Matinee Classics - Elsa Martinelli Biography & Filmography

Elsa Martinelli ACTOR

PHOTOS

ELSA MARTINELLI BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Elsa Martinelli was born on January 30th, 1935 in Grosseto, Italy with the birth name Elsa Tia. Her career in the industry first began when she was working as a fashion model and was discovered by designer, Robert Capucci.

Soon she was appearing in such films as, "Le Rouge at le Noir" (1954), "The Indian Fighter" (1955) starring Kirk Douglas and Dewey Martin and "Donatella" (1957), a role for which she won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 6th Berlin International Film Festival.

Martinelli then began to focus more on films made in Hollywood but still returned on occasion to Europe to film. She added such film credits to her resume as, "Four Girls in Town" (1957) starring George Nader, John Gavin and Julie Adams, "Manuela" (1957), "Prisoner of the Volga" (1959), "Hatari!" (1962) starring John Wayne and Red Buttons, "The Pigeon That Took Rome" (1962), "The Trial" (1962), "The V.I.P.'s" (1963), "Rampage" (1963) co-starring Robert Mitchum and Jack Hawkins, "Woman Times Seven" (1967) and "Candy" (1968).

In 1992 she did her last American film, "Once Upon a Crime…" and most recently she has remained living and working in Europe on such television series as, "Alles Glück dieser Erde" (1994) and "Orgoglio" (2005).

Elsa Martinelli has married three times, first to Count Franco Mancinelli Scotti di San Vito in 1957 and they had one daughter who also later pursued a career as an actress. After his marriage came to an end she married her second husband, Paris Match briefly and then divorced and married Willy Rizzo in the 1970's.