- Elsa Martinelli
Elsa Martinelli, born Elsa Tia, on
August 3 ,1932 or13 January 1935 , according to different sources [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0553349/maindetails] [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=2:46065~T1] , inGrosseto ,Tuscany , is an Italian actress and former fashion model.Martinelli moved to
Rome with her family and in 1953 was discovered byRoberto Capucci who introduced her to the world of fashion. She became a model and began playing small roles in films. She appeared inClaude Autant-Lara 's "Le Rouge et le noir " (1954), but her first important film role came the following year with "The Indian Fighter " oppositeKirk Douglas . Douglas claims to have spotted her on a magazine cover and hired her for his production company,Bryna Productions . In 1956 she won the Silver Berlin Bear Award for Best Actress at theBerlin International Film Festival for playing the title role inMario Monicelli 's "Donatella ".Since then, she has divided her time between
Europe and theUSA and has appeared with many of filmdom's top leading men, in such fims as "Four Girls in Town " (1957) withGeorge Nader , "Manuela (film) " (1957) withTrevor Howard , "Prisoner of the Volga " (1959) withJohn Derek , "Hatari! " (1962) withJohn Wayne , "The Pigeon That Took Rome " (1962) withCharlton Heston , "The Trial" withAnthony Perkins ,The V.I.P.s (1963) withOrson Welles , "Rampage" (1963) withRobert Mitchum , "Woman Times Seven " (1967) withLex Barker . In "Candy" (1968), her co-stars wereCharles Aznavour ,Marlon Brando ,Richard Burton ,James Coburn ,Walter Matthau andRingo Starr .Martinelli was first married to Count Franco Mancinelli Scotti di San Vito, by whom she has a daughter, Cristiana Mancinelli (born 1956), also an actress. She later was married to the
Paris Match photographer and 1970s furniture designerWilly Rizzo .
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