Fortunio Bonanova, pseudonym of Josep Lluís Moll, (13 January 1895 – 2 April 1969) was a Spanish baritone singer and a film, theater, and television actor. He occasionally worked as a producer and director. According to Lluis Fàbregas Cuixart, the pseudonym ''Fortunio Bonanova'' referred to his desire to seek fortune, and his love of the Bonanova neighborhood in his native Palma.

Biography

As a young man, living under his birthname, he was a professional

telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...

operator. He studied

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...

with the

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 ...

Giovachini. In 1921, he debuted as a singer in ''

Tannhäuser Tannhäuser (; gmh, Tanhûser), often stylized, "The Tannhäuser," was a German Minnesinger and traveling poet. Historically, his biography, including the dates he lived, is obscure beyond the poetry, which suggests he lived between 1245 and ...

'', at the Teatre Principal in Palma. That year, along with a group of Majorcan intellectuals and

Jorge Luis Borges Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo (; ; 24 August 1899 – 14 June 1986) was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator, as well as a key figure in Spanish-language and international literature. His best-known b ...

(who was briefly living in Majorca with his parents and sister), he signed the Ultraist Manifesto, using the name Fortunio Bonanova. Also in 1921, he appeared in a silent film of '' Don Juan Tenorio'' by the brothers Baños, which was shown the following year in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

and Hollywood. He later directed his own ''Don Juan'' in 1924. In 1927, he acted in ''Love of Sunya'', directed by Albert Parker and starring

Gloria Swanson Gloria May Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress and producer. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most f ...

. In 1932 he had small parts in Hollywood productions featuring

Joan Bennett Joan Geraldine Bennett (February 27, 1910 – December 7, 1990) was an American stage, film, and television actress. She came from a show-business family, one of three acting sisters. Beginning her career on the stage, Bennett appeared in more t ...

and

Mary Astor Mary Astor (born Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke; May 3, 1906 – September 25, 1987) was an American actress. Although her career spanned several decades, she may be best remembered for her performance as Brigid O'Shaughnessy in '' The Maltese ...

. In the same period, he appeared in New York in several

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

s as well as the zarzuelas ''La Canción del Olvido'' ("The song of forgetting"), ''La Duquesa del Tabarín'' ("The Duchess of Tabarín"), ''Los Gavilanes'', and ''La Montería''. In 1934, he returned to

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, where he had a major role in the film ''El Desaparecido'' ("The disappeared one") written and directed by Antonio Graciani. In 1935 he acted and sang in the film ''Poderoso Caballero'' ("A Big Guy"), directed by Màximo Nossik. In 1936, with the outbreak of the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...

, he returned to the United States, where he played the role of Captain Bill in a film called ''Capitán Tormenta'', directed by Jules Bernhardt. A sequence of increasingly larger acting and singing roles mostly in English-language films followed, especially after 1940. Among his roles were Signor Matiste, Susan Alexander Kane's opera coach in '' Citizen Kane'' (1941); General Sebastiano in ''

Five Graves to Cairo ''Five Graves to Cairo'' is a 1943 war film directed by Billy Wilder and starring Franchot Tone and Anne Baxter. Set in World War II, it is one of a number of films based on Lajos Bíró's 1917 play ''Hotel Imperial: Színmű négy felvonásba ...

'' (1943); Don Miguel in '' The Black Swan'' (1942); Fernando in ''

For Whom the Bell Tolls ''For Whom the Bell Tolls'' is a novel by Ernest Hemingway published in 1940. It tells the story of Robert Jordan, a young American volunteer attached to a Republican guerrilla unit during the Spanish Civil War. As a dynamiter, he is assigned ...

'' (1943); Sam Garlopis in '' Double Indemnity'' (1944); and a singing

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus * lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo * es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón * pt, Cristóvão Colombo * ca, Cristòfor (or ) * la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...

in '' Where Do We Go From Here?''. He continued for the next several decades in a miscellany of character roles. Bonanova was also an uncredited technical consultant for the film '' Blood and Sand'' (1941), and produced and appeared in the Spanish-language film ''La Inmaculada'' (a name of the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

, "Immaculate")(1939). Bonanova played the father of twins Esther Williams, and

Ricardo Montalbán Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino, KSG (; ; November 25, 1920 – January 14, 2009) was a Mexican and American film and television actor. Montalbán's career spanned seven decades, during which he became known for performances in a var ...

in the 1947 film '' Fiesta''. In 1949, Bonanova collaborated with Ambrose Barker on a musical entitled "Glamor/Glamour is the Gimmick." It got bad reviews—what may have been popular and witty when Barker developed it in the early 1930s didn’t make it in 1949.Billboard, 22 October 1949, pg. 24 In the 1950s, he appeared in an episode of ''

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along wit ...

