Steve Conte (January 16, 1920 – April 28, 1997) was an Italian-born American actor who immigrated with his family to the United States in the early 1920s. He often played henchmen, thugs, and criminal types, besides playing ethnicities. His career lasted nearly thirty-seven years in both film and television. He appeared in approximately fifty different television series and more than thirty films. He worked at least a half dozen times with B Grade director
Jerry Warren
Jerry Warren (March 10, 1925 – August 21, 1988) was an American film director, producer, editor, screenwriter, cinematographer, and actor. Warren grew up wanting to get into the film business in Los Angeles, California. He appeared in s ...
.
Background
Conte was born in
Gagliato
Gagliato ( Calabrian: ) is a village and ''comune'' in the province of Catanzaro, in the Calabria region of southern Italy. In recognition of the unique role that the town has come to play as an international magnet for global leaders in nanotechno ...
, Italy. He came with his family via boat to
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
. His adolescent years were spent in New York as well. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, he was based in Europe as part of the
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...
, the forerunner of the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
. After the war, he married his wife Shirley, by whom he had two children. Their marriage lasted until their divorce in the 1950s. In 1992, he was reunited with his son Steve, who was born in 1960 and placed for adoption. He died of Alzheimer's disease on April 28, 1997, at the age of 77. He was buried at
Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery.
As a
character actor
A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...
, he was able to have a good run of work for some time. Many of the roles that he played were of the rugged type.
Career
1950s
One of Conte's earliest roles was in 1950 as the road agent in "Shotgun Messenger", the first episode of ''
The Marshal of Gunsight Pass
''The Marshal of Gunsight Pass'' is an American live broadcast western television series that began on March 12, 1950, and ended on September 30, 1950, with a one-month hiatus in April and May.
Based on a radio program, the show starred Russell H ...
''. Also the same year he played Matt Riley in the Western film ''
Gunfire
A gunshot is a single discharge of a gun, typically a man-portable firearm, producing a visible flash, a powerful and loud shockwave and often chemical gunshot residue. The term can also refer to a ballistic wound caused by such a discharge ...
''. The following year he played the Apache kid in the ''"''Ten Thousand Reward" episode of ''
The Range Rider
''The Range Rider'' is an American Western television series that was first broadcast in syndication from 1951 to 1953. A single lost episode surfaced and was broadcast in 1959. ''The Range Rider'' was also broadcast on British television during ...
''. Also that year he played Henchman Mac in ''Cattle Queen''. In 1959, he played Whorf in ''
Teenage Zombies
''Teenage Zombies'' is a 1959 science fiction horror film written, produced, edited and directed by Jerry Warren, and starring Katherine Victor, Don Sullivan, Chuck Niles and Warren's then-wife and production manager Brianne Murphy. Warren wrote ...
''.
In 1952, Conte was cast as a villain, Jerry, in the 1952 episode, "Self Made Man," of ''
Death Valley Days
''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...
''.
1960s
In 1960, Conte guest starred in the ''
M Squad
''M Squad'' is an American crime drama television series that ran from 1957 to 1960 on NBC. It was produced by Lee Marvin's Latimer Productions and Revue Studios. Its main sponsor was the Pall Mall cigarette brand; Lee Marvin, the program's ...
'' episode, "The Man Who Lost His Brain". He appeared that same year in ''
Overland Trail
The Overland Trail (also known as the Overland Stage Line) was a stagecoach and wagon trail in the American West during the 19th century. While portions of the route had been used by explorers and trappers since the 1820s, the Overland Trail w ...
'' in the episode, "All the O'Mara Horses." In 1962, he played Cabot in ''
Terror of the Bloodhunters
''Terror of the Bloodhunters'' is a 1962 independently made American black-and-white low budget jungle survival horror film, produced, directed, written, and edited by Jerry Warren, that stars Robert Clarke, Dorothy Haney, and Steve Conte.
Th ...
''. In 1966, he appeared in ''The Wild World of Batwoman'' (1966).
