Alfredo Lettieri (February 24, 1928 – October 18, 1975) was an American actor. Active during the 1960s and 1970s, he commonly portrayed villainous characters. He achieved recognition for his performance as mobster Virgil Sollozzo in the crime film The Godfather (1972) and appeared in several other productions alongside Hollywood's biggest screen stars.
Al Lettieri | |
|---|---|
 Lettieri as Virgil Sollozzo in The Godfather | |
| Born | Alfredo Lettieri[1] February 24, 1928 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | October 18, 1975 (aged 47) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1958–1975 |
Background
editLettieri was an Italian-American who spoke Italian fluently. His brother-in-law was Pasquale Eboli, brother of Genovese crime family boss Thomas Eboli.[2]
Career
edit1950s to 1960s
editLettieri -- credited as "Anthony Lettier" -- had a role in the 1958 Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Fugitive Nurse" as Arthur Strome.[3] At the age of 36, he had a role in the television film The Hanged Man (1964).[4]
Before his notable film roles materialized, Lettieri offered his services as a dialogue coach on five productions including the 1968 wartime classic Where Eagles Dare. He was credited variously "Alfredo Lettieri" and "Al Lettier" during this phase of his career.[5]
1970s
editLettieri is best known for his role as Sicilian heroin trafficker Virgil Sollozzo in the 1972 American crime film The Godfather. In his 2024 autobiography Al Pacino describes how Lettieri took him to visit a suburban New York family that resembled the Corleones after telling him “You should meet this guy. It’s good for what you’re doing”; Pacino concluded "Little Al knew some guys. Some real guys. And now he was introducing me to one of them."[6] This was the second film in which Lettieri and Marlon Brando worked together, the first being The Night of the Following Day (1969).[citation needed]
He wrote the film adaptation that became the screenplay for the 1971 gangster movie Villain, which starred Richard Burton and Ian McShane.[7][8] Lettieri played the brutal, libidinous henchman Rudy Butler in Steve McQueen's 1972 action film, The Getaway,[9] and the menacing hit-man Frank Renda in the 1974 Charles Bronson film, Mr. Majestyk.[10][11] He played Ciro Musante in Go Gorilla Go (1976).[12]
Death
editLettieri died of a heart attack in 1975, aged 47, in New York City.
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | The Hanged Man | Al | TV movie |
| 1965 | Wild Seed | Bartender | a.k.a. Fargo (as Anthony Lettier) |
| 1965 | Dark Intruder | 2nd Sergeant | TV movie, a.k.a. Black Cloak (as Anthony Lettier) |
| 1966 | After the Fox | (as Anthony Lettier) | |
| 1967 | The Bobo | Eugenio Gomez | |
| 1969 | The Night of the Following Day | Pilot Al | (as Al Lettier, though is also listed on the credits as Alfredo Letteri, associate producer) |
| 1971 | A Town Called Bastard | La Bomba | |
| 1971 | Villain | screenplay adaptation | |
| 1972 | The Godfather | Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo | |
| 1972 | Pulp | Miller | |
| 1972 | Footsteps | Zimmerman | TV movie |
| 1972 | The Getaway | Rudy Butler | |
| 1973 | The Don Is Dead | Vince Fargo | a.k.a. Beautiful But Deadly, a.k.a. The Deadly Kiss |
| 1973 | The Deadly Trackers | Gutierrez, Mexican Policeman | |
| 1974 | McQ | Manny Santiago | |
| 1974 | Mr. Majestyk | Frank Renda | |
| 1975 | Piedone a Hong Kong | Frank Barella | a.k.a. Flatfoot Goes East, a.k.a. Flatfoot in Hong Kong |
| 1975 | Winner Take All | Man at Track | Episode: "Time Lock" |
| 1976 | Dublin Murders | ||
| 1976 | Go Gorilla Go | Ciro Musante | |
| 1976 | House of Pleasure for Women | Eddie Mordace |
References
edit- ^ "Person Details for Alfredo Lettieri, "U.S. Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014" — ancestry.com". Ancestry.com.
- ^ "Meadow Soprano on Line One!" by Mark Seal, Vanity Fair, 26 February 2009
- ^ Aveleyman.com - Al Lettieri
- ^ AllMovie - The Hanged Man (1964)
- ^ "Al Lettieri | Actor, Additional Crew, Writer". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ Pacino, Al (12 October 2024). "Al Pacino on the inside story of The Godfather: 'I was told, you're not cutting it'". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
- ^ EMI Films and the Limits of British Cinema, By Paul Moody - Page 112
- ^ Rotten Tomatoes - Villain (1971)
- ^ "Notes on Lettieri". The Sumter Daily Item. September 25, 1973. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
- ^ Screen Anarchy, July 18, 2018 - 70s Rewind: MR. MAJESTYK, Melons, Migrants and Murder - Peter Martin
- ^ "'Mr. Majestyk' is more violence, more sexism". The Miami News. August 8, 1974. Retrieved September 21, 2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Rotten Tomatoes - The Hired Gun (Vai Gorilla) (Go Gorilla Go), Cast
External links
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