Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy 80th Birthday Giorgio 'George' Ardisson

Giorgio Ardisson was born on December 31, 1931 in Rocca, Canavese, Turin, Italy. Giorgio was a boxer before being given his film break thanks to Mauro Bolognini. The blond, athletic and good looking actor, appeared in a secondary but important role in “Arrangiatevi!” (1959). With his athletic prowess and his boldness to make roles his own he starred in 1950-1970 adventure,  peplum movies and Spaghetti westerns but was best known especially for his reckless adventures as secret agents similar to James Bond’s 007, which were much in vogue in the 1960s. Giorgio Ardisson was then catapulted from one film to another in character roles in B movies that left him almost in the background, without any opportunity to be offered leading roles. Federico Fellini chose him for a secondary supporting role, as the nice guy, lover of a nymphomaniac, in “Juliet of the Spirits” (1965), but the role failed to make him a leading man. Billed as George Ardisson in his seven Euro-westerns he did find success as a leading man and supporting actor. George appeared in such westerns as “Massacre at the Grand Canyon” (1963), “A Man Called Amen”, “Zorro the Fox” (both 1968) and as Sartana in “Django Defies Sartana” in 1970. Giorgio continued to appear on screen into the early 1990s with his last appearance in “Shadow Warriors” (1992). Today we celebrate George Ardisson’s 80th birthday.

1 comment:

  1. I saw George Ardisson in the film "Django Defies Sartana". He played Sartana while Tony Kendal, real name Luciano Stella, played Django.

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