Antonio Costanzo Dimitri, also known as Antonio Di Mitri, Tony Di Mitri, Tony Dimitri and George Stevenson (

Manduria Manduria is a city and ''comune'' of Apulia, Italy, in the province of Taranto. With c. 32,000 inhabitants (2013), it is located east of Taranto. Etymology The name ''Manduria'' is thought to derive from a Proto-Indo-European stem ''*mond- ...

, 12 June 1931 –

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, 8 December 2019), was an Italian actor and singer.

Biography

Antonio Costanzo Dimitri was born in

, a small town in

Apulia Apulia ( ), also known by its Italian language, Italian name Puglia (), is a Regions of Italy, region of Italy, located in the Southern Italy, southern peninsular section of the country, bordering the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Strait of Ot ...

from which he moved as a boy. After living in

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

for some years he decided to move to

, to attend the prestigious

Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico Accademia Nazionale d'Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico (translation: Silvio d'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Arts) is a national drama school in Rome, Italy. Founded in 1936 by the theatrical theorist, critic, and writer Silvio D'Amico, the a ...

. He debuted at the Greek Theater of Syracuse in " Hippolytus", directed by

Orazio Costa Orazio Costa (6 August 1911 – 14 November 1999) was an Italian theatre pedagogist and director. Born Orazio Costa Giovangigli in Rome, Costa graduated at the Silvio d’Amico Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1937, and after being assistant director ...

. Shortly after he took part in several theatrical tours with

Enrico Maria Salerno Enrico Maria Salerno (18 September 1926 – 28 February 1994) was an Italian actor, voice actor and film director. He was also the voice of Clint Eastwood in the Italian version of Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy films, and the voice of Chris ...

. In 1953 Dimitri had his film debut in ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...

'' by Pierre Billon and '' Senso'' by

Luchino Visconti Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo (; 2 November 1906 – 17 March 1976) was an Italian filmmaker, theatre and opera director, and screenwriter. He was one of the fathers of Italian neorealism, cinematic neorealism, but later ...

. Those were the years of the "Dolce Vita", where he had several relationships with well-known actresses such as

Silvana Pampanini Silvana Pampanini (25 September 1925 – 6 January 2016) was an Italian film actress, director and singer. She was also the niece of the soprano of the golden era of opera, Dame Rosetta Pampanini. Silvana Pampanini caused a sensation when she t ...

and

Lea Massari Anna Maria Massetani (born 30 June 1933), known professionally as Lea Massari, is an Italian actress and singer. Massetani was born in Rome and studied architecture in Switzerland. She adopted her stage name at the age of 22, after the sudden ...

. In 1965 he started his singing career, releasing three singles under CGD : ''L'hanno ucciso a Roma,'' ''Hanno rapito il presidente'' and ''Un velo bianco''. In the same years he was also co-protagonist, alongside

Amedeo Nazzari Amedeo Nazzari (10 December 1907 – 5 November 1979) was an Italian actor. Nazzari was one of the leading figures of Italian classic cinema, often considered a local variant of the Australian–American star Errol Flynn. Although he emerged as ...

, of ''Hanno rapito il presidente'' by

Dino Verde Dino Verde (13 July 1922 – 1 February 2004) was an Italian author, lyricist, playwright and screenwriter. Life and career Born Edoardo Verde in Naples, in 1943 he started working in the satirical magazine '' Marc'Aurelio''. Since the late 19 ...

. In '68 Dimitri was the protagonist, alongside

Francesca Bertini Francesca Bertini (born Elena Seracini Vitiello; 5 January 1892 – 13 October 1985) was an Italian silent film actress. She was one of the most successful silent film stars in the first quarter of the twentieth-century. Early life Born Elena ...

, of the hit TV show ''La fiera dei Sogni,'' hosted by

Mike Bongiorno Michael Nicholas Salvatore Bongiorno (; May 26, 1924 – September 8, 2009) was an American Italian television presenter. After a few experiences in the U.S., he started working on RAI in the 1950s and was considered to be the most popular host ...

. In '69 he joined the world-famous theatrical representation of Ariosto's

Orlando Furioso ''Orlando furioso'' (; ''The Frenzy of Orlando'') is an Italian epic poem by Ludovico Ariosto which has exerted a wide influence on later culture. The earliest version appeared in 1516, although the poem was not published in its complete form ...

directed by

Luca Ronconi Luca Ronconi (8 March 1933 – 21 February 2015) was an Italian actor, theatre director, and opera director. Biography Ronconi was born in Sousse, Tunisia. After growing up in Tunisia, where his mother was a school teacher, Ronconi graduated ...

, where he played the part of King

Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I (; , ; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the Western world and as Suleiman the Lawgiver () in his own realm, was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman sultan between 1520 a ...

