Rossana Podestà (born Carla Dora Podestà; 20 June 1934 – 10 December 2013) was an Italian actress who worked mainly in Italy from the 1950s to the 1970s.

Biography

Podestà was born in

Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece *Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in t ...

in the Italian

colony In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the ''metropole, metropolit ...

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Su ...

. She spent her first years there, moving to

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 ...

after

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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. At sixteen she was discovered by director

Léonide Moguy Léonide Moguy (14 July 1899 – 21 April 1976) was a Ukrainian, French and Italian film director, screenwriter and film editor. Moguy was born Leonid Mohylevskyi () in Odesa, Russian Empire in 1899 in a Jewish family. He lived in Soviet Ukraine ...

during the preparation of the cast for the film ''

Domani è un altro giorno ''Tomorrow Is Another Day'' (Italian: ''Domani è un altro giorno'') is a 1951 Italian melodrama film directed by Léonide Moguy and starring Pier Angeli, Aldo Silvani and Anna Maria Ferrero. It was produced as a follow-up to the hit film ''Tomor ...

''; this inaugurated a career in which she participated in sixty films, in Italy and abroad. Rossana Podestà 1956

In Italy, she resided in

Dubino Dubino (''Dübìn'' in lombard) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about west of Sondrio. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 3,270 and an are ...

(

Sondrio province The Province of Sondrio ( it, provincia di Sondrio) is in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. Its provincial capital is the city of Sondrio. As of 2017, it has a population of 181,403. History The Province was established in 1815, within ...

). She married and then divorced movie producer

Marco Vicario Marco Vicario (20 September 1925 – 10 September 2020) was an Italian film actor, screenwriter, film producer and director. He appeared in 23 films between 1950 and 1958. He also wrote for 13 films, produced 12 and directed a further 11. He ...

. From 1980 she lived with the

mountain climber Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing ...

, explorer and

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...

Walter Bonatti Walter Bonatti (; 22 June 1930 – 13 September 2011) was an Italian mountain climber, explorer and journalist. He was noted for many climbing achievements, including a solo climb of a new route on the south-west pillar of the Aiguille du Dru i ...

, who died alone in 2011, aged 81, at a private clinic where the hospital management would not allow his partner of more than 30 years to spend the last minutes of his life together because the two were not married. On 10 December 2013, Podestà died in

, aged 79.

Acting career

Podestà's most memorable role was as Helen in ''

Helen of Troy Helen of Troy, Helen, Helena, (Ancient Greek: Ἑλένη ''Helénē'', ) also known as beautiful Helen, Helen of Argos, or Helen of Sparta, was a figure in Greek mythology said to have been the most beautiful woman in the world. She was believe ...

'', produced by

Robert Wise Robert Earl Wise (September 10, 1914 – September 14, 2005) was an American film director, producer, and editor. He won the Academy Awards for Academy Award for Best Director, Best Director and Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Picture for h ...

in 1956. She could not speak

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

so she learned her lines by rote with a voice coach. The movie gave Podestà international exposure, and she performed alongside a young

Brigitte Bardot Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( ; ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B., is a former French actress, singer and model. Famous for portraying sexually emancipated characters with hedonistic lifestyles, she was one of the ...

. Thanks to her starring in the Mexican film '' Rossana'', she became very popular in Latin America. Podestà also starred in the movie ''

Ulisse ''Ulisse'' is an opera in a prologue and two acts composed by Luigi Dallapiccola to his own libretto based on the legend of Ulysses. It premiered at the Deutsche Oper Berlin (in German translation by Karl-Heinrich Kreith as ''Odysseus'') on 29 ...

'' (1955), directed by

Mario Camerini Mario Camerini (6 February 1895 – 4 February 1981) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. The cousin of Augusto Genina, he made the most well-known films in Italy during the 1930s, most of them comedies starring Vittorio De Sica. H ...

, and in the sixties and seventies she acted in some romantic movies, including ''Paolo il caldo'' and ''Il prete sposato'' which led to a double page of five half-naked pictures in the US ''Playboy'' of March 1966. Under the headline "Trio Con Brio" featuring European actresses, she appeared alongside

Christiane Schmidtmer Christiane Schmidtmer (24 December 1939 – 13 March 2003) was a German actress, fashion model, nude model, and memoirist. Biography Early life Christiane Schmidtmer was born in Mannheim, Germany, to Gertrud and Jakob Schmidtmer on Christmas ...

