Sunday, December 26, 2010

RIP Aldo Berti

Italian actor Aldo Berti died shortly after midnight in Florence, Italy from brain cancer on December 26,2010 . He was 74. Aldo was born on February 29, 1936 in Florence. Aldo appeared in over 40 films from 1956's “Time of Vacation” with Vittorio De Sica until 1972's “Return of the Holy Ghost”. Half of his films were Euro-westerns. Among them were supporting roles in “A Stranger in Sacaramento” and “Why Go On Killing?” both 1965, “The Dirty Outlaws” and “A Stranger in Town” both 1967, “Once Upon a Time in the West” (1968), “El Puro” (1969), “The Ballad of Death Valley” (1970), “Have a Nice Funeral” and “Mallory Must Not Die” both in 1971 and two Spirito Santo films in 1972. Aldo lived a nomadic life traveling all over the world after giving up his film career. Aldo was living life with no cares and a mind like a sponge soaking up everything he could see and hear. He was friends with William Berger, had a romantic relationship with actress Barbara Steele after which he almost committed suicide. Berti was friends with Sarah Churchill, became a poet and wrote a book of poems entitled ‘Canto Finale’. On February 14, 1984 while traveling up the Nile with a load of patients for Juba and the first Doctors Without Borders they were attacked by armed men with machine guns, grenades and burned. Hundreds died and Aldo’s spirit died with them. From that point on he lived a personal life of shame for not dying with them. For many years he lived a simple life in Morocco. He was diagnosed with brain cancer in October of this year and returned to Florence to face death. One of the most recognized Italian character actors has left us. We should best remember Aldo by one of his famous sayings, "To be born is the privilege of all, having lived a privileged few."  Rest in peace amigo.

5 comments:

  1. Biltmore: Last spring I sent him a copy of Stranger in Scaramento. He hadn't seen it in years. He wrote back that it brought back at lot of good memories. I asked him questions, but he did answer many of them. Go with God, Gringo.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Biltmore: Sorry for the typo. That should read that he DIDN'T answer many of the questions.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beside Aldo Sambrell, Mario Brega e Giovanni Nello Pazzafini, Aldo Berti was one of the "bad men" cycle italian.

    ReplyDelete
  4. youssef d'essaouira;
    i remember him with his black dog every day walking around in the beach of essaouira, he was sympa and lived a simple life in essaouira.
    essaouira is lucky that a famous like him live in.

    ReplyDelete
  5. He seemed like the kind of guy that could be described as a nomadic sort. Living off the land and taking only what he needed. Aldo Berti really was a talented guy.

    ReplyDelete