Lino Ventura

Lino Ventura
Born	Angiolino Giuseppe Pasquale Ventura (1919-07-14)14 July 1919 Parma, Italy
Died	22 October 1987(1987-10-22) (aged 68) Saint-Cloud, France
Other names	Lino Borrini
Citizenship	Italy
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1953–1987
Spouse	Odette Lecomte ​ (m. 1942)​
Children	4

Angiolino Giuseppe Pasquale Ventura (14 July 1919 – 22 October 1987), known as Lino Ventura, was an Italian-born actor and philanthropist, who lived and worked for most of his life in France. He was considered one of the greatest leading man of French cinema during the 1960s and 1970s, known for his portrayal of tough characters on both sides of the law in crime dramas.

Born in Parma and raised in Paris, Ventura worked as a professional wrestler before an injury ended his career. He made his film debut as a gangster in the 1954 Jacques Becker film Touchez pas au grisbi and rapidly became one of France's favourite film actors, playing opposite many other great stars and working with such leading directors as Louis Malle, Claude Sautet, and Claude Miller. Usually portraying a tough man, either a criminal or a cop, he also featured as a leader of the Resistance in the Jean-Pierre Melville-directed Army of Shadows (1969). He was nominanted for a Cesar Award for his portrayal of Jean Valjean in the 1982 film adaptation of Les Misérables.

After one of his four children, a daughter, was born handicapped, he and his wife founded a charity Perce-Neige (Snowdrop) which aids disabled children and their parents. Though a lifelong resident and pop cultural icon in France, Ventura always considered himself an Italian first and foremost, and never took French citizenship nor involved himself in French politics. He was nonetheless voted 23rd in a 2005 poll of the 100 greatest Frenchmen.

Life and career

Early life

Born in Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy to Giovanni Ventura and Luisa Borrini, who moved to France soon thereafter, Lino dropped out of school at the age of eight and later took on a variety of jobs. At one point Ventura was pursuing a prizefighting and professional wrestling career but had to end it because of an injury.

Early roles

In 1953, by chance, one of his friends mentioned him to Jacques Becker who was looking for an Italian actor to play opposite Jean Gabin in a gangster movie called Touchez pas au grisbi (1954). Becker offered him on the spot the role of Angelo, which Ventura refused at first but then accepted. He had such a presence in the film that the whole profession took notice. The film was a big success.

Ventura started to build up an acting career in similar hard-boiled gangster films, often playing beside his friend Jean Gabin, including his second film, Razzia sur la chnouf (1955).

He followed it with Law of the Streets (1956), Crime and Punishment (1956) with Gabin.

Later career

Lino Ventura in 1974.

Some of his most famous roles include the portrait of corrupt police chief Tiger Brown in The Threepenny Opera (1963) and mob boss Vito Genovese in The Valachi Papers (1972).

Although he remained an Italian citizen throughout his life and long used to seeing himself dubbed into Italian from the original French release, he only made a handful of films in his native language, among them The Last Judgement (Il giudizio universale, 1961), Illustrious Corpses (Cadaveri eccellenti, 1976) and Cento Giorni a Palermo (1983).

Ventura remained active until the year before his death from a heart attack in 1987 at the age of 68. Having a disabled daughter himself, he created a charitable foundation, Perce-Neige (Snowdrop) in 1966, which supports disabled people.

Throughout his career, he was one of the most popular actors of French cinema. He spoke French without any accent (excepting a Parisian one at the beginning of his career) and spoke Italian with a slight French accent, having arrived in France at the age of seven. Forcibly conscripted into the Italian army during the Second World War, he deserted. But, although his wife and four children were French, he never wanted to give up Italian citizenship, out of respect for his parents.^[1][2] Despite this, he was ranked 23rd of the 100 greatest Frenchmen, 17 years after his death.^[3]

Somewhat paradoxically, Ventura attributed his great success to his limited range as an actor; and often said "If I cannot believe in a character, or if something does not ring true, I cannot act it."

