Fortunato Arena was an actor, stuntman and generico whose career stretched from the start of the 50's until the end of the 80's, during which time he appeared in somewhere around 250 films. Various sources agree that his birthday is on May 23rd, but you have a choice of years with 1921 (Wikipedia), 1922 (IMDb) or 1925 (Il grande libro di Ercole). Wikipedia gives his place of birth as Catanzaro, Italy, and his date of death as March 7th 1994 in Rome.
He was the father of actor/stuntman Ettore Arena. The pair often appeared in films together, though they only very rarely shared scenes.
There is also a rumour that he was brother to Alberico Donadeo, though this seems to be due to the fact that Donadeo was frequently confused for Arena before he was identified and I know of no evidence to support this. Other actors to whom Arena could be said to bear some physical resemblance are Humphrey Bogart, Fernandel, Aldo Pini and stuntman Bruno Arie (topic coming soon!).
I have found a number of previously unreported early appearances by Arena in peplum and historical films and I feel sure there will be more roles to be found from the 50's and maybe the 80's.
FILMOGRAPHY
- L'imperatore di Capri (uncredited) .... Guard in ancient Rome
1951 - Messalina (uncredited) .... Gladiator
1952 - Il romanzo della mia vita (uncredited) .... Man listening to singing in courtyard
- Il tallone di Achille (uncredited) .... Deputy chairman at medical convention
- Roma ore 11 (uncredited) .... Onlooker at the scene of the accident
- Wanda, la peccatrice (uncredited) .... Carabinieri guard at the trial
1953 - Frine, cortigiana d'Oriente (uncredited) .... Prison guard
- La voce del silenzio (uncredited) .... Onlooker at the scene of the car accident
- Teodora (uncredited) .... Guard / Man watching Teodora dancing in tavern
1954 - Disonorata - Senza colpa (uncredited) .... Guard in court room
- I tre ladri (uncredited) .... Shop customer
- Il Maestro di Don Giovanni (uncredited) .... Nobleman
- Tempi nostri (uncredited) .... A generico
- Un americano a roma (uncredited) .... Man who welcomes Nando
- Un giorno in pretura (uncredited) .... Pool player
1955 - Il principe dalla maschera rossa (uncredited) .... Guard pushed into pool
- L'angelo bianco (uncredited) .... Police agent
- Lo scapolo (uncredited) .... Bus passenger
- Piccola posta (uncredited) .... Member of crowd outside Cinecitta
- Siamo uomini o caporali (uncredited) .... Editor of the magazine Ieri-oggi-domani
- War and Peace (uncredited) .... French soldier carrying jewels
1956 - Giovanni dalle Bande Nere (uncredited) .... Soldier hit in the head
- Mio figlio Nerone (uncredited) .... Guard
1957 - Il Conte di Matera (uncredited) .... Prison guard
- La venere di Cheronea (uncredited) .... Soldier in the tavern
1958 - Afrodite, Dea dell'amore (uncredited) .... Soldier who kills angry traveller
- La Maja desnuda (uncredited) .... Guard
1959 - La battaglia di Maratona (uncredited) .... Oarsman
- Ben-Hur (uncredited) .... Centurion / Oarsman
- Cartagine in fiamme (uncredited) .... Guard on ship
- I Reali di Francia (uncredited) .... Soldier
- Il terrore dei barbari (uncredited) .... Blonde barbarian
- Jovanka e le altre (uncredited) .... Partisan
- La cento chilometri (uncredited) .... Angry bather
1960 - I cosacchi (uncredited) .... Cossack
- I giganti della Tessaglia (uncredited) .... Argonaut / Citizen of Jolco
- Jovanka e le altre (uncredited) .... Thug with Velko
- Noi duri (uncredited) .... A gangster
1961 - Dinamite Jack (credited) .... Fernandel's body double (uncertain)
- Don Camillo monsignore... ma non troppo (uncredited) .... Truck driver
- Il ladro di Bagdad (uncredited) .... Guard
- L'arciere delle mille e una notte (uncredited) .... Bandit
1962 - I moschettieri del mare (uncredited) .... Naval officer playing cards
- Io Semiramide (uncredited) .... Captain of the guards
