Bonadonna, Giovanni

[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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1959

1. I masnadieri (TV movie) .... One of Carlo's men (uncredited)
   
   1960
2. Messalina Venere imperatrice .... Tavern brawler (uncredited)
   
   1961
3. Barabba .... Gladiator (uncredited)
4. Ercole alla conquista di Atlantide .... Tavern brawler (uncredited)
5. La vendetta di Ursus .... Guard (uncredited)
   
   1962
6. Maciste, il gladiatore più forte del mondo .... Gladiator / Tavern brawler (uncredited)
7. Sodoma e Gomorra .... Hebrew destroying the dam (uncredited)
8. Ursus gladiatore ribelle .... Gladiator (uncredited)
9. Vulcano, figlio di Giove .... Fighter with Vulcan (uncredited)
   
   1963
10. Maciste, l'eroe più grande del mondo .... Gladiator from Nefer (uncredited)
    
    1964
11. Il trionfo dei dieci gladiatori .... Soldier (uncredited)
12. Maciste gladiatore di Sparta .... Fighter with Maciste (uncredited)
13. Queste pazze pazze donne .... Thug in disco brawl (uncredited)
14. The Visit .... Villager (uncredited)
    
    1965
15. La meravigliosa Angelica .... Member of Nicolas' band (uncredited)
16. Sette contro tutti .... Palace guard (uncredited)
    
    1966
17. 2 mafiosi contro Al Capone .... Mafiosi gunman (uncredited)
18. Cifrato speciale .... Asylum orderly (uncredited)
    
    1967
19. Ballata per un pistolero .... Fighter in saloon (uncredited)
20. L'uomo del colpo perfetto .... Henchman (uncredited)
    
    1968
21. Black Jack .... Miguel (credited)
22. Non cantare spara (TV mini-series) - eps. 1 & 4, as Saloon brawler / One of the Corbett brothers (credited as "Il team di Musumeci Greco")
    
    1972
23. Tutti fratelli nel west... per parte di padre .... Barn brawler (uncredited)
    
    1973
24. La visita della vecchia signora (TV movie) .... First gangster (credited)
    
    1974
25. Carambola .... Clydeson henchman (uncredited)
    
    1975
26. Il torcinaso .... Gym owner (uncredited)
27. La polizia interviene: ordine di uccidere! .... Man training in the gym (uncredited)
28. Mondo Candido .... Bulgarian officer (uncredited)
29. Noi non siamo angeli .... Shark henchman (credited)
30. Zorro .... Hitman (uncredited)
    
    1976
31. Il conto è chiuso .... Henchman (uncredited)
32. Il grande racket .... Cuomo (credited)
33. Keoma .... Caldwell henchman (uncredited)
    
    1977
34. La via della droga .... Leroy henchman (credited)
35. Mr. Mean .... Hitman (uncredited)
    
    1979
36. Il giocattolo .... Judo practitioner (uncredited)
37. Squadra antigangsters .... Eusebio Navarro (credited)
    
    1980
38. Il giorno del cobra .... Coatcheck guard (uncredited)
    
    1981
39. The Salamander .... Officer at training camp (uncredited)
    
    1982
40. 1990: I guerrieri del Bronx .... Paul (uncredited)
41. La gorilla .... Judo student (credited as "Gianni Bonadonna")
42. Monsignor .... 2nd killer (credited)
    
    1983
43. Hercules .... Challenger of Hercules (uncredited)
44. I nuovi barbari .... Member of Amos' group (uncredited)

More Giovanni!

Titles to check.

• S+H+E (1980) I'm pretty certain he plays a judo trainee (or trainer), but it would take a good quality copy to confirm this and to get images.

[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 Gladiator from Nefer

Images upgraded

[PeplumParadise]

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

[PeplumParadise]

2 mafiosi contro Al Capone (1966) as Mafiosi gunman

Images upgraded

[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