1970s to 1980s
The early 1970s, Conte appeared in such films as ''
The Gatling Gun'' in the role of Private Mitchell, and in the Sci-Fi ''
The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler
''The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler'' is a 1971 science fiction film directed by Bob Wynn and starring Leslie Nielsen, Bradford Dillman and Angie Dickinson. This was one of the earliest films to depict medical exploitation of cloning, even thou ...
'' as a radio operator. In the late 1970s, he played a prison guard in the
Harold Becker
Harold Becker (born September 25, 1928) is an American film and television director, producer, and photographer from New York City, associated with the New Hollywood movement and best known for his work in the thriller genre. His body of work i ...
-directed ''
The Onion Field
''The Onion Field'' is a 1973 nonfiction book by Joseph Wambaugh, a sergeant for the Los Angeles Police Department, chronicling the kidnapping of two plainclothes LAPD officers by a pair of criminals during a traffic stop and the subsequent m ...
''.
One of his last appearances is credited as an orderly in the
Jeffrey Obrow
Jeffrey Obrow is an American film director and a professor at USC School of Cinematic Arts. He has also produced many music videos with Propaganda Films.
Career
Obrow's first project, ''The Dorm That Dripped Blood'', was underfinanced but throu ...
/
Stephen Carpenter
Stephen "Steph" Carpenter ( /ˈstɛfən/ ''STEF-ən''; born August 3, 1970) is an American musician, known as the co-founder and a guitarist of the alternative metal band Deftones.
His guitar technique makes use of both ringing open strings an ...
-directed horror film, ''
The Kindred'', in 1987.
Role types
Thugs and criminals
Throughout Conte's career, he played some twenty-three roles as henchman thug, and criminal types.
He played the part of Henchman Mac in the 1951 film, ''
Cattle Queen of Montana
''Cattle Queen of Montana'' is a 1954 American Western film shot in Technicolor directed by Allan Dwan and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Ronald Reagan. The supporting cast includes Gene Evans, Lance Fuller, Jack Elam, Chubby Johnson, and Morris ...
'', starring
Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck (; born Ruby Catherine Stevens; July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress, model and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career she was known for her strong, realistic sc ...
and
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
, and Henchman Lait in the television series, ''
Hopalong Cassidy
Hopalong Cassidy is a fictional cowboy hero created in 1904 by the author Clarence E. Mulford, who wrote a series of short stories and novels based on the character. Mulford portrayed the character as rude, dangerous, and rough-talking. He was ...
''.
In 1954, Conte played a bandit in the ''Wild Luke's Boy'' episode of ''
General Electric Theater
''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.
Radio
After an audition show ...
''. In 1955, he played a henchman in the
Dick Ross
Dick Ross is an American former Negro league outfielder who played in the 1920s.
Ross made his Negro leagues
The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a lesser extent, La ...
directed film, ''
Wiretapper
''Wiretapper'' is a 1955 crime drama biopic directed by Dick Ross, written by John O'Dea, and starring Bill Williams, Georgia Lee and Douglas Kennedy. The scenario of the film was based on a true story of Jim Vaus Jr.
Plot
Jim Vaus returns f ...
'',
[moviefone â€]
Wiretapper (1955), full cast & crew
/ref> and Cyclops, "One-Eyed Henchman" in the ''Guns Below the Border'' episode of ''The Gene Autry Show
''The Gene Autry Show'' is an American western/cowboy television series which aired for 91 episodes on CBS from July 23, 1950 until August 7, 1956, originally sponsored by Wrigley's Doublemint chewing gum.
Overview
Series star Gene Autry had alr ...
''. He had also played a henchman in two previous episodes of the show. He played henchmen in three episodes of ''Batman'' which were, ''Penguin Is a Girl's Best Friend'', ''Penguin Sets a Trend'', and ''Penguin's Disastrous End''.
Filmography (selective)
Television
Film
References
External links
Aveleyman.com: Steve Conte
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conte, Steve
1920 births
1997 deaths
People from the Province of Catanzaro
People of Calabrian descent
20th-century American male actors
American male film actors
American male television actors
Italian emigrants to the United States
Burials at Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery