Lelia Goldoni obit

Lelia Goldoni Obituary

 

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Lelia Goldoni was born in New York City to Italian immigrants. She grew up in L.A., joining Lester Horton's Dance Theater before launching a prolific acting career, starring in John Cassavetes's first film, SHADOWS. She married her late husband, writer Robert Rudelson, in 1968. Lelia loved people and had an extraordinary way of making everyone she met feel seen. She passed away Saturday at the Actors Home in Englewood, NJ. She is survived by her son, Aaron Rudelson, daughter-in-law Rebecca, and grandchildren, Lily and James. She will be missed by the many people she touched throughout her life. A memorial service will be held in her honor.

She appeared in a number of motion pictures and television shows starting in the late 1940s, including uncredited cameo roles in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's House of Strangers (1949), John Huston's We Were Strangers (1949) and The Italian Job (1969). She appeared as Denise James in the 1965 horror film Hysteria.

Goldoni costarred on the episode "Fair Exchange" and "Two Birds with One Bullet" of the British television series Danger Man (1964) with Patrick MacGoohan.

 

Goldoni was best known for co-starring in John Cassavetes's groundbreaking film Shadows (1959), which launched her acting career, and for playing the best friend of Ellen Burstyn's character in Martin Scorsese's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974).

In 2010, she appeared in the miniseries The Pacific as Dora Basilone.

Goldoni was born Lelia Vita Rizzuto in New York City. Her father was an Italian actor and she was a second cousin to baseball player Phil Rizzuto. She attended Los Angeles City College and was part of the Lester Horton Dancers in the 1950s.

Lelia Goldoni died in Englewood, New Jersey on July 22, 2023, at the age of 86.

Actress

The Next Cassavetes

Lelia Goldoni

Post-production

 

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2017

 

The Funeral Director (2016)

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Mourner 2

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Johnny Solo in Bardo (2016)

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8.6

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Lily

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8.3

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Irene in Time (2009)

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Chain Link (2008)

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Cold Case (2003)

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Slice (2007)

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The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1995)

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L.A. Law (1986)

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Robin Wright, Judith Anderson, Valorie Armstrong, Melissa Reeves, Robert Alan Browne, Paul Burke, Ismael 'East' Carlo, Margarita Cordova, Nicolas Coster, Lane Davies, Richard Eden, Gina Gallego, Linda Gibboney, Andrea Howard, Ava Lazar, A Martinez, Todd McKee, John Allen Nelson, Rupert Ravens, Julie Ronnie, Kerry Sherman, Louise Sorel, Jonna Leigh Stack, Marcy Walker, and Dane Witherspoon in Santa Barbara (1984)

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Gangster Wars (1981)

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Mistress of Paradise (1981)

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1981

 

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4.3

Jean Carluccio

1981

 

Barbara Bach in The Unseen (1980)

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5.2

Virginia Keller

1980

 

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6.9

TV Series

Lucia

1980

1 episode

 

Scruples (1980)

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1980

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1978

 

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5.8

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1978

 

Nowhere to Hide (1977)

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1977

 

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3.8

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1977

 

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5.6

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1977

 

Visions (1976)

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5.9

TV Series

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1976

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The Disappearance of Aimee (1976)

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1976

 

Special Delivery (1976)

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1976

 

Baby Blue Marine (1976)

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1976

 

Doctors' Hospital (1975)

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TV Series

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1975

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6.9

Mary Dove

1975

 

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7.3

Bea

1974

 

Doctor in Charge (1972)

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7.6

TV Series

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1972

1 episode

 

Spyder's Web (1972)

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6.8

TV Series

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1972

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Shirley's World (1971)

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1971

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8.3

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1969

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7.3

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1969

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The Italian Job (1969)

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7.2

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1969

 

The Wednesday Play (1964)

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7.6

TV Series

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1969

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7.8

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1968

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1968

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7.7

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1965

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8.5

TV Series

Elinor Setters

1965

1 episode

 

Hysteria (1965)

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6.0

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1965

 

Theatre 625 (1964)

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7.9

TV Series

Bernice Lewis

1965

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Espionage (1963)

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7.8

TV Series

Luchia

1964

1 episode

 

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TV Series

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1964

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TV Series

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1963

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The Lloyd Bridges Show (1962)

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TV Series

Dora Devlin

1963

1 episode

 

Johnny Staccato (1959)

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TV Series

Heloise

1959

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Shadows (1958)

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1958

 

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1949

 

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