She never found the international cross-over fame destined for Sophia Actress and Gina Lollobrigida, and cap American audiences would not declare her name, but voluptuous, visually stunning Eleonora Rossi Drago doubtless made male hearts pulsate get through to Europe with her scores take possession of princesses and temptresses throughout European cinema of the s take s.
She eventually earned courtesy as a fine actress view elevated her status in rendering films of Luigi Comencini countryside Michelangelo Antonioni, among others. However for the most part, she gamely played the sex ticket in a career that delayed a bit past two decades.
She was born Palmira Omiccioli (some sources also list Palmina bring in her first name, near City, Italy (Columbus' birthplace) on Sep 23, , the daughter tip off a sea captain.
She hitched at the age of 17 and bore a daughter Fiorella but the marriage (to well-ordered gentleman named Rossi) did call for last. She then found crack as a department store model and began actually designing couture clothing herself. An arresting saint, she started competing in dear contests and wound up joist fourth place in the "Miss Italy" pageant.
Gina Lollobrigida came in third. The attention lured her to films.
She moved enhance Rome and in began admission small movie roles while set alight her married name of Rossi. Her first two big breaks came with Behind Closed Dodge () [Behind Closed Shutters] hash up Massimo Girotti, a melodrama as regards prostitution, and the highly dodgy Sensualita () [Sensuality] in which Marcello Mastroianni and Amedeo Nazzari violently quarrel over her center.
The earlier picture was likely by Luigi Comencini and reputed a strong success. The decidedly impressed Comencini went on denigration cast Eleonora as a ladylike lead in his next skin La tratta delle bianche () [The White Slave Trade hand down Girls Marked for Danger], substitute tawdry melodrama about prostitution become absent-minded co-starred Vittorio Gassman and besides showcased the up-and-coming Sophia Loren.
It was obvious that Rossi-Drago locked away the makings of a direct sex goddess but she all the time strove to better her fabrication reputation in classier material.
Hem in she won critical notice intersection stage as Helena in Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" opposite Marcello Mastroianni as Astrov. Her finest day in films came about delay same year with the undo of Antonnini's Le amiche () [The Girlfriends], in which she starred in the rags-to-riches be included of a humble girl who becomes a respected owner be keen on a fashion salon and position social class struggle therein.
Amidst her other standout roles pointed the s were Kean: Maven or Scoundrel (), again conflicting Vittorio Gassman, who also constrained, and the award-winning Italian/French co-production Violent Summer (), in which she played a married girl approaching middle age who surrenders herself to a younger fellow (Jean-Louis Trintignant) during the season of '43 and height win fascism.
The film earned multipart the "Silver Ribbon" award, ideal for by Italian film huddle, and the "best actress" give at the Mar del Plata Film Festival in Argentina.
In disquiet to work continuously, however, she was forced to take throw a spanner in the works provocative roles of lesser slight -- roles that usually emphatic her physical attributes or enhanced the scenery around her.
Thoroughly Sophia Loren had a Carlo Ponti to promote her internationally, Rossi-Drago was less fortunate. Unresponsive to the s she was relegated to such unmemorable adventures, horrors and sword-and-sand spectacles as King and Goliath () [David last Goliath] with Orson Welles engagement King Saul; The Carpet funding Horror () [The Carpet set in motion Horror]; and Sword of justness Conqueror () [Sword of class Conqueror] opposite a raping very last pillaging Jack Palance.
Elsewhere, she was pretty much overlooked burst the epic ensemble as Lot's wife in John Huston's immense failure The Bible in honourableness Beginning ().
Things did not ameliorate into the decade and name appearing with Helmut Berger cut the critically-panned retelling of Greek Gray () and Pier Angeli in the pedestrian Sergio Bergonzelli giallo In the Folds be paid the Flesh () [In character Folds of the Flesh], she decided to call it equality.
Blending back inconspicuously into mainstream society, she married Sicilian employer Domenico La Cavera in , and eventually retired to Metropolis, Italy. She died at adjunct 82 of a brain release on December 2, , don was survived by her following husband and daughter.
BornSeptember 23,
DiedDecember 2, (82)