Cesare Danova
Born
March 1, 1926
Died
March 19, 1992 (66 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Bergamo, Italy
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.
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Blacke's Magic
Nick Gasparini · (1 episode)
1986
Murder, She Wrote
Lt. Edmund Cavette · (1 episode)
1984
Hunter
Roger Duquesne · (1 episode)
1984
Airwolf
Alonzo Delomo · (1 episode)
1984
Automan
Captain Romano · (1 episode)
1983
Matt Houston
(1 episode)
1982
Hotel
(1 episode)
1982
Nero Wolfe
(1 episode)
1981
Falcon Crest
Count Antoine de Muriac · (2 episodes)
1981
Simon & Simon
(1 episode)
1981
The Fall Guy
(1 episode)
1981
Magnum, P.I.
President Manuel Ebenez · (1 episode)
1980
The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo
(1 episode)
1979
Trapper John, M.D.
(1 episode)
1979
Hart to Hart
(1 episode)
1979
Eischied
(1 episode)
1979
13 Queens Blvd.
(1 episode)
1979
Vega$
(1 episode)
1978
Animal House
Mayor Carmine DePasto
1978
The Astral Factor
Mario
1978
The Love Boat
Fedalio Cevini · (1 episode)
1977
Tentacles
John Corey
1977
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
(1 episode)
1977
Scorchy
Philip Bianco
1976
Charlie's Angels
Frank Bartone · (1 episode)
1976
Charlie's Angels
Franco Cirella · (2 episodes)
1976
Matt Helm
Knebel · (1 episode)
1975
A Matter of Wife... and Death
Dottore
1975
Death Cruise
Captain Vettori
1974
Chico and the Man
(1 episode)
1974
The Manhunter
(1 episode)
1974
Horowitz in Dublin
George
1973
Mean Streets
Giovanni Cappa
1973
Police Story
(2 episodes)
1973
The Sandy Duncan Show
(1 episode)
1972
Maude
Russell Asher · (1 episode)
1972
Sanford and Son
(1 episode)
1972
McMillan & Wife
(1 episode)
1971
Cannon
(1 episode)
1971
Decisions! Decisions!
Dieter Klaus
1971
Night Gallery
Man (segment "Smile, Please") · (1 episode)
1970
McCloud
(1 episode)
1970
Honeymoon with a Stranger
Second Ernesto
1969
Medical Center
(1 episode)
1969
Che!
Ramon Valdez
1969
The Mod Squad
(1 episode)
1968
The Name of the Game
Alfieri · (1 episode)
1968
Mannix
(3 episodes)
1967
Garrison's Gorillas
(26 episodes)
1967
Chamber of Horrors
Anthony Draco
1966
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
(1 episode)
1966
The Green Hornet
Felix Garth · (2 episodes)
1966
That Girl
(1 episode)
1966
Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!
Pepe Pepponi
1966
Honey West
Abbott · (1 episode)
1965
Daniel Boone
Michelet · (2 episodes)
1964
Daniel Boone
Henri Le Gaux · (1 episode)
1964
Viva Las Vegas
Count Elmo Mancini
1964
Breaking Point
(1 episode)
1963
Arrest and Trial
(1 episode)
1963
Gidget Goes to Rome
Paolo Cellini
1963
Vacation Playhouse
Mario Cellini · (1 episode)
1963
Cleopatra
Apollodorus
1963
The Lucy Show
Umberto Fabriani · (1 episode)
1962
Stoney Burke
(1 episode)
1962
Tender Is the Night
Tommy Barban
1962
Valley of the Dragons
Hector Servadac
1961
The Roaring 20's
(1 episode)
1960
Outlaws
(1 episode)
1960
Adventures in Paradise
Father Juan Perez · (1 episode)
1959
The Man Who Understood Women
Major Marco Ranieri
1959
Tarzan, the Ape Man
Harry Holt
1959
The Rifleman
(3 episodes)
1958
These Sacred Holidays
Ralph Carigan
1956
Incatenata dal destino
Kirk Mauri
1956
Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni
1955
Non scherzare con le donne
Cesare il fusto
1955
Loves of Three Queens
Il conte Sigfride (segment: I Cavalieri dell'illusione)
1954
The Fate of Two Queens
1954
Crossed Swords
Raniero
1954
Dappled Mare
Sandro Fabbri
1953
Toys and perfumes
Lorenzo
1953
I tre corsari
Carlo di Ventimiglia, il Corsaro Verde
1952
Processo contro ignoti
L'avvocato Enzo Pirani
1952
Pentimento
Sandro
1952
El correo del rey
Marcos de Malta
1951
El final de una leyenda
Carlos Montaña
1951
Monaca santa
1949
The Captain's Daughter
Piotr Grinev
1947