Hendy, Janine


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Hendy, Janine

Post by PeplumParadise » 29/07/2019, 17:08

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Janine Hendy
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Janine Hendy in a News
Janine Hendy was a black American (or possibly Caribbean) actress active in Italian films from at least 1959-1969.

She appeared on the scene, along with her sister Gloria, in the late 50's, at the same time that a number of other black American actors also started appearing in Italian productions (see also topic for Carl Latimer). In films she could appear as an extra, a featured actor in small parts or as a dancer. From contemporary news articles it would appear she also worked as a dancer in clubs. From these articles it appears she may also have been a cousin of Harry Belafonte, though since there is no other source to confirm this it may only have been a story dreamed up by the publicity department.

In the mid-late sixties she scored several sizeable roles in peplum and other productions, but since there was really no precedent in the 60's for black leading actresses besides Dorothy Dandridge, she probably progressed as far as was possible for a black actress at the time.

From 1964 she also founded an antiques company named Hendy, which specialised in furnishing villas and film sets and in 1965 she married Italian actor and journalist Carlo Mazzarella, though it appears the marriage did not last.

In 2007 it was announced that Barbara Montgomery would direct a documentary titled Hendy: The Life of Jeanine Hendy, an African-Italian, but sadly this project seems never to have got beyond the announcement stage.

I still continue to uncover small roles for Janine, so I am sure more will be forthcoming. She should be easy to identify, both for her stunning looks and because there were so few black actresses working in Italian films at the time.

There are numerous spellings/mis-spellings of her name among her credited roles (Janin, Jannin, Janis), while the most usual spellings online tend to be split between Jeanine and Janine. I have opted for the latter since that was the one most frequently used for her credited roles.[1]

Filmography

1959
  1. Cartagine in fiamme .... Courtier (uncredited)
  2. La cento chilometri .... Dancer (uncredited)

    1960
  3. Genitori in blue jeans .... Presenter in night club (uncredited)
  4. I baccanali di Tiberio .... Cha cha dancer (credited as "Janin Hendy")
  5. Il mattatore .... Nightclub dancer (uncredited)
  6. It Started in Naples .... Woman in cafe (uncredited)
  7. La dolce vita .... Woman in Via Veneto (uncredited)
  8. Messalina, Venere imperatrice .... Dancer at orgy (credited as "Leading dancers Janin Handy")
  9. Robin Hood e i pirati .... Saracen woman (credited)
  10. Salambo .... Handmaiden (uncredited)
  11. Teseo contro il Minotauro .... Princess Phaedra's servant (uncredited)
  12. Totò, Peppino e la dolce vita .... Woman in car with Baronessa (uncredited)

    1961
  13. El Cid .... Harem girl (uncredited)
  14. Maciste l'uomo più forte del mondo .... Queen Halis Mojab's handmaiden (credited as "Jannin Hendy")
  15. Ragazzo al telefono (TV movie) .... Second newsagent's client (credited as "Handy Janine")

    1962
  16. Boccaccio '70 - segment "Le tentazioni del dottor Antonio" .... Girl making out in car (uncredited)
  17. Drammi marini (TV series) - ep. 1: La luna dei Caraibi .... Violet (credited as "Janine Handy")
  18. I tre nemici .... Zaza (credited)
  19. Lasciapassare per il morto .... Janine, a nightclub stripper (credited)
  20. Taur, re della forza bruta .... Afer (credited)

    1963
  21. Cleopatra .... Featured dancer (uncredited)
  22. Le gladiatrici .... The Black Queen (credited)
  23. Le ore dell'amore .... Francine (credited as "Janine Handy")

    1964
  24. Che fine ha fatto Totò baby? .... Party girl (uncredited)

    1965
  25. La congiuntura .... Woman at the beach (uncredited)

    1967
  26. Abramo Lincoln - Cronaca di un delitto politico (TV mini-series) - ep. 1 .... Nancy (credited)

    1968
  27. Gangsters '70 .... Poker player (uncredited)
  28. La pecora nera .... Wife of President Tombalassa (credited as "Janis Handy")
  29. Un killer per sua maestà .... One of the King's wives (uncredited)

    1969
  30. Odissea .... Villager preparing food (uncredited)
  31. Quarta parete .... Mistress of the opium den (credited as "Janine Handy")
  32. Satyricon .... Trimalchione's Handmaiden (uncredited)

More Janine to be seen!
There are a few films where Janine is credited somewhere online as appearing which I have been unable to find, so if you have any of these titles you know what to do.
  • Che femmina!! e... che dollari! (1960)
  • Io amo, tu ami (1961) - theatrically-released documentary
IMDb lists her as playing a dancer in I mongoli (1961). I didn't find her.

Notes and sources
1, Most biographical information comes curtesy of the Cinemafrodiscendente and The Wild Eye websites.
Last edited by PeplumParadise on 14/01/2024, 14:46, edited 50 times in total.

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Re: Janine Hendy

Post by PeplumParadise » 29/07/2019, 17:32

Cartagine in fiamme (1959) as Courtier
hendy2.jpg

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Re: Janine Hendy

Post by PeplumParadise » 29/07/2019, 17:35

Genitori in blue jeans (1960) as Presenter in night club
vlcsnap-2019-06-27-13h43m16s157.jpg

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Re: Janine Hendy

Post by PeplumParadise » 29/07/2019, 17:38

I baccanali di Tiberio (1960) credited as Janin Hendy, as Cha cha dancer
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Re: Janine Hendy

Post by PeplumParadise » 29/07/2019, 17:41

It started in Naples (1960) as Woman in cafe
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Re: Janine Hendy

Post by PeplumParadise » 29/07/2019, 17:47

Messalina, Venere imperatrice (1960) credited as "Leading dancers" Janin Handy, as Dancer at orgy
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Re: Janine Hendy

Post by PeplumParadise » 29/07/2019, 17:50

Robin Hood e i pirati (1960) as Saracen woman. Credited in the Italian version, but not listed in my German or English copies.
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Last edited by PeplumParadise on 01/01/2022, 20:10, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Janine Hendy

Post by PeplumParadise » 29/07/2019, 17:52

Salambo (1960) as Handmaiden
HENDY2.jpg
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Re: Janine Hendy

Post by PeplumParadise » 29/07/2019, 17:55

Teseo contro il Minotauro (1960) as Princess Phaedra's servant
hendy5.jpg
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Re: Janine Hendy

Post by PeplumParadise » 29/07/2019, 17:57

Totò, Peppino e la dolce vita (1960) as Woman in car with Baronessa
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Last edited by PeplumParadise on 18/05/2022, 10:15, edited 1 time in total.

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