. In the early '70s he had profound spiritual awakening and decided to go back to his roots, studying and performing the traditional music of his region, the

Salento Salento (; Salentino dialect, Salentino: ''Salentu''; Griko language, Salento Griko: ) is a Cultural area, cultural, List of historical states of Italy, historical, and geographic region at the southern end of the administrative region of Apuli ...

. He released two folk albums ''I canti del prato verde'' (1972, as Antonio Di Mitri) and ''Taratatani'' (1974, as Antonio Dimitri). In 1974 he played ''Yanez'' in the TV show ''The Tigers of Mompracen'', alongside

Gigi Proietti Luigi "Gigi" Proietti (2 November 1940 – 2 November 2020) was an Italian actor, dubber, comedian, singer and television presenter. Early life He was born in Rome to Romano Proietti, originally from Umbria, and Giovanna Ceci, a housewife. Dur ...

and directed by

Ugo Gregoretti Ugo Gregoretti (28 September 1930 – 5 July 2019) was an Italian film, television and stage director, actor, screenwriter, author and television host. He directed 20 films during his career. Biography Born in Rome, Gregoretti entered RAI ...

. He died on 8 December 2019 at 88 years of age.

Filmography

Film

* ''

'' (1953, regia di Pierre Billon) * '' La Traviata'' (1953, regia di

Vittorio Cottafavi Vittorio Cottafavi (30 January 1914 – 14 December 1998) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed 70 films between 1943 and 1985. His film '' Il diavolo sulle colline'' was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the ...

) - Dancer at the Nightclub (uncredited) * '' Senso'' (1954, regia di

) - Un soldato (uncredited) * ''Dinanzi a noi il cielo'' (1957, regia di

Roberto Savarese Roberto Savarese (1910–1996) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He also worked as an assistant director, assistant or second unit director, as he did on Henri-Georges Clouzot's ''The Wages of Fear'' in 1953.Lloyd p.92 Selected filmo ...

) * ''Il sole tornerà'' (1957, regia di Ferdinando Merighi) * ''Sword Without a Country'' (1961, regia di Carlo Veo) * ''

Rome 1585 ''Rome 1585'' (), also known as ''The Mercenaries'', is a 1961 Italian epic adventure film co-written and directed by Mario Bonnard and starring Daniela Rocca and Antonio Cifariello. It is Bonnard's last film. Plot Cast *Daniela Rocca as Al ...

'' (1961, regia di

Mario Bonnard Mario Bonnard (24 December 1889 – 22 March 1965) was an Italian actor and film director. Career Bonnard was born and died in Rome. He began his cinematic career as an actor becoming a popular romantic lead in numerous silent films made befo ...

) * '' A Girl... and a Million'' (1962, regia di

Luciano Salce Luciano Salce (25 September 1922 – 17 December 1989) was an Italian film director, comedian, television host, producer, actor and lyricist. His 1962 film ''Le pillole di Ercole'' was shown as part of a retrospective on Italian comedy at the ...

) - James * ''I normanni'' (1962, regia di

Giuseppe Vari Giuseppe Vari (9 March 1924 – 1 October 1993) was an Italian film director, editor and screenwriter. Life and career Born in Segni, Rome, Vari started his career as an editor of films and documentaries, collaborating among others with Fed ...

) - Oscar * ''

Shivers in Summer ''Shivers in Summer'' () is a 1963 Italian comedy film directed by Luigi Zampa and starring among others Vittorio Gassman. Cast * Vittorio Gassman - Captain Nardoni * Sandra Milo - Yvonne * Michèle Mercier - Gigi * Philippe Leroy - Manolo * G ...

'' (1964, regia di

Luigi Zampa Luigi Zampa (2 January 1905 – 16 August 1991) was an Italian film director. Biography Son of a worker, Zampa studied filmmaking from 1932 to 1937 at the Italian film school in Rome. He directed several Italian neorealism films in the 1940 ...

) - The Model Quarrelling with della Pietra * ''

Two Mafiamen in the Far West ''Two Mafiamen in the Far West'' () is a 1964 Italian comedy western film directed by Giorgio Simonelli. Its stars Franco and Ciccio, and Fernando Sancho. Cast * Franco Franchi as Franco Capone * Ciccio Ingrassia as Ciccio Capone * Fernando ...

'' (1964, regia di

Giorgio Simonelli Giorgio Simonelli (14 November 1901 Birth name: Giorgio Simonelli. – 3 October 1966), was an Italian film director, editor, screenwriter and journalist. Life and career Born in Rome, Simonelli got a high school diploma in business studies, ...

