Vito Scotti
Encyclopedia
Vito Scotti was a veteran character actor
who played many roles, primarily from the late-1940s to the mid-1990s. He was known as a man of a thousand faces, for his ability to assume so many divergent roles in more than 200 screen roles, in a nearly 50 year career. He was known for his resourceful portrayals of various ethnic types. Born of Italian heritage, he was seen playing everything from a Mexican bandit and Russian doctor, to a Japanese sailor.
style of the Italian theatre. He worked the night club circuit as a stand-up magician and performed pantomime, finally breaking into movies and television by the early 1950s. His screen debut came in an uncredited role, playing a 'Mexican youth' in Illegal Entry (1949), with Howard Duff
and George Brent
.
In the next few years, after a dozen screen roles, by 1953, Scotti replaced J. Carroll Naish as Luigi Basco, an Italian Immigrant who ran a Chicago antique store, on the television version of the radio show Life with Luigi
. Five years later he portrayed another ethnic character, Rama from India (among other characters) in the live-action segment in "Gunga Ram" on the Andy Devine
children's show, Andy's Gang. In the mid-1950s, Scotti played the antagonist against Froggy the Gremlin
on Andy's Gang.
Best remembered by audiences in hundreds of film/TV roles, notably as baker Nazorine in The Godfather
(1972), and as the frustrated San Francisco landlord Vittorio in Chu Chu and the Philly Flash
(1981), and most notably as the scene stealing cook, who surprised an agitated Debbie Reynolds
, in How Sweet It Is!
(1967). In the pivotal classic comedy scene, Scotti grabs a flustered Reynolds and plants a kiss on her midriff. Gifted in comedy and drama, Scotti had minor roles in movies such as Von Ryan's Express
(1965) and Cactus Flower
(1969), and also appeared in television series such as State Trooper
(1959), How to Marry a Millionaire
(as Jules in the 1958 episode "Loco and the Gambler"), Johnny Staccato
(1960), The Addams Family
(1964–65), Gunsmoke
(1965–70), Breaking Point (1963), The Dick Van Dyke Show
(1963), Columbo, The Monkees
, The Flying Nun
, Get Smart
, Hogan's Heroes
, one of The Penguin's henchmen in two episodes of Batman
and 2 episodes of The Bionic Woman
(1976). He also played mad scientist Dr. Boris Balinkoff (twice) and a stereotypical Japan
ese sailor on Gilligan's Island
, as well as an Italian restaurant owner in episode 35 of season one of Bewitched
. He lent his voice to the Italian Cat in the Walt Disney animated film The Aristocats
, and appeared with Lindsay Wagner on her television special, "Another Side of Me" (1977) His last screen performance was as the 'Manager at Vesuvios', in 1995's John Travolta
comedy, Get Shorty
.
at the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California on June 5, 1996. Mr. Scotti was interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
, along with his first wife Irene, in the Abbey of the Psalms Mausoleum, Sanctuary of Light, G-4, crypt 1253. Vito Scotti was survived by his daughter Carmen Scozzari (who today works for LAUSD as a Special Education Assistant in the West San Fernando Valley), his son Ricardo, a brother Jerry, and his widow Beverly.
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
who played many roles, primarily from the late-1940s to the mid-1990s. He was known as a man of a thousand faces, for his ability to assume so many divergent roles in more than 200 screen roles, in a nearly 50 year career. He was known for his resourceful portrayals of various ethnic types. Born of Italian heritage, he was seen playing everything from a Mexican bandit and Russian doctor, to a Japanese sailor.
