Franca Bettoia obit

Franca Bettoia, Italian Actress in ‘The Last Man on Earth,’ Dies at 88

The widow of 'La Cage aux Folles' actor Ugo Tognazzi also starred in ‘Man of Straw,’ ‘Duel of Champions’ and ‘Day by Day, Desperately.’  

She was not on the list.

Franca Bettoia, the Italian actress who starred opposite Vincent Price in the 1964 cult sci-fi film The Last Man on Earth, has died in Rome, her family told the Italian news agency Adnkronos. She was 88.

Bettoia was married to Italian actor Ugo Tognazzi — he starred in the 1978 movie La Cage aux Folles in the part played by Robin Williams in Mike Nichols’ 1996 adaptation The Birdcage — from 1972 until his death from a cerebral hemorrhage in 1990 at age 68.

In The Last Man on Earth, directed by Ubaldo Ragona and Sidney Salkow, Bettoia portrays Ruth, a woman who, with the help of Price’s Dr. Robert Morgan, is fending off the effects of a plague that has turned humans into vampiric creatures.

Filmed in Rome, produced by Robert L. Lippert and distributed by American International Pictures, the movie was based on Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel I Am Legend. The author then co-wrote the screenplay credited as Logan Swanson. (Will Smith starred in the 2007 adaptation directed by Francis Lawrence.)

Born in Rome on May 14, 1936, Bettoia made her film debut in 1955 and had her breakout role as “the other woman” in Pietro Germi’s Man of Straw (1958), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.

She also starred with Alan Ladd in Duel of Champions (1961), co-directed by Terence Young; in Day by Day, Desperately (1961), directed by Alfredo Giannetti; in Will Our Heroes Succeed in Finding Their Friend Who Mysteriously Disappeared in Africa? (1968); and in Don’t Touch the White Woman (1974).

Her last film was Teste rasate (1993), in which she played the mother of her real-life son, Gianmarco Tognazzi. Survivors also include her daughter, Maria Sole Tognazzi, a director.

 

Actress

Teste rasate (1993)

Teste rasate

4.9

Roberta (as Franca Bettoja)

1993

 

Don't Touch the White Woman! (1974)

Don't Touch the White Woman!

6.0

Rayon de Lune (as Franca Bettoja)

1974

 

Will Our Heroes Be Able to Find Their Friend Who Has Mysteriously Disappeared in Africa? (1968)

Will Our Heroes Be Able to Find Their Friend Who Has Mysteriously Disappeared in Africa?

7.0

Rita Di Salvio (as Franca Bettoja)

1968

 

Il fischio al naso (1967)

Il fischio al naso

6.4

Giovanna

1967

 

Sandokan contro il leopardo di Sarawak (1964)

Sandokan contro il leopardo di Sarawak

5.2

Samoa

1964

 

Sandokan alla riscossa (1964)

Sandokan alla riscossa

5.0

Samoa

1964

 

Vincent Price in The Last Man on Earth (1964)

The Last Man on Earth

6.7

Ruth Collins

1964

 

The Lion of St. Mark (1963)

The Lion of St. Mark

5.4

Isabella Fieschi

1963

 

Attack of the Normans (1962)

Attack of the Normans

5.4

La regina Patricia

1962

 

Ultimatum alla vita (1962)

Ultimatum alla vita

6.2

Mara Berri (as Franca Bettoia)

1962

 

Day by Day, Desperately (1961)

Day by Day, Desperately

7.3

Marcella (as Franca Bettoja)

1961

 

Duel of Champions (1961)

Duel of Champions

4.9

Marcia (as Franca Bettoja)

1961

 

Cavalcata selvaggia (1960)

Cavalcata selvaggia

Paola

1960

 

La pisana

TV Mini Series

1960

2 episodes

 

Le dialogue des Carmélites (1960)

Le dialogue des Carmélites

6.9

Une carmélite (uncredited)

1960

 

The Dam on the Yellow River (1960)

The Dam on the Yellow River

4.5

Sister Celeste

1960

 

La main chaude (1960)

La main chaude

4.8

Christiane (as Franca Bettoja)

1960

 

Le notti dei Teddy Boys (1959)

Le notti dei Teddy Boys

6.6

Orietta Fantoni

1959

 

Franca Bettoia, Anne Doat, and Pierre Fresnay in Tant d'amour perdu (1958)

Tant d'amour perdu

Annie

1958

 

Man of Straw (1958)

Man of Straw

7.3

Rita Fabiani (as Franca Bettoja)

1958

 

La trovatella di Pompei (1957)

La trovatella di Pompei

6.0

(uncredited)

1957

 

Carmen Sevilla in Desert Warrior (1957)

Desert Warrior

5.4

Suleika

1957

 

Un palco all'opera (1955)

Un palco all'opera

1955