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- Stunning Italian actress Virna Lisi, a brief but lovely Hollywood import in the 1960's, was merely one of a plethora of European movie beauties who proved over the course of their long careers, that they were capable of more than just visual performances.
Born Virna Lisa Pieralisi on November 8, 1936, she began her film career as a 17-year-old teen with a co-starring part with the musical drama ...e Napoli canta! (1953) (Naples Sings!). Cast initially for her photographic beauty, she gained more experience in such early pictures as Lettera napoletana (1954) and La corda d'acciaio (1954) before earning her first top-billed movie lead in Piccola santa (1954) opposite Rosario Borelli. Other late 50's/early 60's films that helped steam up her image included Luna nova (1955), Le diciottenni (1955), La rossa (1955), The Doll That Took the Town (1957), Lost Souls (1959) opposite Jacques Sernas, Don't Tempt the Devil (1963) (Don't Tempt the Devil), Sua Eccellenza si fermò a mangiare (1961) (His Excellency Stayed to Dinner], the Italian-made spectacle, Duel of the Titans (1961) and an innocent role in the French-made Eva (1962) starring the scheming Jeanne Moreau in the title role.
The pert and sexy star later made a decorative dent in late 1960's Hollywood as a tempting blue-eyed blonde opposite the likes of Jack Lemmon in How to Murder Your Wife (1965), Frank Sinatra in Assault on a Queen (1966) and Tony Curtis in Not with My Wife, You Don't! (1966). Confined once again to the same type of glamour roles (she turned down the title role of "Barbarella"), she returned to Europe within a couple of years but hardly fared better with such nothing special movies as Anyone Can Play (1967), The Girl Who Couldn't Say No (1968), The Christmas Tree (1969), The Statue (1971), Bluebeard (1972) and White Fang (1973) and its sequel Challenge to White Fang (1974).
Come middle age, however, a career renaissance occurred for Virna. She began to be perceived as more than just a tasty dish and was given a wide variety of quality mature performances. As the stature of her films improved, she began winning foreign awards right and left for such European pictures as Beyond Good and Evil (1977), The Cricket (1980), Time for Loving (1983), Buon Natale... Buon anno (1989) and Va' dove ti porta il cuore (1996) (Follow Your Heart). It all culminated in the lifetime role of the malevolent "Caterina de Medici" in Queen Margot (1994) for which she captured both the César and Cannes Film Festival awards, not to mention the Italian Silver Ribbon award.
Virna continued reigning supreme on TV as a character lead and support player into the millennium with parts in such TV movies as the title role in Anna's World (2004) and Donne sbagliate (2007) (Steel Women) as well as Italian TV series work. Starring as the matriarch in the excellent family film drama Il più bel giorno della mia vita (2002), Virna would find her last excellent movie role in the award-winning dramedy Latin Lover (2015). Having passed away on December 14, 2014, at age 78, of lung cancer, the actress received a couple of award nominations posthumously for her work here. Survived by her son Corrado, her longtime husband (from 1960), architect Franco Pesci (1934-2013), died a year earlier. - Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Tony Munafo was born on 5 October 1945 in Paterson, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Judge Dredd (1995), Demolition Man (1993) and Cliffhanger (1993). He was married to Laurie J. and Marion E.. He died on 18 December 2014 in Toms River, New Jersey, USA.- Mandy Rice-Davies was born on 1 October 1944 in Pontyates, Wales, UK. She was an actress, known for Kuni Leml in Tel Aviv (1976), Kuni Leml in Cairo (1983) and Absolute Beginners (1986). She was married to Ken Foreman, Jean-Charles Lefevre and Raphael Shauli. She died on 18 December 2014 in London, England, UK.