) - Jesse James * ''

Ali Baba and the Seven Saracens ''Ali Baba and the Seven Saracens'' (, also known as ''Sinbad Against the 7 Saracens'') is a 1964 Italian adventure film written and directed by Emimmo Salvi and starring Gordon Mitchell. The film was released straight to television in the Unite ...

'' (1964, regia di Emimmo Salvi) - Sharif * ''

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly ''The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'' (, literally "''The good, the ugly, the bad''") is a 1966 Italian epic spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood as "the Good", Lee Van Cleef as "the Bad", and Eli Wallach a ...

'' (1966, regia di

Sergio Leone Sergio Leone ( ; ; 3 January 1929 – 30 April 1989) was an Italian filmmaker, credited as the pioneer of the spaghetti Western genre. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema. Leone's film-making style ...

) - Deputy (uncredited) * ''

Red Roses for the Fuhrer ''Red Roses for the Fuhrer'' () is 1968 Italian war drama film directed by Fernando Di Leo and starring James Daly, Pier Angeli, and Peter van Eyck.Allen p.179 It is also known as ''Code Name, Red Roses''. Plot Cast * James Daly as Major Mi ...

'' (1968, by di Fernando Di Leo) * '' May God Forgive You... But I Won't'' (1968, regia di Vincenzo Musolino) - Manuel Hernandez (uncredited) * ''Quintana'' (1968, regia di Vincenzo Musolino) - Quintana * ''Dal nostro inviato a Copenaghen'' (1970, regia di

Alberto Cavallone Alberto Cavallone (28 August 1938 – 12 November 1997) was an Italian people, Italian film director and screenwriter. He was born in Milan, Italy. Cavallone's films are anti-conventional and often contain a mixture of graphic violence, surreal ...

) - Nick Valenti * ''Una colt in mano al diavolo'' (1973, regia di

Gianfranco Baldanello Gianfranco Baldanello (born 13 November 1928) is an Italian film director, screenwriter and second unit director. He often used the alias Frank G. Carroll. Career The son of actor Emilio Baldanello and the brother of the script supervisor Maria ...

) * ''Il giustiziere di Dio'' (1973, regia di Franco Lattanzi) - Ringo * ''Six Bounty Killers for a Massacre'' (1973, regia di Franco Lattanzi) - Rinaldo * ''Il colpaccio'' (1976, regia di Bruno Paolinelli) - Dr. Alfred Houseman * ''Giallo alla regola'' (1988, regia di Stefano Roncoroni) - Killer #3 (final film role)

Television

* ''Il romanzo di un maestro'' (1959, TV Series, regia di

Mario Landi Mario Landi (12 October 1920 – 18 March 1992) was an Italian director known for his giallo movies such as '' Giallo a Venezia'' and his television series '' Le inchieste del commissario Maigret''. Life and career Born on 12 October 1920, in ...

) - Un amico di Carlotta * '' Ritorna il tenente Sheridan'' (1963, TV Series) - Barman * ''Caravaggio'' (1967, TV Series, regia di Silverio Blasi) - Un sergente * '' Sheridan: Squadra omicidi'' (1967, TV Series, regia di

Leonardo Cortese Leonardo Cortese (24 May 1916 – 31 October 1984) was an Italian film actor and film director, director. He appeared in more than 30 films between 1938 and 1962. He also directed eight films between 1952 and 1967. He was born and died in Ro ...

) - Wenger * ''Joe Petrosino'' (1972, TV Series, regia di

Daniele D'Anza Daniele D'Anza (20 April 1922 – 12 April 1984) was an Italian director, playwright and screenwriter. Life and career Born in Milan, D'Anza started his career on stage, in which he is best known for the direction of the antimilitarist play '' ...

) - Antonino Passananti * ''

'' (1974, TV Series, regia di

) - Solidano * ''The Tigers of Mompracen'' (1974, TV Series, regia di

) - Yanes

Partial discography

* 1972 – ''I canti del prato verde – Antiche canzoni regionali popolari italiane'' (as Antonio Di Mitri) * 1974 – ''Taratatani – Antichi canti popolari della Puglia salentina'' (as Antonio Dimitri) * 1977 – ''Rutulì rutulà – Il mondo è una rotella, volta gira e se ne va'' (as Antonio Dimitri)

Singles

* 1965 – ''L'hanno ucciso a Roma/Carnevale di sangue'' (as Tony Di Mitri) * 1965 – ''Hanno rapito il presidente/Il telefono dell'incubo'' (as Tony Di Mitri) * 1965 – ''Un velo bianco/La farfalla innocente'' (as Tony Di Mitri)

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dimitri, Antonio Italian folk singers Italian pop singers Italian male actors 1931 births 2019 deaths People from Apulia Male actors from Apulia