- La congiura dei Dieci (uncredited) .... Night watchman who finds the body of Serenella
- Maciste contro lo Sceicco (uncredited) .... Fighter
- Maciste, il gladiatore più forte del mondo (uncredited) .... Gladiator
- Totò diabolicus (uncredited) .... Henchman assisting in the torture of the postman
1963 - Ercole contro Moloch (uncredited) .... Gladiator
- Ercole sfida Sansone (credited) .... Eriphos
- Finché dura la tempesta (uncredited) .... Italian marine
- I dieci gladiatori (uncredited) .... Archer / Soldier
- Totò contro i quattro (uncredited) .... Grafta's partner
1964 - Coriolano eroe senza patria (uncredited) .... Servant
- Gli invincibili dieci gladiatori (uncredited) .... Prison guard
- I due gladiatori (uncredited) .... Guard
- I pirati della Malesia (uncredited) .... Officer confronting Sandokan
- I predoni della steppa (uncredited) .... Mongol guard
- I tre centurioni (uncredited) .... Soldier
- Il colosso di Roma (credited as Arena Fortunato) .... Milone
- Il magnifico gladiatore (uncredited) .... Dacian prisoner
- Il trionfo di Ercole (uncredited) .... Archer
- L'ultimo gladiatore (uncredited) .... Bearded soldier
- La rivolta dei pretoriani (uncredited) .... Guard
- La rivolta dei sette (uncredited) .... Soldier
- La vendetta dei gladiatori (uncredited) .... Guard (uncertain)
- La vendetta di Spartacus (uncredited) .... Praetorian
- La vita agra (uncredited) .... Miner
- Le voci bianche (uncredited) .... Captain of the guards
- Maciste gladiatore di Sparta (uncredited) .... One of Maciste's accomplices
- Maciste nelle miniere di Re Salomone (uncredited) .... Prisoner working in mines
- Sandok, il Maciste della giungla (uncredited) .... Temple guard
- Sandokan alla riscossa (uncredited) .... Native
- The Secret Invasion (uncredited) .... Sailor Firing Signal Rocket
1965 - A 008 operazione sterminio (credited as Lucky Arena) .... Kemp henchman
- Erik il vichingo (credited) .... Thormann
- I criminali della galassia (uncredited) .... Astronaut in the red car
- Il conquistatore di Atlantide (uncredited) .... Golden man
- Il tesoro della foresta pietrificata (uncredited) .... Nieblung warrior / Second role
- Il vendicatore dei Mayas (uncredited) .... One of Manur's men
- L'uomo che ride (uncredited) .... Guard
- L'uomo di Toledo (uncredited) .... Guard
- Slalom (uncredited) .... Assassin
- The Agony and the Ecstasy (uncredited) .... Pope's bodyguard
- Un dollaro bucato (uncredited) .... Juez
1966 - 2 mafiosi contro Al Capone (uncredited) .... Minasi henchman
- 3 colpi di Winchester per Ringo (uncredited) .... One of Sanders' men
- 7 dollari sul rosso (uncredited) .... Troublemaker in the saloon
- 1000 dollari sul nero (uncredited) .... Laughing bandit
- A 077: sfida ai killers (uncredited) .... Fighter in bar
- Agente 3S3 massacro al sole (uncredited) .... Man on plane
- Django spara per primo (uncredited) .... One of Kluster's men
- Djurado (uncredited) .... Dallas
- I due figli di Ringo (uncredited) .... Indio's right hand
- Il ladro della Gioconda (uncredited) .... Romeo's servant
- Johnny Oro (uncredited) .... Perez henchman
- Johnny Yuma (uncredited) .... Poker player
- L'arcidiavolo (uncredited) .... Guard
- Missione Apocalisse (credited) .... Kruger
- Navajo Joe (uncredited) .... Gunman reflected in mirror
- Per qualche dollaro in meno (uncredited) .... Poker player in saloon
- Per un pugno di canzoni (uncredited) .... Gangster
- Spie contro il mondo (uncredited) .... Taxi driver
- Superargo contro Diabolikus (uncredited) .... Diabolikus henchman on boat
- Un angelo per Satana (uncredited) .... Man at the fire
- Uno sceriffo tutto d'oro (credited as Ares Lucky) .... Vargas
- Wanted (uncredited) .... Barman in Poorland City
1967 - 7 donne per i Mac Gregor (uncredited) .... Bank robber
- Il bello, il brutto, il cretino (uncredited) .... Mexican
- Killer Kid (uncredited) .... José, el santo soldier
- L'assalto al centro nucleare (credited) .... role?
