Franco Lechner, best known as Bombolo (22 May 1931 – 21 August 1987), was an Italian character actor and comedian.

Life and career

Born in

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 ...

into a humble family, a former peddler of dishes, Lechner was discovered in a tavern by Franco Castellacci and

Pierfrancesco Pingitore Pier Francesco Pingitore (born 27 September 1934) is an Italian director, screenwriter, playwright and author. Biography Born in Catanzaro, Pingitore started his career as a journalist,Giorgio Dell’Arti, Massimo Parrini. ''Catalogo dei vive ...

, who entered him in their cabaret company "Il Bagaglino". He got a large popularity in cinema as the

sidekick A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague (not necessarily in fiction) who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to the one they accompany. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, ...

Tomas Milian Tomas Milian (born Tomás Quintín Rodríguez-Varona Milián Salinas de la Fé y Álvarez de la Campa; 3 March 1933 – 22 March 2017) was a Cuban-born actor and singer with American and Italian citizenship, known for the emotional intensity an ...

in a successful series of half-serious

poliziottesco Poliziotteschi (; singular ''poliziottesco'') constitute a subgenre of crime and action films that emerged in Italy in the late 1960s and reached the height of their popularity in the 1970s. They are also known as ''polizieschi all'italiana'', ...

films directed by

Bruno Corbucci Bruno Corbucci (23 October 1931 – 7 September 1996) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He was the younger brother of Sergio Corbucci, and wrote many of his films. He was born in Rome, where he also died. The vast majority of ...

. He was also partner of Enzo Cannavale in a number of comedy films. He died at age 56 as a result of complications following a major surgical operation. Decades later, his characteristic

slang Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and usage (language), linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of p ...

, and particularly his distinctive "tze tze", remain popular among the younger generations.

Partial filmography

* ''Remo e Romolo (Storia di due figli di una lupa)'' (1976) - Pappo * ''La prima notte di nozze'' (1976) * ''

Hit Squad The Hit Squad is an American hip hop collective of East coast hip hop artists. Originally formed in the 1990s by Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith of the rap group EPMD, the group included rap artists such as K-Solo, Redman, Das EFX, Top Qualit ...

'' (1976) - Er Trippa * '' Nerone'' (1977) - Roscio * ''

Il marito in collegio ''Il marito in collegio'' is a 1977 Italian comedy film directed by Maurizio Lucidi. It is based on the novel with the same name by Giovanni Guareschi. Plot A gas station attendant ( Enrico Montesano) falls in love with a Lombard noblewoman ( ...

'' (1977) - Killer * '' Messalina, Messalina'' (1977) - Zenturio Bisone * '' Squadra antitruffa'' (1977) - Franco 'Venticello' Bertarelli * ''

Little Italy Little Italy is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Italians or people of Italian ancestry, usually in an urban neighborhood. The concept of "Little Italy" holds many different aspects of the Italian culture. There are ...

'' (1978) - Venticello * ''Scherzi da prete'' (1978) - Bombolo * ''

Assassinio sul Tevere ''Assassinio sul Tevere'' (''Assassination on the Tiber'') is a 1979 Italian "poliziottesco"-comedy film directed by Bruno Corbucci. It is the sixth chapter in the Nico Giraldi film series starred by Tomas Milian. Cast * Tomas Milian: Nico Gira ...

'' (1979) - Franco 'Venticello' Bertarelli * ''Tutti a squola'' (1979) - Bombolo il bidello * '' L'imbranato'' (1979) - Bombolo, il genero * '' Ciao marziano'' (1980) - Pietro * '' La settimana bianca'' (1980) - Giulio Cesare * '' Delitto a Porta Romana'' (1980) - Franco 'Venticello' Bertarelli * '' Il casinista'' (1980) - Poldo * ''L'amante tutta da scoprire'' (1981) - Bombolo * ''La settimana al mare'' (1981) - Orazio Canestrari * ''

Uno contro l'altro, praticamente amici ''Uno contro l'altro, praticamente amici'' (''Against Each Other, Practically Friends'') is a 1981 Italian comedy film directed by Bruno Corbucci. Cast *Renato Pozzetto as Franco Colombo *Tomas Milian as Quinto Cecioni aka "Er Monnezza" *Anna ...

'' (1981) - Capoccione * ''I carabbinieri'' (1981) - Mozzarella * ''Una vacanza del cactus'' (1981) - Augusto Squarciarelli * '' Crime at the Chinese Restaurant'' (1981) - Bombolo * ''Miracoloni'' (1981) - Taxista * ''Il marito in vacanza'' (1981) - Agenore * ''

W la foca ''W la foca'' is a 1982 commedia sexy all'italiana directed by Nando Cicero. Plot Andrea (Lory Del Santo) is a young and naïve nurse from Veneto who is employed by the Roman physician Dr. Filippo Patacchiola ( Bombolo). Patacchiola lives with hi ...

'' (1982) - Doctor Filippo Patacchiola * ''Attenti a quei P2'' (1982) - Bombolo il portiere * ''Il sommergibile più pazzo del mondo'' (1982) - Il Postino * ''

Delitto sull'autostrada ''Delitto sull'autostrada'' (''Crime on the Highway'') is a 1982 Italian " poliziottesco"-comedy film directed by Bruno Corbucci. It is the ninth chapter in the Nico Giraldi film series starring Tomas Milian. Plot Rome, Italy early 1980s. Nico ...

'' (1982) - Venticello * ''Sturmtruppen 2 (tutti al fronte)'' (1982) * ''La sai l'ultima sui matti?'' (1982) - Caciotta * ''È forte un casino!'' (1982) - Cicciobello * ''Un jeans e una maglietta'' (1983) * ''Sfrattato cerca casa equo canone'' (1983) - Maciste * ''La discoteca'' (1983) - Bombolo * '' Crime in Formula One'' (1984) - Venticello * '' Cop in Drag'' (1984) - Franco 'Venticello' Bertarelli * ''Vacanze d'estate'' (1985) - Cardinale * ''Giuro che ti amo'' (1986) - (final film role)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bombolo Italian male film actors 1931 births 1987 deaths Italian male stage actors 20th-century Italian male actors Male actors from Rome Italian male comedians 20th-century Italian comedians Burials at the Cimitero Flaminio