Franca Bettoia (or Bettoja; 14 May 1936 – 13 September 2024) was an Italian actress known for her role as Ruth Collins in the film The Last Man on Earth.
Franca Bettoia | |
|---|---|
 Bettoia in The Last Man on Earth (1964) | |
| Born | 14 May 1936 |
| Died | 13 September 2024 (aged 88) Rome, Italy |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Gianmarco Tognazzi Maria Sole Tognazzi |
Life and career
editBorn in Rome in an upper-class family, Bettoia studied dance at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, and made her first film appearance in Un palco all'opera (1955, by Siro Marcellini).[1] She had her breakout in 1958, starring opposite Pietro Germi in A Man of Straw , a role which got her a Grolla d'oro nomination for best actress.[2] In 1962, she got a Nastro d'argento nomination for best supporting actress for her performance in Alfredo Giannetti's Day by Day, Desperately.[2] Despite the critical acclaim for her performances, she was more active in genre films, mostly in adventure and sword-and-sandal films.[1] Among them, in 1964, Bettoia co-starred with Vincent Price in the horror/science fiction film The Last Man on Earth (1964, by Ubaldo Ragone and Sidney Salkow), the first screen adaptation of Richard Matheson's novel I Am Legend.[2]
In 1963, Bettoia started a long relationship with Ugo Tognazzi, whom she married in 1972, and with whom she had two sons, film director Maria Sole Tognazzi and actor Gianmarco Tognazzi.[2][3]
In 1975, Bettoia and her mother Maris founded the Gran Loggia Femminile d'Italia, the first Italian Masonic obedience exclusively for women which was officially recognized by the Grand Orient of Italy.[4][5][6][7]
Bettoia died in Rome in September 2024, at the age of 88.[8]
Selected filmography
edit- Desert Warrior (1957)
- La trovatella di Pompei (1957)
- A Man of Straw (1958)
- Le insaziabili (1958)
- The Dam on the Yellow River (1960)
- Day by Day, Desperately (1961)
- Duel of Champions (1961)
- Attack of the Normans (1962)
- The Shortest Day (1963)
- The Lion of St. Mark (1963)
- The Last Man on Earth (1964)
- Sandokan Against the Leopard of Sarawak (1964)
- Sandokan to the Rescue (1964)
- The Seventh Floor (1967)
- Will Our Heroes Be Able to Find Their Friend Who Has Mysteriously Disappeared in Africa? (1968)
- Don't Touch the White Woman! (1974)
- Teste rasate (1993)
References
edit- ^ a b Lancia, Enrico; Poppi, Roberto (2003). "Bettoia, Franca". Le attrici: dal 1930 ai giorni nostri. Gremese Editore. p. 33. ISBN 978-88-8440-214-1.
- ^ a b c d "E' morta Franca Bettoja, la moglie di Ugo Tognazzi". Sky TG24 (in Italian). 14 September 2024. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
- ^ "Franca Bettoja, chi era la moglie di Ugo Tognazzi: recitò con Scola e Ferreri, divenne famosa per Sandokan". Il Messaggero (in Italian). 14 September 2024. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
- ^ Overview of the Italian Masonic obediences
- ^ Masonic Lodge "Giordano Bruno"
- ^ Luca Bagatin. "Donne e Massoneria: intervista esclusiva alla Gran Maestra Gabriella Bagnolesi" (in Italian). Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ^ "Lettera aperta di Luca Bagatin alla giornalista de "Il Fatto Quotidiano" Antonella Beccaria a proposito del suo libro "I segreti della Massoneria in Italia"". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ^ E' morta Franca Bettoja, la moglie di Ugo Tognazzi (in Italian)