- La cintura di castità (uncredited) .... Knight
- La morte viene dal pianeta Aytin (uncredited) .... Snow devil
- Le due facce del dollaro (uncredited) .... Mexican bandit
- Se vuoi vivere... spara! (uncredited) .... Lookout
- Un dollaro per 7 vigliacchi (uncredited) .... Pastore
- Un dollaro tra i denti (credited) .... Captain Cordoba
- Un uomo, un cavallo, una pistola (uncredited) .... Plein henchman
- Wanted Johnny Texas (uncredited) .... One of O'Connor's men
1968 - Carogne si nasce (uncredited) .... One of Adams' men
- Donne... botte e bersaglieri (uncredited) .... Actor-gangster
- E per tetto un cielo di stelle (uncredited) .... Man with false sheriff
- ... e venne il tempo di uccidere (credited as Fortunato Areno) .... One of Mulligan's men
- Gangsters per un massacro (uncredited) .... Assassin
- I lunghi giorni dell'odio (credited) .... Jack
- Il grande silenzio (uncredited) .... Outlaw
- Il lungo giorno del massacro (uncredited) .... Green
- Il suo nome gridava vendetta (uncredited) .... Crazy Joe
- La vendetta è il mio perdono (uncredited) .... Prisoner delivered by Django
- Samoa, regina della giungla (uncredited) .... Man in pre-credit bar fight
- Se incontri Sartana prega per la tua morte (uncredited) .... One of Tampico's men
- Se te lo raccontassi (TV series, episode: Rebus per un sedentario) (credited) .... role?
- Sigpress contro Scotland Yard (uncredited) .... Little John from Tunisia
- Spara, gringo, spara! (uncredited) .... Sheriff
- Un minuto per pregare, un istante per morire (credited) .... Man in saloon
- Un uomo, un cavallo, una pistola (credited?) .... Trent
- Una forca per un bastardo (credited) .... One of Foster's men
- Vivo per la tua morte (uncredited) .... Card player
1969 - Dio perdoni la mia pistola (uncredited) .... Stagecoach driver
- Ehi amico... c'è Sabata, hai chiuso! (uncredited) .... Ranch hand
- Franco, Ciccio e il pirata Barbanera (credited) .... Timoniere
- Franco e Ciccio ...ladro e guardia (credited) .... Circus presenter
- I quattro del Pater Noster (credited) .... Post carriage escort
- It Takes a Thief (TV series) - season 3, episode 9: "The King of Thieves" (uncredited) .... Max's henchman
- L'odio è il mio dio (credited?) .... Sheriff henchman
- Le avventure di Gerard (uncredited) .... Tavern keeper
- Le calde notti di Poppea (uncredited) .... Cilla
- Quintana (uncredited) .... Prison guard
- Tarzana, sesso selvaggio (uncredited) .... Guard on expedition
- Un esercito di 5 uomini (uncredited) .... Officer who orders Esteban's execution
- Zorro marchese di Navarra (credited) .... El Moko
1970 - Buon funerale amigos... paga Sartana (uncredited) .... Trouble maker in casino
- Ciakmull - L'uomo della vendetta (uncredited) .... Asylum worker
- La moglie più bella (credited) .... Piero Colosimo
- Lo chiamavano Trinità... (uncredited) .... Store keeper
- Roy Colt e Winchester Jack (uncredited) .... Lookout in the cave
- Shango la pistola infallibile (uncredited) .... One of Martinez's soldiers
1971 - Armiamoci e partite! (credited) .... German soldier
- Arriva Durango: paga o muori (uncredited) .... Poker player
- Blindman (credited) .... Mexican officer
- ...Continuavano a chiamarlo Trinità (credited) .... Bandit who gets stunned
- Cose di cosa nostra (credited) .... One of Manzano's men
- Detenuto in attesa di giudizio (uncredited) .... Prisoner
- È tornato Sabata... hai chiuso un'altra volta! (uncredited) .... Saloon owner
- Fratello Sole, sorella Luna (uncredited) .... Citizen of Assisi
- Gli fumavano le colt... lo chiamavano Camposanto (uncredited) .... Man at town meeting
- Il ritorno del gladiatore più forte del mondo (uncredited) .... Guard with Caio Appio
- Il sole nella pelle (uncredited) .... Truck driver
- Il tredicesimo è sempre Giuda (credited) .... Judge Stump