(from Germany) and

Shirley Anne Field Shirley Anne Field (born Shirley Broomfield; 27 June 1938) is an English actress who has performed on stage, film and television since 1955, prominent during the British New Wave. Early life Broomfield was born in Forest Gate, Essex (now in ...

(from the UK). Her last performance was in ''

Secrets Secrets ''Segreti segreti'' (internationally released as ''Secrets Secrets'') is a 1985 Italian drama film directed by Giuseppe Bertolucci. For this film Lina Sastri was awarded with a David di Donatello for Best Actress. The film was on first viewing TV ...

'' (1985), directed by

Giuseppe Bertolucci Giuseppe Bertolucci (27 February 1947 – 16 June 2012) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed 26 films between 1972 and 2012. He was the younger brother of Bernardo Bertolucci Bernardo Bertolucci (; 16 March 1941 � ...

. She died on 10 December 2013.

Selected filmography

*1950: ''

Strano appuntamento ''Strano appuntamento'' is a 1951 Italian film directed by Dezsö Ákos Hamza. Cast *Umberto Spadaro ... Rossi *Leda Gloria ... Signora Rossi * Rossana Podestà ... Their daughter * Enzo Staiola ... Older son (as Enzo Stajola) *Stefano Gua ...

'' - Their daughter *1951: '' Tomorrow Is Another Day'' - Stefania *1951: '' The Seven Dwarfs to the Rescue'' - Princess Snow White *1951: '' Cops and Robbers'' - Liliana Bottoni *1952: ''

Viva il cinema! ''Viva il cinema!'' is a 1952 Italian comedy film directed by Giorgio Baldaccini and Enzo Trapani. Cast * Delia Scala as Palmina * Fiorenzo Fiorentini as Tonino * Virgilio Riento as Gambalesta * Corrado Alba as Ugo * Marilyn Buferd as T ...

'' - Marisa *1952: ''

Gli Angeli del quartiere ''The Angels of the District'' (Italian: ''Gli Angeli del quartiere'') is a 1952 Italian drama film directed by Carlo Borghesio and starring Rossana Podestà, Jacques Sernas and Marisa Merlini.Borin p.72 The film's sets were designed by the art di ...

'' - Lisa *1952: '' I, Hamlet'' - Ofelia *1952: '' The Phantom Musketeer'' - Ornella *1952: '' Don Lorenzo'' *1953: ''Viva la rivista!'' *1953: ''

Finishing School A finishing school focuses on teaching young women social graces and upper-class cultural rites as a preparation for entry into society. The name reflects that it follows on from ordinary school and is intended to complete the education, wi ...

'' - Pereira *1953: ''

Addio, figlio mio! ''Addio, figlio mio!'' ("Farewell, my son!") is a 1953 Italian melodrama film written and directed by Giuseppe Guarino.A. Albertazzi (31 May 1954). "Addio, figlio mio! - Recensione". ''Intermezzo'', 9/10. Plot Italy, World War II. Giorgio, se ...

'' - Elsa *1953: '' Rossana'' - Rossana *1953: '' Voice of Silence'' *1954: '' Ulysses'' - Nausicaa *1955: ''

Le ragazze di San Frediano ''Le ragazze di San Frediano'' (English: ''The Girls of San Frediano'') is a 1949 novel by Italian author Vasco Pratolini. Plot The novel is set in Florence at the end of the Second World War. The story follows the escapades of a Florentine m ...

'' - Tosca *1955: ''Nosotros dos'' - María Pedrosa *1955: ''Non scherzare con le donne'' *1955: '' Songs of Italy'' *1956: ''

'' - Helen *1956: ''Playa prohibida'' - Isabella *1956: ''

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, who ...

'' - Doña Isabella *1958: ''

The Amorous Corporal ''The Amorous Corporal'' (french: La Bigorne, caporal de France) is a 1958 French adventure-comedy film co-written and directed by Robert Darène. Loosely based on the novel ''La Bigorne, caporal de France'' by Pierre Nord, it is set in eightee ...

'' - Bethi *1958: ''

Raw Wind in Eden ''Raw Wind in Eden'' is a 1958 American CinemaScope South Seas film noir directed by Richard Wilson and starring Esther Williams, Jeff Chandler. Plot Frustrated while having a fling with a married man, fashion model Laura is persuaded to fly in ...

