Cesare Danova (March 1, 1926 – March 19, 1992) was an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

television and screen actor. Best known for his roles in ''

The Captain's Daughter ''The Captain's Daughter'' (russian: «Капитанская дочка», Kapitanskaya dochka) is a historical novel by the Russian writer Alexander Pushkin. It was first published in 1836 in the fourth issue of the literary journal ''Sovremen ...

'' (1947), ''

Viva Las Vegas ''Viva Las Vegas'' is a 1964 American musical film directed by George Sidney and starring Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret. The film is regarded by fans and film critics as one of Presley's best films, and it is noted for the on-screen chemistry bet ...

'' (1964), '' Chamber of Horrors'' (1966), ''

Mean Streets ''Mean Streets'' is a 1973 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese and co-written by Scorsese and Mardik Martin. The film stars Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro. It was released by Warner Bros. on October 2, 1973. De Niro won the National ...

'' (1973), and various roles in ''

The Rifleman ''The Rifleman'' is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the fictional town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show wa ...

'' (1958-1963).

Life and career

Born as Cesare Deitinger in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

,Danova's obituary in the ''Los Angeles Times'' notes he was born in Rome. Italy to an Austrian fatherThe book ''Italian Americans: The History and Culture of a People'' says that his father was Australian. and an Italian mother; he adopted Danova as his

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

after becoming an actor in Rome at the end of World War II. After the film ''

Don Juan Don Juan (), also known as Don Giovanni (Italian), is a legendary, fictional Spanish libertine who devotes his life to seducing women. Famous versions of the story include a 17th-century play, '' El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra'' ...

'' (1955) he immigrated to the United States. He was contracted to

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

in 1956. His appearances include ''

The Man Who Understood Women ''The Man Who Understood Women'' is a 1959 American drama film written and directed by Nunnally Johnson from a novel by Romain Gary, and starring Henry Fonda, Leslie Caron, Renate Hoy and Cesare Danova. Plot Willie Bauche, a Hollywood producer, ...

'' (1959). He tested for a part in ''Ben Hur'', but his big break was the role of

Apollodorus Apollodorus (Ancient Greek, Greek: Ἀπολλόδωρος ''Apollodoros'') was a popular name in ancient Greece. It is the masculine gender of a noun compounded from Apollo, the deity, and doron, "gift"; that is, "Gift of Apollo." It may refer to: ...

, Cleopatra's personal servant, in the 1963 film ''

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler.She was also a ...

'', directed by

Joseph Mankiewicz Joseph Leo Mankiewicz (; February 11, 1909 – February 5, 1993) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Mankiewicz had a long Hollywood career, and won both the Academy Award for Best Director and the Academy Award for Best A ...

and starring

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable pe ...

and

Rex Harrison Sir Reginald Carey "Rex" Harrison (5 March 1908 – 2 June 1990) was an English actor. Harrison began his career on the stage in 1924. He made his West End debut in 1936 appearing in the Terence Rattigan play ''French Without Tears'', in what ...

. The original script called for a major role for Danova, who was to form a trio of Cleopatra's lovers alongside Harrison's Caesar and Burton's Marc Antony. Though a number of scenes featuring Taylor and Danova were shot, the script was revised and the role truncated as the Burton-Taylor affair made tabloid headlines. The following year Danova starred as Count Elmo Mancini in ''

'' as

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

's rival for both

Ann-Margret Ann-Margret Olsson (born April 28, 1941) is a Swedish–American actress, singer, and dancer. As an actress and singer, she is credited as Ann-Margret. She is known for her roles in ''Pocketful of Miracles'' (1961), ''State Fair'' (1962), ''B ...

and the

Las Vegas Grand Prix The Las Vegas Grand Prix is a planned Formula One Grand Prix due to form part of the 2023 Formula One World Championship, with the event taking place in Paradise, Nevada, on a temporary street circuit including the Las Vegas Strip. History ...

. In 1967, Danova played the role of Actor in the TV series ''

Garrison's Gorillas ''Garrison's Gorillas'' is an American Broadcasting Company, ABC Television program, TV series originally broadcast from 1967 to 1968; a total of 26 hour-long episodes were produced. It was inspired by the 1967 film ''The Dirty Dozen'', which fea ...