- Il venditore di morte (uncredited) .... Hangman
- Le calde notti di Don Giovanni (uncredited) .... One of Aiscia's Wardens
- Le juge (All'ovest di Sacramento) (uncredited) .... Black Bird saloon gambler
- Prega il morto e ammazza il vivo (credited as Ares Lucky) .... Coachman
- Rimase uno solo e fu la morte per tutti (credited) .... Jackson
- Riuscirà il nostro eroe a ritrovare il più grande diamante del mondo? (credited + Master of arms) .... Brett
- Tara Poki (credited) .... Alphonso
- Testa t'ammazzo, croce... sei morto, mi chiamano Alleluja (credited) .... Sheriff in Yucca
- The Statue (uncredited) .... Customs officer
- W Django! (uncredited) .... Blake
1972 - Bada alla tua pelle Spirito Santo! (credited) .... Suomi's father
- Cosi Sia (uncredited) .... Stagecoach driver
- ...e poi lo chiamarono il Magnifico (credited) .... Danny Dillman
- Girolimoni - Il mostro di Roma (credited) .... Caccavallo
- I due figli dei Trinità (credited) .... Jack Gordon
- Il sindacalista (uncredited) .... Striking worker
- Il west ti va stretto, amico... è arrivato Alleluja (credited?) .... Sheriff Hall
- Jesse & Lester due fratelli in un posto chiamato Trinità (uncredited) .... Joe
- L'emigrante (uncredited) .... Restaurant owner
- Meo Patacca (credited) .... Not found
- Metti lo diavolo tuo ne lo mio inferno (credited) .... Trottolino
- Roma (uncredited) .... Judge of fascist gymnastic tests
- Seminò morte... lo chiamavano il castigo di Dio (uncredited) .... Card player
- Senza famiglia nullatenenti cercano affetto (credited) .... Officer removing Agostino
- Spirito Santo e le 5 magnifiche canaglie (credited) .... Killer
- Terza ipotesi su un caso di perfetta strategia criminale (credited) .... Don Salvatore Aniello
- Trinità e Sartana figli di... (uncredited) .... Sheriff
- Un uomo dalla pelle dura (credited) .... Man watching fight
- Uomo avvisato mezzo ammazzato... parola di Spirito Santo (credited) .... Colonel Matatodos
1973 - Anche gli angeli mangiano fagioli (credited) .... McIntosh's partner
- Di tresette ce n'è uno, tutti gli altri son nessuno (credited?) .... Camp card player
- Fuori uno sotto un altro... arriva il Passatore (credited) .... Sergeant
- Il consigliori (credited) .... One of Garofalo's men
- Il suo nome faceva tremare... Interpol in allarme! (uncredited) .... Prison warder
- Kid il monello del west (credited) .... Sheriff Stone
- Lo chiamavano Tresette... giocava sempre col morto (credited?) .... Tangarango
- Patroclooo! E il soldato Camillone (credited as Arena Fortunato) .... Tamara's father
- Rappresaglia (uncredited) .... Man in meeting with Giorgio
- Sono stato io (uncredited) .... Prisoner
1974 - Anche gli angeli tirano di destro (credited) .... Peluso
- ...Altrimenti ci arrabbiamo! (uncredited) .... Diner at restaurant table hit by car
- Corte marziale (uncredited) .... Farmer
- Moses the lawgiver (uncredited) .... Guard accompanying Moses when he visits the workers
- Pane e cioccolata (uncredited) .... Shantytown resident
- Quelli che contano (uncredited) .... Scannapicco henchman
- The Godfather Squad (uncredited) .... Smiling assassin
1975 - ...Che botte ragazzi! (credited) .... Sheriff Wilson
- Due cuori una cappella (uncredited) .... Police officer
- Il soldato di ventura (uncredited) .... French soldier
- La liceale (uncredited) .... Police officer
- La peccatrice (credited) .... Miner
- La polizia accusa: il servizio segreto uccide (uncredited) .... Man dragging body of Scanni
- La polizia interviene: ordine di uccidere! (uncredited) .... Police officer Lagiurani
- Lo sgarbo (uncredited) .... Assassin
- Salvo d'acquisto (credited) .... Villager
1976 - Bluff storia di truffe e di imbroglioni (credited) .... Officer escorting Philip
- Il conto è chiuso (uncredited) .... One of Rico's men
