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Anthony Franciosa

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Anthony George Franciosa(néPapaleo;October 25, 1928 – January 19, 2006) was an American actor most oftenbilledasTony Franciosaat the height of his career. He began his career on stage and made a breakthrough portraying the brother of the drug addict in the playA Hatful of Rain,which earned him a nomination for theTony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.He reprised his role in itssubsequent film adaptation,for which he won the 1957Venice Film Festival Award for Best Actor,and was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.[1]

Tony Franciosa
Franciosa in 1969
Born
Anthony George Papaleo

(1928-10-25)October 25, 1928
New York City,NY, U.S.
DiedJanuary 19, 2006(2006-01-19)(aged 77)
Los Angeles,California,U.S.
Other namesTony Franciosa
OccupationActor
Years active1955–1996
Spouses
  • Beatrice Bakalyar
    ​
    ​
    (m.1952;div.1957)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m.1957;div.1960)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m.1961;div.1967)​
  • Rita Thiel
    ​
    ​
    (m.1970)​
Children3
AwardsTony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play
1956A Hatful of Rain

Volpi Cup for Best Actor
1957A Hatful of Rain

Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
1960Career

After relocating to Hollywood he made numerous feature films, includingA Face in the Crowd(1957),The Long, Hot Summer(1958), andCareer(1959), for which he won theGolden Globe for Best Actor.[2]In television, he played lead roles in five television series: the sitcomValentine's Day(1964–65), dramaThe Name of the Game(1968–71),Search(1972–73),Matt Helm(1975), andFinder of Lost Loves(1984).[3]Later in his career, he acted primarily in Europe, starring in the erotic dramaThe Cricket(1980) andDario Argento'sgialloTenebrae(1982).

Early life

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He was born in theLittle Italydistrict of New York to anItalian-Americanfamily. His grandparents emigrated fromMelfi,Basilicata,in the center of the boot of Southern Italy, in 1890.[4]His parents separated when he was one and he was raised by his mother and aunt, adopting his mother's maiden name Franciosa.[5]

After high school he worked as a welder, ship steward and cook. At the age of 18 he was doing free dancing lessons at the YMCA, where he was offered a role in a production ofThe Seagull,and the experience made him want to be an actor.[3][6]

Career

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Theatre

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Franciosa studied privately for two years with Joseph Geigler. He got a four-year scholarship at the Dramatic Workshop which led to the New York Repertory Theatre.[7]

In 1948, Franciosa joined theCherry Lane TheatreGroupoff Broadway(at the same time as actressBea Arthur). Within two years, he had been accepted as a member of theActors Studio,which would prove an invaluable resource throughout his career[8]but it would be a few years more before Franciosa could make a living from acting. In the meantime, he accepted a variety of jobs which included being a waiter, dishwasher, day laborer, and messenger boy at CBD. He worked in Theatre of the Sky on Lake Tahoe. In 1950 he was in a San Francisco production ofDetective Story.[9][10]

In 1953, Franciosa made his Broadway debut inEnd as a ManalongsideBen Gazzara,and the following year inWedding Breakfast(1954).[11]

Franciosa began guest starring on TV shows such asStudio One in Hollywood,Kraft Theatre,Ford Star Jubilee(an adaptation ofThis Happy BreedwithNoël Coward), andGoodyear Playhouse.[12]

A Hatful of Rain

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Franciosa's breakthrough role came when cast in the Actors Studio production ofA Hatful of Rain(1955–56) under the direction ofElia Kazan.He played Polo, the brother of the drug addicted Johnny (Ben Gazzara).Shelley Wintersplayed Johnny's wife and she would marry Franciosa the following year. Franciosa was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance.[3]

Franciosa made his film debut inElia Kazan'sA Face in the Crowd(1957) alongsideAndy Griffith,Patricia Neal,andLee Remick.He followed it in MGM'sThis Could Be the Night(1957) as the romantic interest forJean Simmons,under the direction ofRobert Wise.

Franciosa reprised his role inA Hatful of Rainin the film version, directed byFred Zinnemannat 20th Century Fox, with Don Murray andEva Marie Saintplaying the roles originated by Gazzara and Winters.Hedda Hopperpointed out that these three films were made before the first one had been released.[10] Franciosa's performance inHatful of Rainearned him anAcademy Awardnomination forBest Actor.[1]

Film star

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Franciosa supportedAnna MagnaniandAnthony QuinninWild Is the Wind(1957) directed byGeorge Cukor,produced byHal B. Walliswho put Franciosa under a multi-film contract.