''. The series only ran for 26 episodes. Two of his best roles were as the neighborhood mafia Don, Giovanni Cappa, in Martin Scorsese's ''

'' (1973) and as the corrupt mayor of Faber, Carmine DePasto, in ''

National Lampoon's Animal House ''National Lampoon's Animal House'' is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller. It stars John Belushi, Peter Riegert, Tim Matheson, John Vernon, Verna Bloom, Thomas Hulc ...

'' (1978). He appeared in three episodes of ''

'', and regularly appeared as a guest star on numerous television series, including ''

Honey West Honey West is a fictional character created by the husband and wife writing team Gloria and Forest Fickling under the pseudonym "G.G. Fickling", and appearing in eleven mystery novels by the duo. The character is notable as being one of the firs ...

''; ''

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by MGM Television, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who wo ...

''; ''

That Girl ''That Girl'' is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from September 8, 1966 to March 19, 1971. It starred Marlo Thomas as the title character Ann Marie, an aspiring (but only sporadically employed) actress, who moves from her hometown of Brewster ...

''; ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

''; ''

Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by Aa ...

''; ''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pac ...

''; ''

Sanford and Son ''Sanford and Son'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on the NBC television network from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977. It was based on the British sitcom ''Steptoe and Son'', which initially aired on BBC One in the United ...

''; ''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo. Gu ...

''; '' Police Story''; ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

''; ''

Airwolf ''Airwolf'' is an American action military drama television series that centers on a high-technology military helicopter, code-named ''Airwolf'', and its crew. The show follows them as they undertake various exotic missions, many involving esp ...

''; ''

Hunter Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

''; '' Maude''; ''

''; ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that ran from 1967 to 1975 on CBS. It was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller. The title character, Joe Mannix, is a private inves ...

''; ''

Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, ''The Twilight Zone'', ...

''; ''

Falcon Crest ''Falcon Crest'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired for nine seasons on CBS from December 4, 1981, to May 17, 1990. The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy Gioberti/Channing family in the California ...

''; ''

Hart to Hart ''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset lifes ...

''; '' Mission: Impossible'' (1988–90); and his final television appearance in 1992 as Father DiMarco on '' In the Heat of the Night''.

Death

Danova died of a heart attack on March 19, 1992, aged 66, at the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...

headquarters in Los Angeles while attending a meeting of the Foreign Language Film committee.Danova's obituary in the ''Los Angeles Times'' says, "Danova died Thursday night at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center ..."

Family

Danova was married twice and had two sons, Marco and Fabrizio, by his first wife, Pamela.

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1947) – Piotr Andrejevich Grinev * ''Monaca santa'' (1949) – Angelo De Blase * ''

Cavalcade of Heroes ''Cavalcade of Heroes'' ( it, Cavalcata d'eroi) is a 1950 Italian historical melodrama film directed by Mario Costa and starring Cesare Danova, Carla Del Poggio and Vittorio Sanipoli. It depicts the events around the founding of the short-lived ...

'' (1950) – Massimo Ruffo * ''El final de una leyenda'' (1951) – Carlos Montaña * ''

The King's Mail ''The King's Mail'' (Spanish:''Correo del rey'') is a 1951 Spanish historical adventure film directed by Ricardo Gascón and starring Cesare Danova, Juana Soler and Isabel de Pomés.Peiró p.302 It was made at the Orphea Studios in Barcelona ...

'' (1951) – Marcos de Malta * ''Pentimento'' (1952) – Sandro * ''

Maschera nera ''Maschera nera'' (''Black Mask'') is a 1952 Italian crime film. Cast *Cesare Danova: Villeneuve *Franca Marzi: Henriette * Nino Pavese: Dupont *Lia Di Leo: Hippolite *Renato Chiantoni Renato Chiantoni (19 April 1906 – 24 December 1979 ...

'' (1952) – Villeneuve * ''

I tre corsari ''The Three Pirates'' (Italian: ''I tre corsari'') is a 1952 Italian adventure film directed by Mario Soldati. It is based on a novel by Emilio Salgari. Cast * Ettore Manni: Il Corsaro Nero - Enrico di Ventimiglia * Marc Lawrence: Van Gould ...

'' (1952) – Il Corsaro Verde – Carlo di Ventimiglia * ''

Jolanda, the Daughter of the Black Corsair ''Jolanda, the Daughter of the Black Corsair'', also known as ''Yolanda'' ( it, Jolanda, la figlia del corsaro nero) is a 1953 Italian film directed by Mario Soldati, and based on the novel Yolanda, the Black Corsair's Daughter by Emilio Salgar ...

