Remembering Lino Ventura

Born Angiolino Giuseppe Pasquale Ventura on July 14, 1919 in Parma, Italy he dropped out of school at the age of eight and took on a variety of jobs. He was pursuing a
prizefighting and wrestling career when he had to forgo further matches do to an injury. In 1953 he entered the film industry appearing in Jacques Becker’s gangster film “Touche pas au grisbi”. This was followed up by appearances in a number of similar roles and films. Some of his most famous roles were in “The Three Penny Opera” (1963) and “The Valachi Papers”. Living in France most of his life his voice was dubbed for those films released in his native Italy. Not until 1983’s “Cento giorno a Palermo” that he made a film in his native language. He created a foundation in 1966 called “Snowdrop” that helps handicapped people. Ventura appeared in two Euro-westerns “Weeping for a Bandit” (1963) and “Far West” (1972). He was active in films until his sudden death on October 22, 1987 in Saint-Cloud, France from a heart attack. Today we celebrate what would have been his 90th birthday.