'' - Costanza Varno *1958: '' The Sword and the Cross'' - Marta *1959: ''

Temptation Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals.Webb, J.R. (Sep 2014). Incorporating Spirituality into Psychology of temptation: Conceptualization, measurement, and clinical implications. Sp ...

'' - Caterina *1959: ''Un vaso de whisky'' - María *1960: ''

Fury of the Pagans ''Fury of the Pagans'' ( it, La furia dei barbari, also known as ''The Fury of the Barbarians'' and ''Toryok''), is a 1960 Italian adventure film directed by Guido Malatesta. Cast * Edmund Purdom: Toryok * Rossana Podestà: Leonora * Livi ...

'' - Leonora *1961: ''La grande vallata'' *1961: '' Slave of Rome'' - Antea *1962: ''

Alone Against Rome ''Alone Against Rome'' ( it, Solo contro Roma, also known as ''Vengeance of the Gladiators'') is a 1962 peplum film directed by Luciano Ricci and starring Lang Jeffries and Rossana Podestà. Cast * Lang Jeffries as Brennus * Rossana Pod ...

'' - Fabiola *1962: '' The Golden Arrow'' - Jamila *1963: ''

Sodom and Gomorrah Sodom and Gomorrah () were two legendary biblical cities destroyed by God for their wickedness. Their story parallels the Genesis flood narrative in its theme of God's anger provoked by man's sin (see Genesis 19:1–28). They are mentioned frequ ...

'' - Shuah *1963: '' The Virgin of Nuremberg'' - Mary Hunter *1964: '' The Naked Hours'' - Carla *1964: '' Last Plane to Baalbek'' - Isabel Moore *1965: ''

Seven Golden Men ''Seven Golden Men'' ( it, Sette uomini d'oro) is a 1965 Italian crime-comedy film directed by Marco Vicario. A film about a bank heist, it follows a gang of men and one woman. It followed the same story line as '' Topkapi'', and has a seque ...

'' - Giorgia *1966: ''

Seven Golden Men Strike Again ''Seven Golden Men Strike Again'' ( it, Il grande colpo dei sette uomini d'oro, lang-en, ''The Big Hit of the Seven Golden Men'') is a 1966 film directed by Marco Vicario. It is the sequel of ''Seven Golden Men''. Plot The Seven Golden Men ...

'' - Giorgia *1970: ''

The Swinging Confessors ''The Swinging Confessors'' ( it, Il prete sposato), also known as ''Intimacy'' and ''The Married Priest'', is a 1970 Italian comedy film written and directed by Marco Vicario. Plot A young Sicilian priest who moved to Rome comes into contac ...

'' - Silvia *1971: ''

Man of the Year __NOTOC__ Person of the Year or Man of the Year is an award given to an individual by any type of organization. Most often, it is given by a newspaper or other news outlet to annually recognize a public person. Such awards have typically been awa ...

'' - Cocò Lampugnani *1972: ''

L'uccello migratore ''L'uccello migratore'' (''The migratory bird'') is a 1972 Italian comedy film directed by Steno and starring Lando Buzzanca and Rossana Podestà. Plot Andrea Pomeraro is a history teacher from CastroPietro, Sicily. During an outdoor les ...

'' - Delia Benetti *1973: ''

The Sensual Man ''The Sensual Man'' ( it, Paolo il caldo, also known as ''The Sensuous Sicilian'') is a 1974 Italian comedy film written and directed by Marco Vicario. It is loosely based on the novel of the same name written by Vitaliano Brancati. It was shot ...

'' - Lilia *1975: ''

Il gatto mammone ''Il gatto mammone'' is a 1975 Italian commedia sexy all'italiana directed by Nando Cicero. Plot Sicilian Lollo Mascalucia, a small pasta factory owner has been married to Rosalia for seven years, pretending to all his fellow villagers that he ...

'' - Rosalia *1976: '' Il letto in piazza'' - Serena *1977: '' Pane, burro e marmellata'' - Simona *1979: ''7 ragazze di classe'' - Ivonne *1980: '' Sunday Lovers'' - Clara (segment "Armando's Notebook") *1980: ''Tranquille donne di campagna'' - Anna Maldini *1983: ''

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted th ...

'' - Hera *1985: ''

'' - Maria, Rosa's Mother (final film role)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Podesta, Rossana 1934 births 2013 deaths People from Tripoli Italian film actresses Italian colonial people in Libya Libyan people of Italian descent Libyan emigrants to Italy