'' (1953) * ''

Cavallina storna ''Cavallina storna'' (i.e. "Dappled Mare") is a 1953 Italian historical melodrama film directed by Giulio Morelli and starring Gino Cervi. It is loosely based on several autobiographical poems ("La cavalla storna", "X agosto", "Un ricordo", and ...

'' (1953) – Sandro * ''Balocchi e profumi'' (1953) – Lorenzo * ''

Processo contro ignoti ''Genoese Dragnet'' ( it, Processo contro ignoti) is a 1952 Italian crime-melodrama film. The movie relates the story of Michele, a man accused of murdering a kidnapped girl and his fight to prove his innocence. Plot Genoa. Two wealthy spouses ...

'' (1953) – Avv. Enzo Pirani * '' Crossed Swords'' (1954) – Raniero * ''

Loves of Three Queens ''Loves of Three Queens'' ( it, L'amante di Paride), also known as ''The Face That Launched a Thousand Ships'', is a 1954 Italian anthology film. It was directed by Marc Allégret and Edgar G. Ulmer and stars Hedy Lamarr. Plot A woman going t ...

'' (1954) – Count Siegfried (segment: I Cavalieri dell'illusione) * ''I cavalieri dell'illusione'' (1954) * ''

'' (1955) – Don Giovanni * ''Non scherzare con le donne'' (1955) * ''Incatenata dal destino'' (1956) – Kirk Mauri * ''Ces sacrées vacances'' (1956) – Ralph Carigan * ''

'' (1958-1963) – Duel of Honor, Baranca, The Guest * '' Tarzan, the Ape Man'' (1959) – Harry Holt * ''

'' (1959) – Major Marco Ranieri * ''Catch Me If You Can'' (1959) * '' Valley of the Dragons'' (1961) – Hector Servadac * ''

Tender Is the Night ''Tender Is the Night'' is the fourth and final novel completed by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in French Riviera during the twilight of the Jazz Age, the 1934 novel chronicles the rise and fall of Dick Diver, a promising young ps ...

'' (1962) – Tommy Barban * ''

'' (1963) –

* ''

Gidget Goes to Rome ''Gidget Goes to Rome'' is a 1963 Columbia Pictures Eastmancolor feature film starring Cindy Carol as the archetypal high school teen surfer girl originally portrayed by Sandra Dee in the 1959 film ''Gidget''. The film is the third of three Gidg ...

'' (1963) – Paolo Cellini * ''

'' (1964) – Count Elmo Mancini * '' Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!'' (1966) – Pepe Pepponi * '' Chamber of Horrors'' (1966) – Anthony Draco * ''

Che! ''Che!'' is a 1969 American biographical film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Omar Sharif as Marxist revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara. It follows Guevara from when he first landed in Cuba in 1956 to his death in Bolivia in 1967, al ...

'' (1969) – Ramon Valdez * ''Horowitz in Dublin'' (1973) * ''

'' (1973) – Giovanni * '' A Matter of Wife... and Death'' (1975) – Dottore * ''

Scorchy ''Scorchy'' is a 1976 American crime film written and directed by Howard Avedis, and starring Connie Stevens, Cesare Danova, William Smith, Norman Burton, John Davis Chandler and Joyce Jameson. It was released on October 8, 1976 by American In ...

'' (1976) – Philip Bianco * ''

Tentacles In zoology, a tentacle is a flexible, mobile, and elongated organ present in some species of animals, most of them invertebrates. In animal anatomy, tentacles usually occur in one or more pairs. Anatomically, the tentacles of animals work main ...

'' (1977) – John Corey * ''

The Astral Factor Andreas Hedlund (born 17 September 1973), better known by his stage names Vintersorg and Mr. V, is a Swedish vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who has played in several heavy metal bands. Biography Hedlund's musical career came to be at or aro ...

'' (1978) – Mario * ''

Animal House ''National Lampoon's Animal House'' is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller. It stars John Belushi, Peter Riegert, Tim Matheson, John Vernon, Verna Bloom, Thomas Hu ...

'' (1978) – Mayor Carmine DePasto

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Danova, Cesare 1926 births 1992 deaths American male film actors American male television actors Italian male film actors Italian people of Austrian descent Italian emigrants to the United States Actors from Bergamo 20th-century American male actors 20th-century Italian male actors Burials at Valley Oaks Memorial Park