'' as a fake psychic who uses his stage apparatus to make it appear as though Lucy is able to speak Spanish to her mother-in-law. In 1952, he played an Italian opera singer, Anthony Branchetti, in the fourth episode of ''

My Little Margie ''My Little Margie'' is an American television situation comedy starring Gale Storm and Charles Farrell that alternated between CBS and NBC from 1952 to 1955. The series was created by Frank Fox and produced in Los Angeles, California, at Hal Ro ...

'' where Margie helps her father by convincing Mr. Branchetti to appear at a party in his honor to impress a reluctant client of Honeywell & Todd. In 1953 he played

Lou Costello Louis Francis Cristillo (March 6, 1906 – March 3, 1959), professionally known as Lou Costello, was an American comedian, actor and producer. He was best known for his double act with straight man Bud Abbott and their routine " Who's on First? ...

's Uncle Bozzo in the Abbott & Costello episode of "Uncle Bozzo's Visit." In 1955, he portrayed an opera star in an episode of the situation comedy '' Willy''. Bonanova died in 1969 in

Woodland Hills, California Woodland Hills is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Geography Woodland Hills is in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley, which is located east of Ca ...

of a cerebral hemorrhage and is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.

Partial filmography

* ''Don Juan Tenorio'' (1922) - Don Juan Tenorio * ''Don Juan'' (1924) * ''

Careless Lady ''Careless Lady'' is a 1932 American comedy film directed by Kenneth MacKenna and written by Guy Bolton. The film stars Joan Bennett, John Boles, Minna Gombell, Weldon Heyburn, Nora Lane and Raul Roulien. The film was released on April 3, 1 ...

'' (1932) - Rodriguez (film debut) * ''

A Successful Calamity ''A Successful Calamity'' is a 1932 American pre-Code comedy film directed by John G. Adolfi and starring George Arliss, supported by Mary Astor and Evelyn Knapp. Based on the 1917 play ''A Successful Calamity'' by Clare Kummer, the film is ab ...

'' (1932) - Pietro Rafaelo, the Pianist * ''He Who Disappeared'' (1934) - Reporter * ''El capitan Tormenta'' (1936) - Capt. Bill * ''Poderoso caballero'' (1936) * ''El carnaval del diablo'' (1936) * ''

Beg, Borrow or Steal ''Beg, Borrow or Steal'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Wilhelm Thiele and written by Leonard Lee, Harry Ruskin and Marion Parsonnet. The film stars Frank Morgan, Florence Rice, John Beal, Janet Beecher, Herman Bing and Erik Rho ...

'' (1937) - ISMAN (uncredited) * '' Romance in the Dark'' (1938) - Tenor * '' Tropic Holiday'' (1938) - Barrera * '' Bulldog Drummond in Africa'' (1938) - African Police Corporal (uncredited) * '' La Inmaculada'' (1939) * '' I Was an Adventuress'' (1940) - Orchestra Leader * '' Down Argentine Way'' (1940) - Hotel Manager * '' The Mark of Zorro'' (1940) - Sentry (uncredited) * '' That Night in Rio'' (1941) - Pereira * '' They Met in Argentina'' (1941) - Pedro, Ranch Blacksmith (uncredited) * '' Citizen Kane'' (1941) - Signor Matiste * '' Blood and Sand'' (1941) - Pedro Espinosa * '' Moon Over Miami'' (1941) - Mr. Pretto * '' Unfinished Business'' (1941) - Impresario (uncredited) * '' A Yank in the R.A.F.'' (1941) - Louie - Headwaiter * '' Two Latins from Manhattan'' (1941) - Armando Rivero * ''

Mr. and Mrs. North ''Mr. and Mrs. North'' are fictional American amateur detectives. Created by Frances and Richard Lockridge, the couple was featured in a series of 26 Mr. and Mrs. North novels, a Broadway play, a motion picture and several radio and television ...

'' (1942) - Buano * ''

Four Jacks and a Jill Four Jacks and a Jill is a South African folk rock ensemble. Career They originally formed in 1964 without a "Jill" under the name "The Nevadas". Subsequently, they became the first group in South Africa to wear their hair long and they changed ...