He then appeared withPaul NewmanandJoanne WoodwardinThe Long Hot Summer(1958), playing Jody Varner. one of the two sons of Will Varner (Orson Welles), directed byMartin Rittat Fox.[13]

In December 1957, he spent 10 days in jail for hitting a press photographer in April of that year.[14][15]However he was much in demand: In an interview in December, he said he owed Fox and MGM three films each over five years, Kazan two more films, and Wallis one film a year over seven years.[7]

He playedFrancisco Goyain MGM'sThe Naked Maja(1958) withAva Gardner,which earned Franciosa $250,000 in acting fees due to production delays. He made a second film for Wallis,Career(1959) withDean MartinandShirley MacLaine,[16][17]thenThe Story on Page One(1959) withRita HayworthforClifford Odetsat Fox.

He was meant to star inOrpheus Descending(which becameThe Fugitive Kind) withAnna Magnani,but the producers decided to cast Marlon Brando, and Franciosa was paid out $75,000. He was mentioned as a possibility for one of the roles inThe Magnificent Sevenand for the title role in a proposedSimon Bolivarbiopic thatDino De Laurentiiswas going to make.[18]

In 1959, he served 30 days at an open-prison farm for possession of marijuana. The same year, he was in a car accident.[19]

Franciosa returned to TV to appear inHeaven Can Waitan adaptation ofHere Comes Mr Jordan(1960), then inCradle Song(1960).[20]

He supportedGina Lollobrigidain MGM'sGo Naked in the World(1961), which lost money. He was top-billed in the ItalianCareless(1962) withClaudia Cardinaleand MGM'sPeriod of Adjustment(1962) withJane Fonda,Franciosa's first film for that studio which made a profit. In August 1963, he addressed a civil rights rally in Alabama alongsideMarlon BrandoandPaul Newman.[21]

Television

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Tony Franciosa withRobert Stack(left) andGene Barryin the TV seriesThe Name of the Game(1968)

Franciosa guest starred onThe DuPont Show of the Week,Arrest and Trial,Breaking Point,The Greatest Show on Earth,andBob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre.He had support parts in two films for Fox:Rio Conchos(1964) withStuart WhitmanandRichard Boone,andThe Pleasure Seekers(1964) withAnn-MargretandCarol Lynley.[22]

He starred in a TV seriesValentine's Day(1964–65).[23]When that ended he had support parts inA Man Could Get Killed(1966) withJames GarnerandAssault on a Queen(1966) withFrank Sinatra.He wasleading mantoAnn-MargretinThe Swinger(1966) at Paramount[22]andRaquel WelchinFathom(1967) at Fox.

In a 1966 interview he confessed that Hollywood stardom had come a little too early: "It was an incredible amount of attention, and I wasn't quite mature enough psychologically or emotionally for it."[3]

He starred in a phenomenally highly rated TV movie, billed on countless lead-up commercials as the first movie made for television, Universal'sFame Is the Name of the Game(1966), then a spaghetti Western at Universal,A Man Called Gannon(1968), a drama withJacqueline Bissetat Fox,The Sweet Ride(1968), and a war film at Universal,In Enemy Country(1968).

ProducerDavid Dortortwas on the verge of casting him asCameron Mitchell's best friend and brother-in-law, Manolito Montoya, on thewestern,The High Chaparral,ifHenry Darrowdid not make it to the set in time. Darrow did.[24]

Tony Franciosa returned to regular series withThe Name of the Game(1968–71) (based onFame Is the Name of the Game), as lead role of charismatic but doggedly determined star reporter Jeff Dillon, alternating the regular lead spot withGene BarryandRobert Stack.The three leading actors were never onscreen at the same time at any point in the series. He was fired from the show in 1970 because of his temper.

He was inWeb of the Spider(1971), an Italian horror film, then a series of TV movies:The Deadly Hunt(1971),Earth II(1971), andThe Catcher(1972). He had a support part in the action filmAcross 110th Street(1972).

Franciosa had a further alternating lead role in a TV series, this time rotating withHugh O'BrianandDoug McClure,as agent Nick Bianco inSearch(1972). When that ended he supportedPeter SellersinGhost in the Noonday Sun(1973), then had support roles inThis Is the West That Was(1974) for TV andThe Drowning Pool(1975) withPaul Newman.[25]

With Laraine Stephens in a publicity photo for the TV seriesMatt Helmin 1975

He had his own series withMatt Helm(1975), a television version of the spy-spoof theatrical films that starredDean Martin,but it only lasted 14 episodes.