In a 1980 interview he said that the previous year "I began to realize how incredibly lucky I had been since the age of 9, how much I had been loved by so many people. When I act, I am doing what I love, and I am paid for it. So I put myself in the service of the film, never the film in service to me."^[4] He mentioned he turned down several roles - a part in Apocalypse Now (cut from the final film), a role in a Robert Aldrich film and the part played by François Truffaut in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.^[4]

He said, "The story is everything. My good friend Jean Gabin told me 25 years ago there are three important things in movies: the story, the story and the story."^[4]

"I have limitations," he said. "I have no training; I could not do the classics. What I can do is myself. And I like best not to talk at all... I study the script, and then try to become the character. That is very mysterious, how that happens. I cannot explain it. There are so many mysteries in cinema, the way everything must interlock, that when you think of it all, you never want to make a film."^[4]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Director	Starring	Notes
1954	Touchez pas au grisbi	Angelo Fraiser	Jacques Becker	with Jean Gabin and Jeanne Moreau
1955	Razzia sur la chnouf	Roger "the Catalan“	Henri Decoin	with Jean Gabin
1956	Law of the Streets	Mario	Ralph Habib	with Jean-Louis Trintignant and Raymond Pellegrin
	Crime and Punishment	Gustave Messonnier	Georges Lampin	with Jean Gabin and Marina Vlady
1957	Burning Fuse	Legentil	Henri Decoin	with Raymond Pellegrin and Peter van Eyck
	Action immédiate [fr]	Bérès	Maurice Labro	with Henri Vidal and Barbara Laage
	Speaking of Murder	Pepito	Gilles Grangier	with Jean Gabin and Annie Girardot
	L'Étrange Monsieur Steve [fr]	Denis	Raymond Bailly	with Jeanne Moreau and Philippe Lemaire
	Three Days to Live	Lino Ferrari	Gilles Grangier	with Daniel Gélin and Jeanne Moreau
	Ces dames préfèrent le mambo	Paulo	Bernard Borderie	with Eddie Constantine
1958	Maigret Sets a Trap	Inspector Torrence	Jean Delannoy	with Jean Gabin and Annie Girardot
	Elevator to the Gallows	Inspector Cherrier	Louis Malle	with Jeanne Moreau and Maurice Ronet
	The Lovers of Montparnasse	Morel	Jacques Becker	with Gérard Philipe, Anouk Aimée and Lilli Palmer
	The Mask of the Gorilla	Géo Paquet	Bernard Borderie	with Charles Vanel and Bella Darvi
1959	Le fauve est lâché [fr]	Paul Lamiani	Maurice Labro	with Estella Blain and Paul Frankeur
	Marie-Octobre	Carlo Bernardi	Julien Duvivier	with Danielle Darrieux
	Sursis pour un Vivant	Borcher	Victor Merenda	with Henri Vidal and Dawn Addams
	Douze heures d'horloge [fr]	Albert Fourbieux	Géza Radványi	with Eva Bartok, Hannes Messemer and Gert Fröbe
	Un témoin dans la ville [fr]	Ancelin	Édouard Molinaro	with Franco Fabrizzi and Sandra Milo
	125 Rue Montmartre	Pascal	Gilles Grangier	with Andréa Parisy
	Way of Youth	Tiercelin	Michel Boisrond	with Françoise Arnoul, Bourvil and Alain Delon
1960	Classe tous risques	Abel Davos	Claude Sautet	with Sandra Milo and Jean-Paul Belmondo
	Mistress of the World	Biamonte	William Dieterle	with Martha Hyer and Carlos Thompson
1961	Girl in the Window	Federico	Luciano Emmer	with Marina Vlady
	Taxi for Tobruk	Theo Dumas	Denys de La Patellière	with Charles Aznavour and Hardy Krüger
	The Last Judgment	Giovanna's father	Vittorio De Sica	with Jack Palance and Ernest Borgnine
	Black City	A gangster	Duilio Coletti	with Ernest Borgnine and Keenan Wynn
	The Lions Are Loose	André Challenberg	Henri Verneuil	with Jean-Claude Brialy and Claudia Cardinale
1962	Emile's Boat	Émile Bouet	Denys de La Patellière	with Annie Girardot, Michel Simon and Pierre Brasseur
	Girl on the Road	the driver	Jacqueline Audry	with Agathe Aems and Gilbert Bécaud
	The Devil and the Ten Commandments	Garigny	Julien Duvivier	with Charles Aznavour and Louis de Funès	(episode "Homicide point ne seras")
	Carmen di Trastevere	Vincenzo	Carmine Gallone	with Giovanna Ralli and Dante di Paolo
