Franco Pesce (11 August 1890 – 6 December 1975) was an Italian actor and cinematographer.
Life and career
Franco Pesce was born in
Naples
Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
. He was the son of the actor Ettore. At a young age Pesce studied lyric singing with the intention of becoming an opera singer.
At 20 years old he abandoned his studies to enter the cinema industry as a film operator.
Pesce moved to Rome with the
advent of sound film where he became a cinematographer. Later in his life, beginning in 1940, he started a very productive career as a
character actor
A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...
.
In his later years Pesce was mainly active in
spaghetti western films
This list of spaghetti Westerns includes Western films, primarily produced and directed by Italian production companies between 1913 and 1978. For a list of non-Italian produced European Westerns, see the list of Euro-Western films.
In the ...
. He was often credited under English pseudonyms, usually interpreting roles of petulant, pedantic and intriguing old men.
Selected filmography
* ''
Eternal Melodies'' (1940)
* ''
Apparition'' (1943)
* ''
Farewell, My Beautiful Naples'' (1946)
* ''
Mad About Opera'' (1948)
* ''
Baron Carlo Mazza'' (1948)
* ''
Crossroads of Passion'' (1948)
* ''
Flying Squadron'' (1949)
* ''
The Beggar's Daughter
''The Beggar's Daughter'' () is a 1950 Italian historical melodrama film directed by Carlo Campogalliani and starring Paola Barbara, Franca Maj and Steve Barclay (actor), Steve Barclay. It is based on a novel of the same name by Carolina Invernizio ...
'' (1950)
* ''
The Transporter
''The'' is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the ...
'' (1950)
* ''
The Bread Peddler'' (1950)
* ''
Song of Spring'' (1951)
* ''
Operation Mitra
''Operation Mitra'' () is a 1951 Italian thriller film directed by Giorgio Cristallini and starring Steve Barclay (actor), Steve Barclay and Marina Berti.Morreale p.123
Cast
* Steve Barclay (actor), Steve Barclay
* Marina Berti
* Margherita Bag ...
'' (1951)
* ''
They Were Three Hundred'' (1952)
* ''
Prisoners of Darkness'' (1952)
* ''
Prisoner in the Tower of Fire'' (1952)
* ''
If You Won a Hundred Million'' (1953)
* ''
The Lovers of Manon Lescaut'' (1954)
* ''
The Last Race'' (1954)
* ''
Revolt of the Mercenaries'' (1961)
* ''
Long Days of Hate'' (1968)
* ''
Pistol for a Hundred Coffins'' (1968)
* ''
Orgasmo'' (1969)
* ''
Le Mans, Shortcut to Hell'' (1970)
* ''
Cloud of Dust... Cry of Death... Sartana Is Coming'' (1970)
* ''
Have a Good Funeral, My Friend... Sartana Will Pay'' (1970)
* ''
In Love, Every Pleasure Has Its Pain
''In Love, Every Pleasure Has Its Pain'' () is a 1971 commedia all'italiana film directed by Gianfranco De Bosio. It is based on the comedy play ''La Betia'' by Angelo Beolco.
Cast
* Nino Manfredi: Nale
* Rosanna Schiaffino: Betìa
*Ljubi ...
'' (1971)
* ''
The Last Traitor
''The Last Traitor'' (, also known as ''Thirteenth Is a Judas'') is a 1971 Italian Spaghetti Western film directed by Giuseppe Vari.
Plot
A wedding is set to take place in Sonora, Mexico sometime after the American Civil War. Former Confederat ...
'' (1971)
* ''
They Call Me Hallelujah'' (1971)
* ''
His Name Was Holy Ghost'' (1972)
* ''
We Are No Angels'' (1975)
* ''
The Diamond Peddlers'' (1976)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pesce, Franco
1975 deaths
1890 births
Film people from Naples
Italian male film actors
20th-century Italian male actors
Italian cinematographers
Male actors from Naples