Greci, José


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PeplumParadise
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Greci, José

Post by PeplumParadise » 12/04/2020, 21:51

Josè Greci 1963.jpg
Josè Greci in Cineguida 1963-64
Josè Greci 1961.jpg
Josè Greci in Cineguida 1961
Giuseppina Greci, known professionally as José, was an actress active in Italian films from the late 50’s until the early 70’s (with a one-off television role in the 80’s and another one in the 90's).

She was born in Ferrara, Italy on January 10th 1941 and died on June 1st 2017 in Rome, aged 76. She was the daughter of journalist and television writer Luigi Greci. Roger Browne has been quoted as saying that she married a director, without giving the name. It is also rumoured that she was the companion of writer Dino Verde for many years.

At the age of 15 she enrolled at the Silvio D’Amico National Academy of Dramatic Art, where she studied for 2 years, afterwards finding work in theatre and television. In 1957, at the age of 17, she was chosen to play the role of Mary, mother of Jesus, in MGM’s production of Ben-Hur, to be shot in Rome. From the ensuing publicity she managed to build a career as a leading lady, predominantly in peplum and eurospy features, and it as one of the brightest stars of those genres that she is remembered today. She works also in the theater in Gianni Santuccio's troupe and in TV dramas.

Her career quietly fizzled out in the early 70’s. While she did do some very chaste modelling, she never appeared naked or bared her breasts in films or magazines, and I suspect her career suffered as a result, after that became the norm for an actress to maintain a career in Italian cinema. It also can’t have helped that in 3 of her most successful films internationally she was lumbered with different unlikely pseudonyms, not the way to establish yourself as a star when the public doesn’t know what to call you. Like several other actresses featured here whose careers ended around the same time (Wandisa Guida, Gisella Arden), she reappeared once in the 80’s and then a final time in 1993, before vanishing completely from view until the news of her death two years ago.

Her biographical details are gathered from, and concurred by, multiple sources.

I think it unlikely there will be much in the way of new roles to be found for her, possibly some TV work. I did, however, uncover her role, hidden behind an odd pseudonym which had seemingly gone unnoticed by anyone for years, in the western Sfida a Rio Bravo, so it seems that even for leading ladies there can be roles to be uncovered.

Filmography

1958
  1. Canne al vento (TV mini-series) ep. 1-4 .... Grixenda (credited)

    1959
  2. Ben-Hur .... Mary (uncredited)
  3. La cento chilometri .... One of Elena's friends (credited)

    1960
  4. La vendetta dei barbari .... Sabina (credited)

    1961
  5. Antonio e Cleopatra (TV movie) .... Ottavia (credited)
  6. Le italiane e l'amore .... The wife (credited)
  7. Romolo e Remo .... Estia (credited)

    1962
  8. Il sangue e la sfida .... unknown role (poster credit)
  9. Le sette folgori di Assur .... Crisia (credited)
  10. Maciste, il gladiatore più forte del mondo .... Revia (credited)
  11. Ursus gladiatore ribelle .... Arminia (credited)

    1963
  12. Golia e il cavaliere mascherato .... Dona Blanca (credited)
  13. I dieci gladiatori .... Livia (credited as Susan Paget)
  14. La portatrice di pane .... Amanda (credited)
  15. Maciste contro i Mongoli .... Bianca de Tudela (credited)
  16. Maciste, l'eroe più grande del mondo .... Resia (credited)
  17. Zorro e i tre moschettieri .... Isabella (credited)

    1964
  18. Delitto allo specchio .... Kitty (credited)
  19. La vendetta dei gladiatori .... Priscilla (credited)
  20. Maciste nell'inferno di Gengis Khan .... Arminia (credited)
  21. Sfida a Rio Bravo .... Clementine Hewitt (credited as Cordin Davis)
  22. Una spada per l'impero .... Nissia (credited)

    1965
  23. Operazione poker .... Helga Firelli (credited)
  24. S.077 spionaggio a Tangeri .... Lee Randall (credited)
  25. Sette contro tutti .... Assuer (credited as Liz Havilland)

    1966
  26. Cifrato speciale .... Lynn (credited)
  27. Maigret a Pigalle.... Arlette (credited)
  28. Un milione di dollari per sette assassini .... Ellen (credited)

    1968
  29. All'ultimo sangue .... Consuelo (credited)
  30. La più bella coppia del mondo .... Signora Gennaroni (credited)
  31. Tutto sul rosso .... Yvette (credited)

    1969
  32. Il cenerentolo (TV movie) .... Loretta (credited)
  33. Stasera Fernandel (TV series, episode 6: "Una tranquilla villeggiatura") .... Mrs. Costantini (credited)

    1972
  34. Afyon oppio .... Lucia (credited)

    1974
  35. Catene .... unknown role (poster credit)