1963	Three Penny Opera [de]	Tiger Brown	Wolfgang Staudte	with Curd Jürgens, Hildegard Knef and Gert Fröbe
	Les Tontons flingueurs	Fernand Naudin	Georges Lautner	with Bernard Blier, Francis Blanche, Jean Lefebvre, Sabine Sinjen and Horst Frank
1964	Greed in the Sun	Hervé Marec	Henri Verneuil	with Jean-Paul Belmondo, Bernard Blier and Gert Fröbe
	Weeping for a Bandit	El Lutos	Carlos Saura	with Francisco Rabal and Lea Massari
	The Monocle Laughs	Elie's Client	Georges Lautner	with Paul Meurisse	cameo appearance, Uncredited
	The Great Spy Chase	Francis Lagneau	Georges Lautner	with Bernard Blier and Mireille Darc
1965	The Dictator's Guns	Capt. Jacques Cournot	Claude Sautet	with Sylva Koscina and Leo Gordon
	La Métamorphose des cloportes	Alphonse Maréchal	Pierre Granier-Deferre	with Irina Demick, Pierre Brasseur and Charles Aznavour
	The Wise Guys	Laurent	Robert Enrico	with Bourvil and Marie Dubois
1966	Ne nous fâchons pas	Antoine Beretto	Georges Lautner	with Jean Lefebvre and Mireille Darc
	To Skin a Spy	Pascal Fabre	Jacques Deray	with Jean Servais and Marilu Tolo
	Le Deuxième Souffle	Gustave Minda	Jean-Pierre Melville	with Paul Meurisse and Raymond Pellegrin
1967	The Last Adventure	Roland	Robert Enrico	with Alain Delon and Joanna Shimkus
1968	Le Rapace [fr]	Rital	José Giovanni	with Rosa Furman and Xavier Marc
1969	Army of Shadows	Philippe Gerbier	Jean-Pierre Melville	with Simone Signoret
	Le Clan des Siciliens	Inspector Le Goff	Henri Verneuil	with Jean Gabin, Alain Delon and Irina Demick
1970	Last Known Address	Chief inspector Marceau Leonetti	José Giovanni	with Marlène Jobert
1971	Fantasia Among the Squares	Sagamore Noonan	Gérard Pirès	with Mireille Darc and Jean Yanne
	Boulevard du Rhum	Cornelius von Zeelinga	Robert Enrico	with Brigitte Bardot and Guy Marchand
1972	The Valachi Papers	Vito Genovese	Terence Young	with Charles Bronson and Jill Ireland
	L'aventure, c'est l'aventure	Lino Massaro	Claude Lelouch	with Jacques Brel, Charles Denner and Charles Gérard
1973	Le Silencieux [fr]	Clément Tibère	Claude Pinoteau	with Lea Massari
	La Raison du Plus Fou	Le deuxième motard	François Reichenbach	with Raymond Devos and Alice Sapritch	cameo appearance, Uncredited
	La bonne année	Simon	Claude Lelouch	with Françoise Fabian
	Far West	the prisoner	Jacques Brel	with Gabriel Jabbour and Danièle Evenou
	L'Emmerdeur	Ralf Milan	Edouard Molinaro	with Jacques Brel
1974	Three Tough Guys	Father Charlie	Duccio Tessari	with Isaac Hayes and Fred Williamson
	The Slap	Jean Douléan	Claude Pinoteau	with Annie Girardot and Isabelle Adjani
1975	La Cage [fr]	Julien	Pierre Granier-Deferre	with Ingrid Thulin
	The French Detective	Inspector Verjeat	Pierre Granier-Deferre	with Patrick Dewaere and Françoise Brion
1976	Illustrious Corpses	Inspector Amerigo Rogas	Francesco Rosi	with Fernando Rey and Max von Sydow
1978	The Medusa Touch	Detective-inspector Brunel	Jack Gold	with Richard Burton and Lee Remick
	Butterfly on the Shoulder	Roland Fériaud	Jacques Deray	with Claudine Auger and Paul Crauchet
1979	Jigsaw (L'Homme en colère)	Romain Dupre	Claude Pinoteau	with Angie Dickinson and Donald Pleasence
1980	Les Seducteurs	François Quérole	Edouard Molinaro	with Catherine Salviat	(segment "The French Method")
1981	Garde à vue	Inspector Antoine Gallien	Claude Miller	with Michel Serrault and Romy Schneider
1982	Espion, lève-toi	Sébastien Grenier	Yves Boisset	with Michel Piccoli and Bruno Cremer
	Les Misérables	Jean Valjean	Robert Hossein	with Michel Bouquet
1983	The Ruffian	Aldo	José Giovanni	with Bernard Giraudeau and Claudia Cardinale
1984	One Hundred Days in Palermo	General Carlo Dalla Chiesa	Giuseppe Ferrara	with Lino Troisi
	La Septième Cible [fr]	Bastien Grimaldi	Claude Pinoteau	with Lea Massari
	La jonque chinoise		Claude Bernard-Aubert
1986	Sword of Gideon	Papa	Michael Anderson	with Rod Steiger and Michael York	TV movie
1987	La Rumba	Un caïd	Roger Hanin	with Roger Hanin, Michel Piccoli and Corinne Touzet	cameo appearance, Uncredited, (final film role)