- Actor
- Director
- Soundtrack
Ingvar Kjellson was born on 20 May 1923 in Kärna, Östergötlands län, Sweden. He was an actor and director, known for Gösta Berlings saga (1986), The Flight of the Eagle (1982) and Hemma klockan sju (1958). He was married to Meta Velander. He died on 18 December 2014 in Djursholm, Stockholms län, Sweden.- Mary Guthrie Boyle was born on 28 February 1917 in Hydro, Oklahoma, USA. She was married to Bill Boyle, Woody Guthrie and P.D. Bailey. She died on 18 December 2014 in Loma Linda, California, USA.
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Larry Henley was born on 30 June 1937 in Odessa, Texas, USA. He was a composer, known for The Cannonball Run (1981), National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) and In the Valley of Elah (2007). He was married to Carol Lee Duncan and Tanya Denisa. He died on 18 December 2014 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.- Music Department
- Producer
John Fry was born on 31 December 1944 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He was a producer, known for Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me (2012). He was married to Betty Ellis. He died on 18 December 2014 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Writer
Larry Smith was born on 11 June 1951 in St. Albans, Queens, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Psych (2006), Mad for It (1998) and Doug, Mitch, and the Ironclad Argument (2006). He died on 18 December 2014 in Flushing, Queens, New York City, New York, USA.- Greg Reuter was born on 14 November 1971 in Janesville, Wisconsin, USA. He was an actor, known for Shrek the Musical (2013), Monty Python's Spamalot (2005) and Arts Vu (2016). He died on 18 December 2014 in Lansing, Michigan, USA.
- Kazuko Inano was born on 3 January 1937 in Niigata City, Niigata, Japan. She was an actress, known for The Oiwa Phantom (1969), Prophecies of Nostradamus (1974) and Whirlpool of Women (1964). She was married to Yoichiro Fukuda. She died on 18 December 2014 in Tokyo, Japan.
- Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mira Brtka was born on 5 October 1930 in Novi Banovci, Serbia, Yugoslavia. She was a director and writer, known for The Facts of Murder (1959) and D.N.A. (2014). She died on 18 December 2014 in Beograd, Serbia.- Cinematographer
Donald H. Hudgins was born on 9 July 1942 in Stonewall, Georgia, USA. Donald H. was a cinematographer, known for Together for Days (1972). Donald H. died on 18 December 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Georges Aubert was born on 2 June 1917 in Pantin, Seine-Saint-Denis, France. He was an actor, known for Le tribunal de l'impossible (1967), Les enquêtes du commissaire Maigret (1967) and Les mystères de Paris (1962). He died on 18 December 2014 in Vanves, Hauts-de-Seine, France.- Starwind was an actor, known for The Dry Land (2010). He died on 18 December 2014 in Corrales, New Mexico, USA.
- Bob Simpson was born on 19 November 1912 in Corpus Christi, Texas, USA. He was married to Joanne Simpson and Mazie Houston. He died on 18 December 2014 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
- Franco Bomprezzi was born on 1 August 1952 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. He was an actor, known for Solo 5 minuti (2006). He died on 18 December 2014 in Milan, Lombardy, Italy.
- Carleton Mabee was born on 25 December 1914 in French Concession, Shanghai, China. He was a writer, known for Pulitzer Prize Playhouse (1950). He was married to Norma Arline Dierking. He died on 18 December 2014 in Gardiner, New York, USA.
- Sound Department
- Music Department
Yasuo Urakami was born on 23 October 1943 in Tokyo, Japan. He is known for Grave of the Fireflies (1988), Pom Poko (1994) and Detective Conan (1996). He died on 18 December 2014 in Japan.- Actress
Margrit Aust was born on 18 November 1921 in Vienna, Austria. She was an actress, known for Hexen (1949), ...und keiner schämte sich (1960) and Der rote Prinz (1954). She died on 18 December 2014 in Vienna, Austria.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Harold M. Schulweis was born on 14 April 1925 in Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Unstrung Heroes (1995), The Simpsons (1989) and Sand and Sorrow (2007). He was married to Malkah Muriel Savod. He died on 18 December 2014 in Reseda, California, USA.