Gia Scala
Encyclopedia
Gia Scala was an English actress and model of Italian and Irish descent.
, England
, to an Sicilian
father, Pietro Scoglio, and an Irish
mother, Eileen Sullivan. She had one sister, Tina Scala, also an actress.
Gia lived in Rome
, and moved to the United States
at age fourteen where she studied and worked in New York City
. She graduated from Bayside High School (New York City)
in Queens, New York. For a time she was undecided on what to do next. She worked in New York as a filing clerk for an insurance company and for a number of airlines.
in a movie which was to be made called The Gallileans. She did not get the part but was signed to contracts by both Universal Studios
and Columbia Pictures
in Hollywood. Using the stage name
"Gia Scala", she made her motion picture debut in 1955. This came in All That Heaven Allows with Jane Wyman
and Rock Hudson
.
However personal problems plagued her. In 1958 she attempted suicide. She landed roles in Tip on a Dead Jockey and The Garment Jungle
in 1957 and The Tunnel of Love
in 1958. The latter featured Richard Widmark
and Doris Day
. Critics acclaimed her performance as a labor organizer in The Garment Jungle. She received recognition for her performance as "Anna" in the 1961 film The Guns of Navarone
, which starred Gregory Peck
. Her career began to deteriorate, however, as a result of a growing alcoholism, and she was released eventually from her contract with the studio. Her marriage to stockbroker Donald Burnett ended in divorce.
She made frequent appearances on American television shows during the 1960s. Shows in which she appeared include Alfred Hitchcock Presents
(1960–1961), Alfred Hitchcock
's The Sign of Satan (1964), Convoy, The Rogues, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
, Twelve O'Clock High
(1965), Tarzan (NBC series)
(1967), and It Takes a Thief (1969).
citizenship because of her birth, she moved to work in film in England but her troubles only escalated. Suffering from severe emotional problems, aggravated by alcohol, she made another unsuccessful suicide attempt before returning to Hollywood.
home from an overdose of drugs and alcohol. She was 38 years old. Police said she had been taking medication for a drinking problem. She is interred in the Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City
.
Early life
She was born Giovanna Scoglio in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, to an Sicilian
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
father, Pietro Scoglio, and an Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
mother, Eileen Sullivan. She had one sister, Tina Scala, also an actress.
Gia lived in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, and moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at age fourteen where she studied and worked in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. She graduated from Bayside High School (New York City)
Bayside High School (New York City)
Bayside High School is a four-year public high school located in Bayside, in the New York City borough of Queens, administered by the New York City Department of Education. Bayside High School, Abraham Lincoln High School, Samuel J...
in Queens, New York. For a time she was undecided on what to do next. She worked in New York as a filing clerk for an insurance company and for a number of airlines.
Career
She studied acting at night and made appearances on some radio shows and television quiz shows. At the end of 1954 an agent had her tested for the role of Mary MagdaleneMary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
in a movie which was to be made called The Gallileans. She did not get the part but was signed to contracts by both Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
and Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
in Hollywood. Using the stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
"Gia Scala", she made her motion picture debut in 1955. This came in All That Heaven Allows with Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman was an American singer, dancer, and character actress of film and television. She began her film career in the 1930s, and was a prolific performer for two decades...
and Rock Hudson
Rock Hudson
Roy Harold Scherer, Jr., later Roy Harold Fitzgerald , known professionally as Rock Hudson, was an American film and television actor, recognized as a romantic leading man during the 1950s and 1960s, most notably in several romantic comedies with Doris Day.Hudson was voted "Star of the Year",...
.
However personal problems plagued her. In 1958 she attempted suicide. She landed roles in Tip on a Dead Jockey and The Garment Jungle
The Garment Jungle
The Garment Jungle is a 1957 American crime film noir directed by Vincent Sherman and Robert Aldrich and written by Lester Velie and Harry Kleiner. The drama features Gia Scala, Lee J. Cobb, Kerwin Matthews and Richard Boone, among others.-Plot:...
in 1957 and The Tunnel of Love
The Tunnel of Love
The Tunnel of Love is a 1958 romantic comedy film based on the Broadway hit by Peter De Vries and Joseph Fields. The film follows a married suburban couple who for reasons unknown, are unable to conceive a child and soon endure endless red tape on a path of adopting a child. The film is the first...
in 1958. The latter featured Richard Widmark
Richard Widmark
Richard Weedt Widmark was an American film, stage and television actor.He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the villainous Tommy Udo in his debut film, Kiss of Death...
and Doris Day
Doris Day
Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
. Critics acclaimed her performance as a labor organizer in The Garment Jungle. She received recognition for her performance as "Anna" in the 1961 film The Guns of Navarone
The Guns of Navarone (film)
The Guns of Navarone is a 1961 British-American Action/Adventure war film based on the 1957 novel of the same name about the Dodecanese Campaign of World War II by Scottish thriller writer Alistair MacLean. It stars Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn, along with Anthony Quayle and Stanley...
