Acting
Cesare Danova
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Cesare Danova (March 1, 1926 - March 19, 1992), born Cesare Deitinger in Bergamo, Italy, was a television and screen actor. He adopted the stage name Danova when he turned to acting in Rome at the end of World War II. He migrated to the United States in the 1950s to make the film Don Giovanni (Don Juan) in 1955. He was contracted to MGM in 1956. Other appearances include The Man Who Understood Women. He tested for a part in Ben Hur, but his big break was the role of Apollodorus, Cleopatra's personal servant in the 1963 film, Cleopatra directed by Joseph Mankiewicz and starring Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Rex Harrison. While the original script called for a major role for Danova, who was to form a trio of Cleopatra's lovers alongside Harrison's Caesar and Burton's Marc Antony. Though a number of scenes featuring Taylor and Danova were shot, the script was revised and the role truncated as the Burton-Taylor affair made tabloid headlines. What remained was little more than a cameo. The following year he starred as Count Elmo Mancini in Viva Las Vegas as Elvis Presley's rival for both Ann Margaret's Rusty Martin and for the Las Vegas Grand Prix (predictably losing both to Elvis's Lucky Jackson). In 1967, Danova had another break with the TV series, Garrison's Gorillas, in which he played the role of Actor. Clearly inspired by the hit film, The Dirty Dozen and the hit TV series Mission: Impossible, the series had an ensemble cast but, unfortunately, only ran for 26 episodes. Two of his best roles were as the neighborhood mafia Don, Giovanni Cappa, in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets (1973) and as the corrupt town mayor, Carmine DePasto, in National Lampoon's Animal House (1978). He also acted in three episodes of The Rifleman, and regularly appeared as a guest star on numerous television series, including Murder, She Wrote, Maude, Falcon Crest, and the revival of Mission: Impossible (1988–90). He died of a heart attack at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences headquarters in Los Angeles while attending a meeting of the Foreign Language Film committee. His mausoleum is in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery. Danova was married twice and had two sons, Marco & Fabrizio, by his first wife, Pamela. He was an expert horseman, avid polo player, and an excellent archer. Description above from the Wikipedia article Cesare Danova, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
Blacke's Magic
Series · 1986
Murder, She Wrote
Series · 1984
Hunter
Series · 1984
Airwolf
Series · 1984
Automan
Series · 1983
Hotel
Series · 1982
Matt Houston
Series · 1982
Falcon Crest
Series · 1981
Simon & Simon
Series · 1981
The Fall Guy
Series · 1981
Nero Wolfe
Series · 1981
Magnum, P.I.
Series · 1980
Trapper John, M.D.
Series · 1979
Hart to Hart
Series · 1979
The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo
Series · 1979
Eischied
Series · 1979
13 Queens Blvd.
Series · 1979
Animal House
Film · 1978
The Astral Factor
Film · 1978
Vega$
Series · 1978
Tentacles
Film · 1977
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
Series · 1977
The Love Boat
Series · 1977
Scorchy
Film · 1976
Charlie's Angels
Series · 1976
Charlie's Angels
Series · 1976
A Matter of Wife... and Death
Film · 1975
Matt Helm
Series · 1975
Death Cruise
Film · 1974
Chico and the Man
Series · 1974
The Manhunter
Series · 1974
Mean Streets
Film · 1973
Horowitz in Dublin
Film · 1973
Police Story
Series · 1973
Maude
Series · 1972
Sanford and Son
Series · 1972
The Sandy Duncan Show
Series · 1972
Decisions! Decisions!
Film · 1971
Cannon
Series · 1971
McMillan & Wife
Series · 1971
The New Dick Van Dyke Show
Series · 1971
Night Gallery
Series · 1970
McCloud
Series · 1970
Honeymoon with a Stranger
Film · 1969
Che!
Film · 1969
Medical Center
Series · 1969
The Mod Squad
Series · 1968
The Name of the Game
Series · 1968
Garrison's Gorillas
Series · 1967
Mannix
Series · 1967
Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!
Film · 1966
Chamber of Horrors
Film · 1966
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
Series · 1966
That Girl
Series · 1966
The Green Hornet
Series · 1966
Honey West
Series · 1965
Viva Las Vegas
Film · 1964
Daniel Boone
Series · 1964
Daniel Boone
Series · 1964
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Series · 1964
Gidget Goes to Rome
Film · 1963
Cleopatra
Film · 1963
Arrest and Trial
Series · 1963
Breaking Point
Series · 1963
Vacation Playhouse
Series · 1963
Tender Is the Night
Film · 1962
The Lucy Show
Series · 1962
Stoney Burke
Series · 1962
Valley of the Dragons
Film · 1961
Outlaws
Series · 1960
The Roaring 20's
Series · 1960
Tarzan, the Ape Man
Film · 1959
The Man Who Understood Women
Film · 1959
Catch Me If You Can!
Film · 1959
Adventures in Paradise
Series · 1959
The Rifleman
Series · 1958
Incatenata dal destino
Film · 1956
These Sacred Holidays
Film · 1956
Don Giovanni
Film · 1955
Non scherzare con le donne
Film · 1955
Crossed Swords
Film · 1954
Loves of Three Queens
Film · 1954
The Fate of Two Queens
Film · 1954
Dappled Mare
Film · 1953
Toys and perfumes
Film · 1953
I tre corsari
Film · 1952
Processo contro ignoti
Film · 1952
Pentimento
Film · 1952
El correo del rey
Film · 1951
El final de una leyenda
Film · 1951
Cavalcata d'eroi
Film · 1950
Monaca santa
Film · 1949
The Captain's Daughter
Film · 1947