CESARE DANOVA BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:
Cesare Danova was born on March 1st, 1926 in Bergamo, Italy with the birth name Cesare Deitinger. Many know his story of being brought to America and being told he was going to get his big break as the lead in, "Ben-Hur" however, he lost out to Charlton Heston for the role which was the role that made Heston a household name.
Despite this disappointment, Danova went on to become a highly successful Italian American Actor. Growing up he excelled in athletics becoming a fencing champion at age fifteen and by the age of seventeen he was a member of the Italian National Rugby Team. He was successful in all sports ranging from golf, tennis, swimming and even a master archer.
His parents hoped he would pursue a career in medicine. Upon completing high school he went o to study to become a doctor, however, prior to earning his degree, Danova suffered a nervous breakdown.
A friend of his recommended while he was taking time off his schooling to meet with a well known Italian producer, Dino De Laurentiis. Dino was so highly impressed with Danova he asked him to screen test and it was not long before, Danova was appearing in such films as, "La figlia del capitano" (1947), "The Holy Nun" (1950), "Cavalcata d'ero" (1950), "Pentimento" (1952) and "The Black Mask" (1952).
In addition to working in the film industry he loved performing as a stage actor and gained many years of experience in Europe on the stage as well as adding numerous European film credits to his resume.
Soon he caught the attention of MGM Studio's in Hollywood, California and in 1956 he was signed to a contract. Sadly, he did not speak any English and his accent trying to learn the language was so strong it actually hurt him receiving any film roles. Although he remained living in the United States and under contract with MGM, the first two years, they paid his salary but did not cast him in any film roles.
It was not until 1959 that he finally was being given the chance to appear in his first American films, "Catch Me if You Can" starring Gilbert Roland, Greta Thyssen, Jonathan Harris, Antonio Moreno and Dina Merrill and "The Man Who Understood Women" (both 1959). Other more well known film roles included, "Tender is the Night" (1962), "Cleopatra" (1963) starring Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, "Viva Las Vegas" (1964) starring Elvis Presley and Ann Margret, "Chamber of Horrors" (1966), "Mean Streets" (1973) and "Animal House" (1978).
As his career progressed he mainly focused on television work with some of his more well known appearances on series, "Dustry's Trail", "The Rifleman", "The Lucy Show", "Daniel Boone", "Fantasy Island", "Murder, She Wrote", "Maude", "Falcon Crest", "The Green Hornet", "Lassie", "Zane Grey Theatre", "Mission: Impossible", "Bonanza", "Magnum, P.I.", "Ryan's Hope" and his last appearance was in 1992 on, "The Heat of the Night" starring Carroll O'Connor.
He married an English actress, Pamela Matthews in 1955 and they had two sons together and remained married until 1963. He did not remarry again and passed away at the age of sixty six on March 19th, 1992 in Los Angeles, California after suffering from a heart attack. His remains are in the mausoleum in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery.
Filmography
1992 In the Heat of the Night
1989 Mission: Impossible
1988-1989 Ryan's Hope
1987 Hunter
1986 Jack and Mike
1986 Murder, She Wrote
1986 Magnum, P.I.
1986 Blacke's Magic
1985 Falcon Crest
1985 Too Close for Comfort
1985 Airwolf
1985 Hotel
1984 Simon & Simon
1984 Automan
1982 Matt Houston
1982 The Fall Guy
1981 The Love Boat
1981 Fantasy Island
1981 Hart to Hart
1981 Nero Wolfe
1981 Trapper John, M.D.
1981 Vega$
1980 The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo
1979 Eischied
1979 Barnaby Jones
1979 13 Queens Boulevard
1976-1979 Charlie's Angels
1978 Animal House
1977 Operation Petticoat
1977 The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries
1977 Tentacles
1976 Gemini Man
1976 Scorchy
1976 A Matter of Wife... and Death
1976 Chico and the Man
1976 Sanford and Son
1976 The Astral Factor
1975 Matt Helm
1974-1975 Police Story
1975 Medical Center
1974 McCloud
1974 Death Cruise
1972-1974 Mannix
1973 Dusty's Trail
1973 Mean Streets
1971-1973 McMillan & Wife
1971-1973 The New Dick Van Dyke Show
1973 Horowitz in Dublin
1972 The Sandy Duncan Show
1972 Rod Serling's Night Gallery
1972 Maude
1972 Lassie
1970-1972 The Doris Day Show
1972 Decisions! Decisions!
1971 Cannon
1969 Honeymoon with a Stranger
1969 The Mod Squad
1969 Che!
1969 My Friend Tony
1968 The Name of the Game
1968 That Girl
1967-1968 Garrison's Gorillas
1967 The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1967 The Green Hornet
1965-1966 Daniel Boone
1966 The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
1966 Chamber of Horrors
1966 Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!
1965 Honey West
1965 Bonanza
1964 Arrest and Trial
1964 The Lucy Show
1964 Viva Las Vegas
1964 Breaking Point
1963 Gidget Goes to Rome
1963 Vacation Playhouse
1963 Cleopatra
1958-1963 The Rifleman
1963 Stoney Burke
1963 Alcoa Premiere
1962 Tender Is the Night
1961 Valley of the Dragons
1961 Outlaws
1961 Zane Grey Theatre
1961 The Roaring Twenties
1961 Adventures in Paradise
1960 Tales of Wells Fargo
1959 Five Fingers
1959 Tarzan, the Ape Man
1959 The Man Who Understood Women
1959 Catch Me If You Can
1956 Ces sacrées vacances
1955 Non scherzare con le donne
1955 Don Juan
1955 Incatenata dal destino
1954 Loves of Three Queens
1954 Crossed Swords
1954 Jolanda, the Daughter of the Black Corsair
1954 Genoese Dragnet
1954 I cavalieri dell'illusione
1953 La cavallina storna
1953 Balocchi e profumi
1952 I tre corsari
1952 The Black Mask
1952 Pentimento
1951 El correo del rey
1950 Cavalcata d'ero
1950 El final de una leyenda
1950 The Holy Nun
1947 La figlia del capitano