, which starred Gregory Peck
Gregory Peck
Eldred Gregory Peck was an American actor.One of 20th Century Fox's most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1960s, Peck continued to play important roles well into the 1980s. His notable performances include that of Atticus Finch in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird, for which he won an...
. Her career began to deteriorate, however, as a result of a growing alcoholism, and she was released eventually from her contract with the studio. Her marriage to stockbroker Donald Burnett ended in divorce.
She made frequent appearances on American television shows during the 1960s. Shows in which she appeared include Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
(1960–1961), Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
's The Sign of Satan (1964), Convoy, The Rogues, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (TV series)
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea is a 1960s American science fiction television series based on the 1961 film of the same name. Both were created by Irwin Allen, which enabled the movie's sets, costumes, props, special effects models, and sometimes footage, to be used in the production of the...
, Twelve O'Clock High
Twelve O'Clock High (TV series)
Twelve O'Clock High or 12 O'Clock High is an American drama series set in World War II. This TV series originally broadcasted on ABC-TV for two-and-one-half TV seasons from September 18, 1964, through January 13, 1967; was based on the motion picture Twelve O'Clock High...
(1965), Tarzan (NBC series)
Tarzan (NBC series)
Tarzan is a series that aired on NBC from 1966 – 1968. The series portrayed Tarzan as a well-educated character, one who, tired of civilization, had returned to the jungle where he had been raised...
(1967), and It Takes a Thief (1969).
Selected filmography
- The Price of Fear (1956)
- Four Girls in Town (1957)
- The Big Boodle (1957)
- The Garment JungleThe Garment JungleThe Garment Jungle is a 1957 American crime film noir directed by Vincent Sherman and Robert Aldrich and written by Lester Velie and Harry Kleiner. The drama features Gia Scala, Lee J. Cobb, Kerwin Matthews and Richard Boone, among others.-Plot:...
(1957) - Tip on a Dead Jockey (1957)
- Don't Go Near the WaterDon't Go Near the Water (film)Don't Go Near the Water is a 1957 comedy film about a U.S. Navy public relations unit stationed on an island in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. It is an adaptation of the 1956 novel of the same name by William Brinkley. Glenn Ford and Gia Scala starred...
(1957) - Ride a Crooked TrailRide a Crooked TrailRide a Crooked Trail is a 1958 American western film, with former World War II hero Audie Murphy and future Academy Award winning actor Walter Matthau heading a strong if not well-known cast.-Plot:...
(1958) - The Two-Headed SpyThe Two-Headed SpyThe Two-Headed Spy is a 1958 British spy thriller, set in World War II. It starred Jack Hawkins and was directed by Andre De Toth. It also starred Gia Scala, Erik Schumann and Alexander Knox.-Plot:...
(1958) - The Tunnel of LoveThe Tunnel of LoveThe Tunnel of Love is a 1958 romantic comedy film based on the Broadway hit by Peter De Vries and Joseph Fields. The film follows a married suburban couple who for reasons unknown, are unable to conceive a child and soon endure endless red tape on a path of adopting a child. The film is the first...
(1958) - The Angry HillsThe Angry Hills (film)-Cast:* Robert Mitchum as Mike Morrison* Stanley Baker as Conrad Heisler* Elisabeth Müller as Lisa Kyriakides* Gia Scala as Eleftheria* Theodore Bikel as Dimitrios Tassos* Sebastian Cabot as Chesney* Peter Illing as Leonides* Leslie Phillips as Ray Taylor...
(1959) - Battle of the Coral SeaBattle of the Coral Sea (film)Battle of the Coral Sea is a 1959 film directed by Paul Wendkos. It stars Cliff Robertson and Gia Scala.-Plot:The crew of an American submarine are on a reconnaissance mission photographing Japanese installations through a periscope camera. When attacked by the Japanese the submarine is scuttled...
(1959) - Wernher von Braun (1960)
- The Guns of NavaroneThe Guns of Navarone (film)The Guns of Navarone is a 1961 British-American Action/Adventure war film based on the 1957 novel of the same name about the Dodecanese Campaign of World War II by Scottish thriller writer Alistair MacLean. It stars Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn, along with Anthony Quayle and Stanley...
(1961)
Later years
Having BritishGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
citizenship because of her birth, she moved to work in film in England but her troubles only escalated. Suffering from severe emotional problems, aggravated by alcohol, she made another unsuccessful suicide attempt before returning to Hollywood.
Death
On the night of 30 April 1972, Scala was found dead in her Hollywood HillsHollywood Hills
The Hollywood Hills is an affluent and exclusive neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, in the southeastern Santa Monica Mountains. It is bound by Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the west, Vermont Avenue to the east, Mulholland Drive to the north, and Sunset Boulevard to the south.-Hollywood Hills...
home from an overdose of drugs and alcohol. She was 38 years old. Police said she had been taking medication for a drinking problem. She is interred in the Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City
Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City
Holy Cross Cemetery is a Roman Catholic cemetery at 5835 West Slauson Avenue in Culver City, California, operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles....
.
External links
- Gia Scala at Girls of the Silver Screen