    1985
  36. Io e te, amore mio, ci ameremo eternamente (TV movie) .... unknown role (credited)

    1993
  37. Don Fumino (TV series) - episode 14: "La compagna di scuola" .... Giudietta (credited)

Additional credits
  • Io e lui (Short TV programme, 1965) …. Giulia (credited)
Fotoromanzi

  • "La voce della foresta" (Published in Bolero Film from April to late 1960) - credited
  • "Una vita sbagliata" (Published in Bolero Film from July 1961 to January 1962) - credited
  • "Il fatale amore di Bianca Cappello" (Published in Grand Hotel from June to October 1969) - credited
  • "Non chiudere la porta" (Published in Sogno from June to October 1971) - credited

More Greci!
Images and credit shots are needed for the following "poster credit" and "listing credit" titles
  • Antonio e Cleopatra (1961)
  • Il sangue e la sfida (1962)
  • Il cenerentolo (1969)
  • Catene (1974)
  • Io e te, amore mio, ci ameremo eternamente (1985)

No way José!
There are 2 films where José has previously been mis-credited as appearing due to "Susan Paget" being credited, an understandable mistake for people who haven't seen the films since she used this pseudonym in I dieci gladiatori. The actress appearing in both these films however is not José, but Fulvia Gasser.
  • Anno 79 - La distruzione di Ercolano (1962)
  • Il vecchio testamento (1963)
Last edited by Emiliano on 16/12/2022, 8:55, edited 37 times in total.

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Re: José Greci

Post by PeplumParadise » 12/04/2020, 21:57

Canne al vento (1958) (TV mini-series) credited in all 4 episodes, as Grixenda.
José's earliest known appearance comes in the TV mini-series. I am uncertain if this was filmed before or after she shot her role for Ben-Hur, released the following year.

Episode 1
Canne Al Vento 1 - Jose Greci1.jpg
Canne Al Vento 1 - Jose Greci2.jpg

Episode 2
Canne Al Vento 2 - Jose Greci1.jpg
Canne Al Vento 2 - Jose Greci2.jpg
Canne Al Vento 2 - Jose Greci3.jpg
Canne Al Vento 2 - Jose Greci4.jpg
Canne Al Vento 2 - Jose Greci5.jpg
Canne Al Vento 2 - Jose Greci6.jpg

Episode 3
Canne Al Vento 3 - Jose Greci1.jpg
Canne Al Vento 3 - Jose Greci2.jpg
Canne Al Vento 3 - Jose Greci3.jpg
Canne Al Vento 3 - Jose Greci4.jpg

Episode 4
Canne Al Vento 4 - Jose Greci1.jpg
Canne Al Vento 4 - Jose Greci2.jpg
Canne Al Vento 4 - Jose Greci3.jpg
Canne Al Vento 4 - Jose Greci4.jpg
Canne Al Vento 4 - Jose Greci5.jpg
Pictures by Johan
Last edited by Johan Melle on 14/10/2021, 15:42, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: José Greci

Post by PeplumParadise » 12/04/2020, 22:06

José came to the attention of the public and the industry when she was chosen, following a well-publicised search, for the role of the virgin Mary in MGM's prestigious production of Ben-Hur (1959). It is actually a very small role with her only being seen in passing and in shadowed long shot in the film, but her screen test can be seen in the making-of found on the blu-ray release, along with the details of how she got cast.
greci2.jpg
greci3.jpg
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Re: José Greci

Post by PeplumParadise » 12/04/2020, 22:14

La vendetta dei barbari (1960) credited, as Sabina
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Re: José Greci

Post by PeplumParadise » 12/04/2020, 22:19

Le italiane e l'amore (1961) credited, as "The wife", in the segment Un matrimonio
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Re: José Greci

Post by PeplumParadise » 12/04/2020, 22:22

Romolo e Remo (1961) credited, as Estia
greci3.jpg
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Re: José Greci

Post by PeplumParadise » 12/04/2020, 22:26

Il sangue e la sfida (1962) credited with images on the publicity. A film so hard to find that even the leading roles remain unknown.
il-sangue-e-la-sfida-img-88988.jpg
il-sangue-e-la-sfida-img-88991.jpg
il-sangue-e-la-sfida-img-40912.jpg

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Re: José Greci

Post by PeplumParadise » 12/04/2020, 22:31

Le sette folgori di Assur (1962) credited, as Crisia
greci4.jpg
greci7.jpg
greci.jpg
greci2.jpg
greci3.jpg
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Re: José Greci

Post by PeplumParadise » 12/04/2020, 22:33

Maciste, il gladiatore più forte del mondo (1962) credited, as Revia
greci2.jpg
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Re: José Greci

Post by PeplumParadise » 12/04/2020, 22:46

Ursus gladiatore ribelle (1962) credited, as Arminia
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