- Il vangelo secondo Simone e Matteo (uncredited) .... Cashier
- Italia a mano armata (credited) .... Morell
- La dottoressa del distretto militare (uncredited) .... Builder
- La poliziotta fa carriera (uncredited) .... Man who falls into fountain
- Poliziotti violenti (uncredited) .... Thug
1977 - I due superpiedi quasi piatti (uncredited) .... Employee at bowling alley
- Il... Belpaese (uncredited) .... Restaurant owner
- Il cinico, l'infame, il violento (credited) .... Prisoner trying to kill Di Maggio
- Kakkientruppen (credited) .... Soldier Marlene
- La banda del trucido (uncredited) .... Taxi driver
- Napoli si ribella (credited) .... Bank robber
- Squadra antitruffa (uncredited) .... Porter
1978 - La banda del gobbo (credited) .... Psychiatric nurse
- Lo chiamavano Bulldozer (uncredited) .... Thug
- Return of the Saint (TV series, episode 22: Dragonseed) (credited) .... Peasant
- Solamente nero (uncredited) .... Antonio, the waiter
- Tanto va la gatta al lardo... (uncredited) .... Butcher
1979 - Caligula (uncredited) .... Man carrying Caligula's corpse
- S+H+E (credited) .... Peasant
1981 - La salamandra (credited) .... Corpse of General Pantaleone
1982 - Ciao nemico (credited) .... Santoni
- Giovani, belle... probabilmente ricche (uncredited) .... Man buying adult magazine
- Gunan il guerriero (credited as Lucky Aras) .... Gunan's father
1984 - Dagobert (uncredited) .... Soldier in the tavern
1989 - La casa delle anime erranti (credited) .... Ugo Brandini
More Fortunato!
There are around 20 further titles where Fortunato is rumoured to appear that I have been unable to find copies of, so if anybody has any of the titles below you know what to do...
- Chiedi perdono a dio, non a me (1968)
- Storia di sangue (1972)
- ...e continuavano a mettere lo diavolo ne lo inferno (1973) credited
- Il lupo dei mari (1974)
- Pugni, dollari & spinaci (1978)
- Brillantina rock (1979)
- Kenn' ich, weiss ich, war ich schon! (1981)
Missing Arena!
As always seems to be the case with little-known actors with large online filmographies, there are a number of titles where he is credited somewhere online, but either he does not appear or else I was unable to find him for some reason.
- Sugar Colt (1966) listed on IMDb as playing "Man in saloon". I could not see him, possibly confused for Alberico Donadeo, who does appear.
- Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (1966) credited on IMDb as playing "3rd Sombrero Onlooker at Tuco's 1st Hanging". He does not appear in this scene, again maybe confused for Donadeo.
- Come rubammo la bomba atomica (1967) credited on IMDb with no role given. I could not find him.
- Django sfida Sartana (1970) Credited on CIDb as "Bandit" - with an image of Donadeo! I originally posted an image of another actor I thought could possibly be Arena, but unanimous opinion was that it was not him, so it has been removed.
- C'è Sartana... vendi la pistola e comprati la bara (1970) Credited on IMDb as playing "Old man". I didn't see Fortunato, but Donadeo is there in a role that could fit the description (if you consider men in their 40's to be "old")
- Indio Black sai che ti dico (1970) listed on CIDb as playing "Observer at duel". There are no duels in the film, and he is not a spectator at any other gunfights or anywhere else in the film as far as I can see. Donadeo and his son Ettore both appear, which could provide an explanation.
- La bella Antonia, prima Monica e poi Dimonia (1972) Listed on IMDb with no role, he definitely does not appear.
- Contro 4 bandiere (1979) listed on IMDb as "Soldato Anziano", I could not see him anywhere.
- Due strani papà (1983) listed on IMDb as "Man at poker table". His son Ettore is at the poker table, Fortunato is not.
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