Career
Though born in San Francisco in 1918, the Scotti family spent Vito's early years in Naples, Italy. By 1925, when the Scotti family returned to the U.S., his mother was a diva in the stage theatre in New York. It was in the Italian theatre, that Scotti developed his gift for farce, which was modeled after the Commedia dell'arteCommedia dell'arte
Commedia dell'arte is a form of theatre characterized by masked "types" which began in Italy in the 16th century, and was responsible for the advent of the actress and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. The closest translation of the name is "comedy of craft"; it is shortened...
style of the Italian theatre. He worked the night club circuit as a stand-up magician and performed pantomime, finally breaking into movies and television by the early 1950s. His screen debut came in an uncredited role, playing a 'Mexican youth' in Illegal Entry (1949), with Howard Duff
Howard Duff
Howard Green Duff was an American actor of film, television, stage, and radio.Duff was born in Charleston, Washington, now a part of Bremerton. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in Seattle in 1932 where he began acting in school plays only after he was cut from the basketball team...
and George Brent
George Brent
George Brent was an Irish film and television actor in American cinema.-Early life:He was born George Brendan Nolan in Raharabeg, County Roscommon on the opposite bank of the River Shannon from the town of Shannonbridge, County Offaly, Ireland, the son of a British Army officer.During the Irish...
.
In the next few years, after a dozen screen roles, by 1953, Scotti replaced J. Carroll Naish as Luigi Basco, an Italian Immigrant who ran a Chicago antique store, on the television version of the radio show Life with Luigi
Life with Luigi
Life With Luigi was a radio comedy-drama series which began September 21, 1948 on CBS Radio, with the final episode broadcast on March 3, 1953.The story concerned Italian immigrant Luigi Basco, and his experiences as an immigrant in Chicago...
. Five years later he portrayed another ethnic character, Rama from India (among other characters) in the live-action segment in "Gunga Ram" on the Andy Devine
Andy Devine
Andrew Vabre "Andy" Devine was an American character actor and comic cowboy sidekick known for his distinctive raspy voice.-Early life:...
children's show, Andy's Gang. In the mid-1950s, Scotti played the antagonist against Froggy the Gremlin
Froggy the Gremlin
Froggy the Gremlin was a character on the Smilin' Ed's Gang radio and TV show and later Andy's Gang TV show in the 1940s and 1950s.Froggy was a troublemaker on the shows...
on Andy's Gang.
Best remembered by audiences in hundreds of film/TV roles, notably as baker Nazorine in The Godfather
The Godfather
The Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
(1972), and as the frustrated San Francisco landlord Vittorio in Chu Chu and the Philly Flash
Chu Chu and the Philly Flash
Chu Chu and the Philly Flash is a 1981 comedy film starring Alan Arkin, Carol Burnett, Jack Warden, Ruth Buzzi, and Danny Aiello. It was released in 1981 by 20th Century Fox. Arkin plays a down-his-luck former baseball player and Burnett plays a Carmen Miranda-style performer...
(1981), and most notably as the scene stealing cook, who surprised an agitated Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds is an American actress, singer, and dancer.She was initially signed at age 16 by Warner Bros., but her career got off to a slow start. When her contract was not renewed, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave her a small, but significant part in the film Three Little Words , then signed her to...
, in How Sweet It Is!
How Sweet It Is!
How Sweet It Is! is a 1968 comedy movie starring James Garner and Debbie Reynolds, with a supporting cast including Terry-Thomas and Paul Lynde. Garner plays a photographer who brings his wife, Jenny, and teenage son, David, along on a Paris shoot, with both husband and wife struggling to stay...
(1967). In the pivotal classic comedy scene, Scotti grabs a flustered Reynolds and plants a kiss on her midriff. Gifted in comedy and drama, Scotti had minor roles in movies such as Von Ryan's Express
Von Ryan's Express
Von Ryan's Express is a 1965 World War II adventure film starring Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard, based on a novel by David Westheimer, and directed by Mark Robson.-Plot:...
(1965) and Cactus Flower
Cactus Flower (film)
Cactus Flower is a 1969 comedic film directed by Gene Saks and starring Walter Matthau, Ingrid Bergman, and Goldie Hawn, who won an Oscar for her performance. The screenplay was adapted by I. A. L. Diamond from a Broadway stage play written by Abe Burrows, which in turn was based upon the French...
