Giovanni Bonadonna

[PeplumParadise]

Giovanni Bonadonna in Black Jack (1968)

Giovanni Bonadonna was a stuntman and actor who was active in Italian films from at least the start of the 1960's until the early 1980's.

He was the brother of stuntman Elio Bonadonna and the brothers often appeared in films together. No biographical details are currently known.

While I have found a few early peplum roles for Giovanni, his 60's and early 70's filmography is still rather sparse, so I'm certain there must be more roles to be found, almost certainly some more westerns. In the mid-late 70's he maintained a dark goatee, giving him a more distinctive, somewhat-Arabic look.

In addition to his film work, Giovanni was also very active in fotoromanzi, and from 1966 to 1971 and again from 1974 to 1975, he appeared in a significant amount of fotoromanzi for the well-known publisher Lancio He specialized in playing henchmen, thugs, cops or other parts that required some physicality, and was either credited as Gianni Bonadonna or went uncredited. After leaving Lancio, he began to appear in fotoromanzi for rival publisher Condor in 1976 and continued to appear in these until Condor ceased production in 1981. He played mostly the same kind of roles here, but was also awarded larger, more comedic character parts. His brother Elio also appeared alongside him in fotoromanzi, but only very occasionally.


FILMOGRAPHY

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1961

1. Barabba (uncredited) .... Gladiator
2. Ercole alla conquista di Atlantide (uncredited) .... Tavern brawler
   
   1963
3. Maciste, l'eroe più grande del mondo (uncredited) .... Soldier on the ship
   
   1964
4. Maciste gladiatore di Sparta (uncredited) .... Fighter with Maciste
5. The Visit (uncredited) .... Villager
   
   1966
6. Cifrato speciale (uncredited) .... Asylum orderly
7. Due mafiosi contro Al Capone (uncredited) .... Mafiosi gunman
   
   1967
8. L'uomo del colpo perfetto (uncredited) .... Henchman
   
   1968
9. Black Jack (credited) .... Miguel
   
   1973
10. La visita della vecchia signora (TV movie) (credited) .... First gangster
    
    1974
11. Carambola (uncredited) .... Clydeson henchman
    
    1975
12. La polizia interviene: ordine di uccidere! (uncredited) .... Man training in the gym
13. Noi non siamo angeli (credited) .... Shark henchman
14. Zorro (uncredited) .... Hitman
    
    1976
15. Il conto è chiuso (uncredited) .... Henchman
16. Il grande racket (credited) .... Cuomo
    
    1977
17. La via della droga (credited) .... Leroy henchman
18. Mr. Mean (uncredited) .... Hitman
    
    1979
19. Il giocattolo (uncredited) .... Judo practitioner
20. Squadra antigangsters (credited) .... Eusebio Navarro
    
    1980
21. Il giorno del cobra (uncredited) .... Coatcheck guard
    
    1982
22. 1990: I guerrieri del Bronx (uncredited) .... Paul
23. La gorilla (credited as Gianni Bonadonna) .... Judo student
24. Monsignor (credited) .... 2nd killer
    
    1983
25. Hercules (uncredited) .... Challenger of Hercules
26. I nuovi barbari (uncredited) .... Member of Amos' group

[PeplumParadise]

Ercole alla conquista di Atlantide (1961) as Tavern brawler.

This is currently Giovanni's earliest known role.

[PeplumParadise]

Maciste, l'eroe più grande del mondo (1963) as Soldier on the ship, on the left in the first image

[PeplumParadise]

Maciste, gladiatore di Sparta (1964) as Fighter with Maciste

[PeplumParadise]

Due mafiosi contro Al Capone (1966) as Mafiosi gunman

[PeplumParadise]

Black Jack (1968) credited, as Miguel.

This was Giovanni's first known credited role.

[PeplumParadise]

Carambola (1974) as Clydeson henchman

[PeplumParadise]

La polizia interviene: ordine di uccidere! (1975) as Man training in the gym

[PeplumParadise]

Noi non siamo angeli (1975) credited, as Shark henchman

[PeplumParadise]

Il conto è chiuso (1976) as Henchman