CESARE DANOVA

March 1, 1926

Cesare Danova was born as Cesare Deitinger in Rome, Italy, although some reports say he was born in Bergamo, Italy. He adopted Danova as his stage name after becoming an actor in Rome at the end of World War II.  In 1955 he immigrated to the United States and was contracted to MGM in 1956.

Danova loved the theater and appeared onstage in Rome, Venice, Spain, New York, and Los Angeles.

His film debut came in 1947 in Italy in The Captain’s Daughter (La figlia del capitano).  

His television debut was in May 1960 on an episode of “Tales of Wells Fargo” titled “Vasquez” where he played the title role. 

He appeared opposite Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra, but much of his role was cut to highlight the romance between Taylor and Richard Burton. Danova was on the short list to play the lead in Ben-Hur (1959) but Charleton Heston was cast instead.

He played a handsome Italian millionaire named Umberto Fabriani on “Lucy Meets a Millionaire” (TLS S2;E24) first aired on March 16, 1964. 

In 1978, he played the Mayor (above left) in National Lampoon’s Animal House.

His final role was on a May 1992 episode of “In the Heat of the Night” titled “The Law on Trial”.  

Cesare Danova died of a heart attack on March 19, 1992, shortly after his 66th birthday.  He was married twice and had two children.