'' (1942) - Mike - Nightclub Owner (uncredited) * '' Call Out the Marines'' (1942) - Chef (uncredited) * ''

Obliging Young Lady ''Obliging Young Lady'' is a 1942 American romantic comedy film directed by Richard Wallace (director), Richard Wallace and starring Joan Carroll, Edmond O'Brien, Ruth Warrick. Plot On the instructions of their lawyer, the wealthy young daughter ...

'' (1942) - Chef * ''

Sing Your Worries Away ''Sing Your Worries Away'' is a 1942 musical film directed by A. Edward Sutherland and starring Buddy Ebsen, June Havoc, Patsy Kelly, Bert Lahr, Dorothy Lovett and Sam Levene. Cast * Buddy Ebsen as Tommy Jones * Patsy Kelly as Bebe McGuire ...

'' (1942) - Gaston - Headwaiter (uncredited) * ''

Larceny, Inc. ''Larceny, Inc.'' is a 1942 American film. Originally released on May 2, 1942, by Warner Bros., the film is a cross between comedy and gangster genres. Directed by Lloyd Bacon, the film stars Edward G. Robinson, Jane Wyman, Broderick Crawford, a ...

'' (1942) - Anton Copoulos * '' Girl Trouble'' (1942) - Simon Cordoba * '' The Black Swan'' (1942) - Don Miguel (uncredited) * ''

Hello, Frisco, Hello ''Hello, Frisco, Hello'' is a 1943 American musical film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone and starring Alice Faye, John Payne, Lynn Bari, and Jack Oakie. The film was made in Technicolor and released by 20th Century-Fox. This was one of the last ...

'' (1943) - Opera Singer (uncredited) * ''

'' (1943) - Gen. Sebastiano * ''

Dixie Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas shift over the years), or the extent of the area it cover ...

'' (1943) - Waiter * ''

'' (1943) - Fernando * '' The Sultan's Daughter'' (1943) - Kuda * '' The Song of Bernadette'' (1943) - Imperial Prince Louis (uncredited) * ''

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" ( ar, علي بابا والأربعون لصا) is a folk tale from the '' One Thousand and One Nights''. It was added to the collection in the 18th century by its French translator Antoine Galland, who hear ...

'' (1944) - Old Baba * '' My Best Gal'' (1944) - Charlie * ''

Going My Way ''Going My Way'' is a 1944 American musical comedy drama film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald. Written by Frank Butler and Frank Cavett based on a story by McCarey, the film is about a new young priest tak ...

'' (1944) - Tomaso Bozanni * '' Double Indemnity'' (1944) - Sam Garlopis * '' Mrs. Parkington'' (1944) - Signor Cellini * ''

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

'' (1944) - Senor Renaldo Da Silva * '' Where Do We Go from Here?'' (1945) - Christopher Columbus * ''

Mischievous Susana ''Mischievous Susana'' (Spanish: ''La pícara Susana'') is a 1945 Mexican musical comedy film directed by Fernando Cortés and starring Mapy Cortés, Luis Aldás, Fortunio Bonanova and Fernando Cortés.Rivera p.43 Cast * Mapy Cortés as Susana Mar ...

'' (1945) - Conde Mauricio Tonescu * ''

A Bell for Adano ''A Bell for Adano'' (1945) is a film directed by Henry King and starring John Hodiak and Gene Tierney. It was adapted from the 1944 novel of the same title by John Hersey, which won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1945. In his review of t ...

'' (1945) - Gargano - Chief of Police * '' Man Alive'' (1945) - Prof. Zorado * '' Hit the Hay'' (1945) - Mario Alvini * '' The Red Dragon'' (1945) - Insp. Luis Carvero * '' The Sailor Takes a Wife'' (1945) - Telephone Man (uncredited) * ''Pepita Jiménez'' (1946) - Don Pedro Vargas * '' Monsieur Beaucaire'' (1946) - Don Carlos * '' Fiesta'' (1947) - Antonio Morales * ''

The Kneeling Goddess ''The Kneeling Goddess'' (Spanish: ''La diosa arrodillada'') is a 1947 Mexican Melodrama film directed by Roberto Gavaldón and starring María Félix, Arturo de Córdova and Rosario Granados. It was shot at the Estudios Churubusco in Mexico Cit ...

'' (1947) - Nacho Gutiérrez * '' The Fugitive'' (1947) - The Governor's Cousin * '' Rose of Santa Rosa'' (1947) - Don Manuel Ortega * ''

Romance on the High Seas ''Romance on the High Seas'' (released in the United Kingdom as ''It's Magic'') is a 1948 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Michael Curtiz, and starred Jack Carson, Janis Paige, Don DeFore and Doris Day in her film debut. Busby Be ...