He was inCurse of the Black Widow(1977), a television miniseriesAspen(1977) withSam Elliott,Wheels(1978),Firepower(1979),The World Is Full of Married Men(1979),The Cricket(1980),Help Me to Dream(1981), an episode ofTales of the Unexpected,Side Show(1981),Death Wish II(1982),Kiss My Grits(1982),Tenebrae(1982) fromDario Argento,Julie Darling(1983), and an episode ofMasquerade.In his memoir,From I Love Lucy to Shōgun and Beyond: Tales from the Other Side of the Camera,Jerry Londonstated that Franciosa could not remember his lines during the shooting of the television movieWheels,so co-starRock Hudsonhad to hold up cue cards for him during one scene in a car.[26]

Later career

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Franciosa starred in theAaron Spelling-produced seriesFinder of Lost Loves(1984–85). He could be seen inStagecoach(1986) and episodes ofHotel,The Love Boat,andJake and the Fatman.[27]

In the 1985 revival ofThe Twilight Zone,he appeared in the third-season episode "Crazy as a Soup Sandwich," playing a gangster who is revealed to be the ultimate demon.

Later performances includedBlood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife(1987),Death House(1988), Fashion Crime (1989),Ghost Writer(1989),Backstreet Dreams(1990), and Double Threat (1992). In 1990–91, he portrayed Colonel Doctor Otternschlag in the U.S. national tour of the musicalGrand Hotelat the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and other national tour locations.[28][29]

Franciosa's final film wasCity Hall,a 1996 drama starringAl PacinoandJohn Cusack,in which he portrayed a crime boss.[30]

In his autobiographyThe Garner Files,actorJames Garnerstated that Franciosa, on the set ofA Man Could Get Killed,constantly abused the stunt crew by not pulling punches in fight scenes, resulting in a physical confrontation with Garner.[31]

Personal life

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Franciosa was married four times, and had three children. His first marriage to Beatrice Bakalyar in 1952 ended in divorce in 1957. On May 4, 1957, he married actressShelley Winters;the couple divorced in 1960.[22]

He next wed the formerJudith Balaban,daughter ofBarney Balaban,and author of the bookThe Bridesmaidsabout her friendPrincess Grace of Monaco,in whose wedding she served as a bridesmaid. This union produced Franciosa's only daughter, Nina.[6]

His fourth and final marriage was to Rita Thiel on November 27, 1970 -- coincidentally, the day his final episode ofThe Name Of The Gameaired. The marriage lasted until his death in 2006. The pair had two sons, organic farmer Marco and actor Christopher.[6]

When asked about Franciosa's hair-trigger temper, Thiel said "He was never taught how to control his temper... I changed him a lot... We still have good fights once in a while, but I can scream back at him."[32]

Franciosa, reflecting about Thiel's influence on him, said

"It took years of therapy and simply living through things to finally accept and enjoy myself. My wife Rita's influence has been profound in that process. Her family was a product of The Great Disaster — World War II. She emerged from the flames with a remarkable buoyancy. Each day she rises with an optimism, a serenity toward life that is certainly contagious. Does that sound romantic? If so, so be it."[33]

During his later years, Franciosa lived in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. He died on January 19, 2006, five days after the death of his second wife Shelley Winters, at age 77 at nearby UCLA Medical Center after suffering a massive stroke.[22]

Selected filmography

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Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Title of work Result
1956 Tony Award Best Featured Actor in a Play A Hatful of Rain Nominated
1956 Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Actor in a Play Won
1956 Theatre World Award Won
1957 Venice Film Festival Volpi Cup for Best Actor Won
1957 New Cinema Award Won
1958 Golden Globe Best Actor – Drama Nominated
1958 Academy Award Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated
1958 Laurel Award Top New Male Personality Nominated
1960 Golden Globe Best Actor – Drama Career Won
1965 Rio Conchos Nominated

