Franco Nero

While working on Camelot he became close to Vanessa Redgrave, and in 1969 they had a son, Carlo Gabriel Nero, a screen-writer and director. Soon afterwards he died of cerebral thrombosis. He has appeared in almost 150 films and has written, produced and starred in one - Jonathan degli orsi (1993). His last public appearance was in 1974 as a guest in the TV show Milleluci hosted by Mina and Raffaella Carrā. Although often typecast in films like Los amigos (1972) or Keoma (1976) he has attempted an impressive range of characters, like Abel in John Huston's epic The Bible (1966) and the gay lieutenant in Querelle (1982). He performed in musical reviews and commedies by Garinei and Giovannini. A certain lack of facility with English tended to limit these roles, although he also appeared in other English language films including The Virgin and the Gypsy (1970), Force 10 From Navarone (1978) and Die Hard 2 (1990). Rabagliati was active also on the stage until mid 1950s.

In 1967 he appeared in his first English language film, Camelot as Lancelot. From 1940 to 1965 he starred in some twenty movies, including The Barefoot Contessa, Montecarlo, Il Vedovo. In 1966 from Django he went on to appear in eight more films released that year including Texas, Addio and Tempo di Massacro. His enormous fame as a singer helped his acting career restart. His first film role was a small part in La Ragazza in Prestito (1964), he had his first lead role in Sergio Corbucci's Django (1966) a Spaghetti Western and one of his most well-known films. Indeed, the Fascist government decided to make use of his popularity by choosing his song Sposi (c'č una casetta piccina) ("Wed (there's a little home)") as their demographic campaign anthem. He studied briefly at the Facoltā di Economia e Commercio before leaving to study at the Piccolo Teatro di Milano. At a time when anything foreign was banned, the idol Rabagliati was allowed to maintain his American-influenced style.

He was born Franco Spartanero in San Prospero and grew up in Bedonia and Milan. Female audience went crazy for him, and covered him with red roses at every performance. Franco Nero (November 23, 1941) is an Italian actor. He was so popular that his name was sung in the lyrics of La famiglia canterina, Quando canta Rabagliati, Quando la radio. Every Monday night EIAR aired Canta Rabagliati ("Rabagliati sings"), with the singer presenting his most famous songs such as Ma l'amore no, Mattinata fiorentina, Ba-ba-baciami piccina, Silenzioso slow, Bambina innamorata. Rabagliati soon became a radio star, and in 1941 even had his own radio show.

While with the Lecuona Cuban Boys he met Giovanni D'Anzi who proposed him an audition with Italian state radio station EIAR. He performed with his face painted black and made a hit with the song Maria la O. After a brief experience with Pippo Barzizza's orchestra, he joined the Lecuona Cuban Boys, a Cuban band. Back in Europe he became a singer.

During his stay he had however the opportunity to get to know new musical genres such as jazz, swing, scat. He remained four years in America, but his career as an actor never took off. He later recalled: "For someone like me, who had seen no more than Lake Como or Monza's cathedral so far, finding myself on board a luxury steamer with three cases full of clothes, a few rolls of dollars, granduchesses and countesses flirting with me was something extraordinary". In 1927 Alberto Rabagliati moved to Hollywood from native Italy as the winner of a Rudolph Valentino look-alike contest.

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. Alberto Rabagliati (Milan, 26 June 1906 - Rome, 7 March 1974) was Italy's first pop star.