'' (1948) - Plinio * ''

Angel on the Amazon ''Angel on the Amazon'', also known as ''Drums Along the Amazon'', is a 1948 American adventure film directed by John H. Auer and starring George Brent, Vera Ralston, Brian Aherne and Constance Bennett.Kellow p.463 Plot summary After a plane ...

'' (1948) - Sebastian Ortega * ''

Adventures of Don Juan ''Adventures of Don Juan'' is a 1948 American Technicolor swashbuckling adventure romance film directed by Vincent Sherman and starring Errol Flynn and Viveca Lindfors, with Robert Douglas, Alan Hale, Ann Rutherford, and Robert Warwick. Also in ...

'' (1948) - Don Serafino Lopez * '' Bad Men of Tombstone'' (1949) - John Mingo * ''

Whirlpool A whirlpool is a body of rotating water produced by opposing currents or a current running into an obstacle. Small whirlpools form when a bath or a sink is draining. More powerful ones formed in seas or oceans may be called maelstroms ( ). ''Vo ...

'' (1950) - Feruccio di Ravallo * '' Nancy Goes to Rio'' (1950) - Ricardo Domingos * ''

September Affair ''September Affair'' is a 1950 American romantic drama film directed by William Dieterle and starring Joan Fontaine, Joseph Cotten, and Jessica Tandy. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis. Plot Marianne "Manina" Stuart (Joan Fontaine), a prominent c ...

'' (1950) - Grazzi * '' Havana Rose'' (1951) - Ambassador DeMarco * ''

Thunder Bay Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario; its population i ...

'' (1953) - Sheriff Antoine Chighizola * ''

The Moon Is Blue ''The Moon Is Blue'' is a play by F. Hugh Herbert. A comedy in three acts, the play consists of one female and three male characters. Performance history ''The Moon Is Blue'' premiered at The Playhouse in Wilmington, Delaware on February 16, 1 ...

'' (1953) - Television Performer * '' Die Jungfrau auf dem Dach'' (1953) - TV Ansager * '' So This Is Love'' (1953) - Dr. Marafioti * '' Second Chance'' (1953) - Mandy * ''

Conquest of Cochise ''Conquest of Cochise'' is a 1953 American Western film set in 1853 at the time of the Gadsen Purchase. Produced by Sam Katzman and directed by William Castle, it stars John Hodiak, Robert Stack and Joy Page. Plot Army Major Tom Burke is assi ...

'' (1953) - Mexican Minister * '' New York Confidential'' (1955) - Senor * ''

Kiss Me Deadly ''Kiss Me Deadly'' is a 1955 American film noir produced and directed by Robert Aldrich, starring Ralph Meeker, Albert Dekker, Paul Stewart, Juano Hernandez, and Wesley Addy. It also features Maxine Cooper and Cloris Leachman appearing in th ...

'' (1955) - Carmen Trivago * '' Jaguar'' (1956) - Francisco Servente * ''

An Affair to Remember ''An Affair to Remember'' is a 1957 American romance film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. Filmed in CinemaScope, it was distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is considered among the most romantic films of all ti ...

'' (1957) - Courbet * ''

The Saga of Hemp Brown ''The Saga of Hemp Brown'' is a 1958 American CinemaScope Western film directed by Richard Carlson and starring Rory Calhoun and Beverly Garland. Plot A U.S. cavalry officer, Hemp Brown (Rory Calhoun), runs into some serious trouble when the p ...

'' (1958) - Serge Bolanos * ''

Thunder in the Sun ''Thunder in the Sun'' is a 1959 American Western film directed by Russell Rouse and starring Susan Hayward and Jeff Chandler. Plot The film shows a family of French Basque immigrants pioneering into the Wild West while carrying their ancestr ...

'' (1959) - Fernando Christophe * '' The Running Man'' (1963) - Spanish Bank Manager * ''La muerte silba un blues'' (1964) - Comisario Fenton (final film role)

Notes

References

* Catalina Aguiló & J.A. Mendiola, ''Fortunio Bonanova : un home de llegenda'', Mallorca 1997. ''Much of the material in this article comes from the corresponding article in the Catalan Wikipedia''.

External links

*
Opera singers in the movies

Fortunio Bonanova on Cinefania

Fortunio Bonanova on Rotten Tomatoes
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bonanova, Fortunio 1895 births 1969 deaths Male film actors from Catalonia Spanish male film actors Singers from Catalonia People from Palma de Mallorca Singers from the Balearic Islands 20th-century Spanish male actors 20th-century Spanish male opera singers Spanish expatriates in the United States Spanish operatic baritones