References

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  1. ^ab"A Hatful of Rain".Variety.December 31, 1956.RetrievedMay 22,2019.
  2. ^"Anthony Franciosa".Golden Globe Awards.RetrievedMay 22,2019.
  3. ^abcdVallance, Tom (January 23, 2006)."Anthony Franciosa; Temperamental leading man".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-05-07.RetrievedMay 22,2019.
  4. ^The Racine Journal-Times Sunday Bulletin
  5. ^"Tony Franciosa background".Archived fromthe originalon 2012-08-23.Retrieved2006-01-21.
  6. ^abc"Anthony Franciosa, TV and Film Actor, Dies at 77".The New York Times.January 21, 2006.RetrievedMay 22,2019.
  7. ^abThompson, Howard(December 8, 1957)."ASCENDING BRIGHT STAR; Anthony Franciosa Retraces His Path In Rapid Rise to Screen Success Face in the Crowd Personal Approach".The New York Times.RetrievedMay 22,2019.
  8. ^Lipton, Michael A. (March 18, 1996)."Back in the Game".People.RetrievedAugust 18,2012.By 22, Anthony Franciosa (he had taken his mother's maiden name) was studying at the Actors Studio. At 25, he made his Broadway debut in End as a Man.
  9. ^The Life Story of ANTHONY FRANCIOSA Picture Show; London Vol. 70, Iss. 1827, (Apr 5, 1958): 12.
  10. ^abHopper, Hedda(April 21, 1957). "Franciosa Rated Star Before Public Sees Films".Los Angeles Times.
  11. ^Zolotow, Sam(August 27, 1954)."NEW REEVES PLAY WILL OPEN NOV. 16".The New York Times.RetrievedMay 22,2019.
  12. ^Smith, Cecil (October 26, 1960). "THE TV SCENE---: Franciosa to Do 'Heaven Can Wait'".Los Angeles Times.
  13. ^Parsons, Louella(August 14, 1957). "Anthony Franciosa Agrees to Try Faulkner Role".The Washington Post and Times-Herald.
  14. ^"Actor Anthony Franciosa Begins Jail Sentence".Los Angeles Times.December 13, 1957.
  15. ^"Attack on Newsman Jails Shelley Winters' Fiance".Los Angeles Times.April 20, 1957.
  16. ^Beaufort, John (October 10, 1959). "Tale of Theater World Stars Anthony Franciosa".The Christian Science Monitor.
  17. ^Hawkins, Robert F. (July 27, 1958)."GOYA AND HIS 'MAJA' FACE CAMERA; Artist's Film Biography Started After Many Delays -- Addenda".The New York Times.RetrievedMay 22,2019.
  18. ^Scheuer, Philip K. (February 20, 1959). "Franciosa Strong 'Bolivar' Prospect: Busy Actor, Set in 10 Films, Gives Answer to Pessimists".Los Angeles Times.
  19. ^"Anthony Franciosa Injured".The New York Times.November 29, 1959.RetrievedMay 22,2019.
  20. ^Anderson, Robert (November 12, 1960). "SOUL IN SEARCH OF A BODY: Anthony Franciosa Has an Off-beat Role for His Return to Television".Chicago Daily Tribune.
  21. ^"Four Actors Address Negro Rally in Alabama: RACIAL RALLY".Los Angeles Times.August 23, 1963.
  22. ^abcdMcLellan, Dennis (January 21, 2006)."Anthony Franciosa, 77; Versatile Star of Stage, Film and Television".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedMay 22,2019.
  23. ^Adams, Val (June 9, 1964)."'HOOTENANNY' CUT FROM A.B.C. LIST; Franciosa to Star Next Fall in TV 'Valentine's Day'".The New York Times.RetrievedMay 22,2019.
  24. ^Darrow
  25. ^Hall, William (December 22, 1973). "Peter Sellers Goes to Sea".Los Angeles Times.
  26. ^London, Jerry;Collier, Rhonda (2017).FromI Love LucytoShōgunand Beyond: Tales from the Other Side of the Camera.p. 60.ISBN978-0692866993.
  27. ^Thomas, Bob (January 21, 2006). "Hollywood bad boy Anthony Franciosa, 77".The Record.
  28. ^Rose, Lloyd (December 7, 1990)."THEATER".The Washington Post.RetrievedAugust 21,2019.
  29. ^Walsh, Winifred (February 25, 1991)."Anthony Franciosa, the matinee idol under the makeup".The Evening Sun.RetrievedMay 22,2019.
  30. ^Maslin, Janet(February 16, 1996)."FILM REVIEW;Dangerous Dealings In the Heart of New York".The New York Times.RetrievedMay 22,2019.
  31. ^Garner, James;Winokur, Jon (2011).The Garner Files.Simon & Schuster. p. 255.ISBN978-1-4516-4260-5.
  32. ^People Weekly,March 18, 1996, v.45 n.11 p. 73.
  33. ^Source:TV Heaven.
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