References

1. "Vidéo Ina - Extrait interview Ventura, vidéo Extrait interview Ventura, vidéo Economie et société Vie sociale - Archives vidéos Economie et société Vie sociale". Ina.fr. 24 October 1987. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
2. "Lino VENTURA : Biographie de Lino VENTURA". JeSuisMort.com. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
3. "Les 100 plus grands Français de tous les temps". In-nocence.org. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
4. FESTIVAL OF FESTIVALS Lino Ventura is one star who thanks his lucky stars Scott, Jay. The Globe and Mail 12 Sep 1980: P.15.

Further reading

• Durant, Philippe (1989): Lino Ventura. Bergisch Gladbach: Lübbe. ISBN 3-404-61142-X
• Durieux, Gilles (2001): Lino Ventura. Paris: Flammarion. ISBN 2-08-068113-3
• Giovanni, José (2002): Mes Grandes Gueules. Fayard. ISBN 2-213-61262-5
• Ventura, Clélia (2003): Lino ou la Gourmandise de la Vie. Paris: Robert Laffont. ISBN 2-221-09884-6
• Ventura, Odette (1992): Lino. Paris: Robert Laffont. ISBN 2-7242-7179-3 (see also: External Links)
• Ventura, Odette (1993): Lino. Weinheim; Berlin: Beltz Quadriga. ISBN 3-88679-217-X
• Ventura, Odette (1997): Lino. Paris: Robert Laffont. ISBN 2-221-08646-5
• Ventura, Odette (1997): Lino. Guanda "Biblioteca della Pilotta". ISBN
• Zurhorst, Meinolf / Just, Lothar (1984). Lino Ventura: Seine Filme – Sein Leben. München: Heyne. ISBN 3-453-86065-9

External links

• Lino Ventura at IMDb
• http://tontonsflingueurs.actifforum.com/ French Site Lino Ventura
• Les Premières Rencontres Nationales – Art, Culture et Handicap – Bourges du 19 au 21 octobre 2003
• Rencontres – Art, Culture et Handicap – Lundi 20 octobre à Bourges
• Lino Ventura Foundation
• Box office figures for Lino Ventura films at Box Office Story
• Lino Ventura at Find a Grave