Rosalba Neri | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Neri inLady Frankenstein (1971) | |
| Born | (1939-06-19)19 June 1939 (age 86) Forlì, Kingdom of Italy |
| Other names | Sara Bey |
| Alma mater | Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1958–1985 |
| Known for | |
Rosalba Neri (born 19 June 1939) is a retired Italian actress.
Born inForlì,Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Neri was regarded for her beauty even in youth, winning abeauty pageant when she was still young. Eventually pursuing an acting career, she attended theCentro Sperimentale di Cinematografia (Centre for Experimental Cinematography) in Rome, graduating in 1959.[1] She also received an offer to attend theActors Studio in the United States, but did not accept.[2][3]
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She made her film debut in 1958 in the filmMogli pericolose. She is uncredited in this comedy, which was directed byLuigi Comencini. Her second film role was inRoberto Rossellini's prize-winning dramaEra notte a Roma in 1960.
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In 1960, she appeared in twosword and sandal films set in the Ancient world. The first wasIl Sepolcro dei Re (AKACleopatra's Daughter orThe Tomb of the King). This film tells the story of Nemorat, an Egyptian pharaoh who was instrumental in the creation of the pyramids ofGiza due to the intrigues surrounding his death and entombment.
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The second wasRaoul Walsh'sEsther and the King (1960), starringJoan Collins as the Biblical Jewish Queen. Rosalba played Keresh and was assassinated by someone who mistook her for the Queen. Because of her dark, sultry beauty, Rosalba was often a natural fit to play certain legendary characters.
She was Ramses' intended bride in theHercules Adventure,Il leone di Tebe (The Lion of Thebes) in 1964. She playedDelilah, the Biblical beauty who was the downfall of the Old Testament hero,Samson, inI Grandi Condottieri (The Great Guides) (1965). She returned to the genre inThe Arena (1974).
Although starring roles were few and far between for Neri, she worked steadily throughout the 1960s/70s in supporting and sometimes, nondescript roles, such as her turn as a harem girl inEl Cid (1961).
Neri had quite a few roles inEurospy intrigue films, often playing a less-than-saintly character. She was Faddja in 1965'sSuperseven Chiama Cairo (Superseven Calls on Cairo), one of the dangerous women that the spy, aJames Bond-like character, comes into contact with. Also in 1965, she appeared inDue Mafiosi contro Goldginger (Two Mafiosi Against Goldfinger).
In 1967, she was Amalia inPassword: Uccidete Agente Gordon (Password: Kill Agent Gordon). The same year, she played her first part for Spanish directorJess Franco in a spy film send-up done in comic book style,Lucky, the Inscrutable, starringRay Danton. In the following year, she appeared inOSS 117 - Double Agent (1968).
She followed the trends of European cinema by appearing in severalSpaghetti Westerns such asJohnny Yuma (1966),Arizona Colt (1966),Long Days of Hate (1968),A Long Ride from Hell (1968),The Reward's Yours... The Man's Mine (1969),Arizona Colt Returns (1971),Drummer of Vengeance (1971) andMan Called Invincible (1973).
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Neri, the bombshell, was also much in demand for eroticgiallo thrillers,horror, andsexploitation films. She was inJess Franco's box office hit99 Women (1969), one of the firstwomen in prison films,[4] andTop Sensation (The Seducers) (1969) oppositeEdwige Fenech.[5] In 1972 she playedFarley Granger's wife inAmuck!. Granger plays a wealthy author who hires a beautiful secretary (Barbara Bouchet) and engages in kinky sex games with her and his wife. Also in 1972, Neri played the lead role in the erotic horror flickLucifera: Demon Lover.
Bouchet and Neri would team up in 1972 in another movie combining sex with horror,Casa d’appuntamento (French Sex Murders). A jewel thief is accused of murdering a prostitute but is decapitated in a motorcycle accident prior to the trial. When those involved in the trial start dying off, everyone wonders if the dead man has come back to exact his revenge.
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Perhaps Neri's best-known films are from the horror genre. Credited as Sara Bay, she played Tania Frankenstein, the daughter of themonster's creator, in 1971'sLady Frankenstein. Tania was willing to take her father's work to new – and frightening – levels. It is considered aB movie classic.
In 1973, she starred inThe Devil's Wedding Night as Lady Dracula, a vampire who usesDracula's ring to lure young virgins to her home so she can murder them and bathe in their blood (à la the medievalCountess Elizabeth Báthory). In Italy, it was released asIl Plenilunio dell Vergini (Full Moon of the Virgins).
Neri would appear in a few more films, such as:No Way Out (1973),Loving Cousins (1974),Blood River (1974) andIl Pomicione (1976), which is her last credited film.
