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Cesare Danova | |
|---|---|
 Danova in a trailer forChamber of Horrors (1966) | |
| Born | Cesare Deitinger (1926-03-01)March 1, 1926 Rome, Italy |
| Died | March 19, 1992(1992-03-19) (aged 66) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Valley Oaks Memorial Park,Westlake Village, California |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1947–1992 |
| Spouse(s) | Pamela Matthews (1955–1963) (divorced) 2 children Patricia Chandler (1977–1992) (his death) |
Cesare Danova (March 1, 1926 – March 19, 1992) was an Italian actor. He was best known for his roles inThe Captain's Daughter (1947),Viva Las Vegas (1964),Chamber of Horrors (1966),Mean Streets (1973),National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) and various roles inThe Rifleman (1958–1963).
Born asCesare Deitinger inBergamo,[note 1][1] Italy to an Austrian father[note 2][2] and an Italian mother, he adoptedDanova as hisstage name after becoming an actor in Rome at the end of World War II. After the filmDon Juan (1955) he immigrated to the United States. He was contracted toMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1956.[3]
His appearances includeThe Man Who Understood Women (1959). He tested for a part inBen Hur, but his big break was the role ofApollodorus, Cleopatra's personal servant, in the 1963 filmCleopatra, directed byJoseph Mankiewicz and starringElizabeth Taylor,Richard Burton andRex Harrison. 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 inViva Las Vegas asElvis Presley's rival for bothAnn-Margret and theLas Vegas Grand Prix.[4]
In 1967, Danova played the role of Actor in the TV seriesGarrison's Gorillas.[5] The series only ran for 26 episodes. Two of his best roles were as the neighborhood mafia Don, Giovanni Cappa, in Martin Scorsese'sMean Streets (1973) and as the corrupt mayor of Faber, Carmine DePasto, inNational Lampoon's Animal House (1978). He appeared in three episodes ofThe Rifleman, and regularly appeared as a guest star on numerous television series, includingHoney West;The Man from U.N.C.L.E.;That Girl;Daniel Boone;Charlie's Angels;The Love Boat;Sanford and Son;Fantasy Island;McMillan & Wife;Police Story;Murder, She Wrote;Airwolf;Hunter;Maude;The Rifleman;Mannix;Night Gallery;Falcon Crest;Hart to Hart;Mission: Impossible (1988–90); and his final television appearance in 1992 as Father DiMarco onIn the Heat of the Night.
Danova died of a heart attack on March 19, 1992, aged 66,[6] at theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences headquarters in Los Angeles while attending a meeting of the Foreign Language Film committee.[citation needed][note 3][1]
Danova was married twice and had two sons, Marco and Fabrizio, by his first wife, Pamela.
