Granger Farley Earle Granger Jr. (July 1, 1925 – March 27, 2011) was an American actor, best known for his two collaborations with director Alfred Hitchcock: ''Rope'' in 1948 and '' Strangers on a Train'' in 1951. Granger was first noticed in a small ...

, '' La signora è stata violentata!'' (1973), and '' Brigitte, Laura, Ursula, Monica, Raquel, Litz, Florinda, Barbara, Claudia, e Sofia le chiamo tutte... anima mia'' (1974). She returned to Hollywood briefly to appear in the TV movie ''

The Last of the Powerseekers ''The Survivors'' is a high-profile prime time soap opera aired by the ABC television network as part of its Fall 1969 lineup. History Hollywood film star Lana Turner made her only television appearance as a regular series character on ''The ...

'' (1971). She appeared as herself in a 2003 documentary, ''Abel Ferrara: Not Guilty'', opposite her daughter Echo Danon. She released a memoir, ''Daring: My Passages'' with

Gail Sheehy Gail Sheehy (born Gail Henion; November 27, 1936 – August 24, 2020) was an American author, journalist, and lecturer. She was the author of seventeen books and numerous high-profile articles for magazines such as ''New York'' and ''Vanity ...

in 2014 and a biography of her life, ''Pamela Tiffin: Hollywood to Rome'', was written by Tom Lisanti in 2015.

Personal life

Tiffin married twice. Her first marriage was to

Clay Felker Clay Schuette Felker (October 2, 1925 – July 1, 2008) was an American magazine editor and journalist who co-founded ''New York'' magazine in 1968. He was known for bringing numerous journalists into the profession. ''The New York Times'' wrote ...

, an American magazine editor, whom she married in 1962 and divorced in 1969. Her second marriage was to Edmondo Danon, a philosopher, who is a son of the Italian movie producer Marcello Danon. They married in 1974 and had two daughters, Echo and Aurora. Tiffin died on December 2, 2020, in a

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

hospital, at the age of 78 from natural causes.

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tiffin, Pamela 1942 births 2020 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from New York City Actresses from Oklahoma City American expatriates in Italy American female models American film actresses American people of British descent American people of Russian descent American stage actresses American television actresses Hunter College alumni Theatre World Award winners 21st-century American women