(1969), and also appeared in television series such as State Trooper
State Trooper (TV series)
State Trooper is a half-hour television crime drama set in the 1950s American West, starring Rod Cameron as Rod Blake, an officer of the Nevada State Troopers. The series aired 104 episodes in syndication from September 25, 1956, to June 25, 1959...
(1959), How to Marry a Millionaire
How to Marry a Millionaire (TV series)
How to Marry a Millionaire is an American sitcom that aired in syndication from 1957 to 1959. The series was based on the 1953 film of the same name which starred Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable, and Lauren Bacall.-Synopsis:...
(as Jules in the 1958 episode "Loco and the Gambler"), Johnny Staccato
Johnny Staccato
Johnny Staccato is an American private detective series which ran for 27 episodes on NBC from September 10, 1959 through March 24, 1960.-Synopsis:...
(1960), The Addams Family
The Addams Family (TV series)
The Addams Family is an American television series based on the characters in Charles Addams' New Yorker cartoons. The 30-minute series was shot in black-and-white and aired for two seasons in 64 installments on ABC from September 18, 1964, to April 8, 1966...
(1964–65), Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
(1965–70), Breaking Point (1963), The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show is an American television sitcom that initially aired on the Columbia Broadcasting System from October 3, 1961, until June 1, 1966. The show was created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. It was produced by Reiner with Bill Persky and Sam Denoff....
(1963), Columbo, The Monkees
The Monkees (TV series)
The Monkees is an American situation comedy that aired on NBC from September 1966 to March 1968. The series follows the adventures of four young men trying to make a name for themselves as rock 'n roll singers. The show introduced a number of innovative new-wave film techniques to series...
, The Flying Nun
The Flying Nun
The Flying Nun is an American sitcom produced by Screen Gems for ABC based on the 1965 book The Fifteenth Pelican, by Tere Rios, which starred Sally Field as Sister Bertrille...
, Get Smart
Get Smart
Get Smart is an American comedy television series that satirizes the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry, the show starred Don Adams , Barbara Feldon , and Edward Platt...
, Hogan's Heroes
Hogan's Heroes
Hogan's Heroes is an American television sitcom that ran for 168 episodes from September 17, 1965, to March 28, 1971, on the CBS network. The show was set in a German prisoner of war camp during the Second World War. Bob Crane had the starring role as Colonel Robert E...
, one of The Penguin's henchmen in two episodes of Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
and 2 episodes of The Bionic Woman
The Bionic Woman
The Bionic Woman is an American television series starring Lindsay Wagner that aired for three seasons between 1976 and 1978 as a spin off from The Six Million Dollar Man. Wagner stars as tennis pro Jaime Sommers who is nearly killed in a skydiving accident. Sommers' life is saved by Oscar Goldman ...
(1976). He also played mad scientist Dr. Boris Balinkoff (twice) and a stereotypical Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese sailor on Gilligan's Island
Gilligan's Island
Gilligan's Island is an American television series created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz and originally produced by United Artists Television. The situation comedy series featured Bob Denver; Alan Hale, Jr.; Jim Backus; Natalie Schafer; Tina Louise; Russell Johnson; and Dawn Wells. It aired for...
, as well as an Italian restaurant owner in episode 35 of season one of Bewitched
Bewitched
Bewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
. He lent his voice to the Italian Cat in the Walt Disney animated film The Aristocats
The Aristocats
The Aristocats is a 1970 American animated feature produced and released by Walt Disney Productions in 1970 and stars Eva Gabor and Phil Harris, with Roddy Maude-Roxby as Edgar the butler, the villain of the story...
, and appeared with Lindsay Wagner on her television special, "Another Side of Me" (1977) His last screen performance was as the 'Manager at Vesuvios', in 1995's John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
comedy, Get Shorty
Get Shorty
Get Shorty is a 1990 novel by American novelist Elmore Leonard. In 1995, the novel was adapted into a film of the same name.-Plot summary:...
.
Death
Scotti died of lung cancerLung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
at the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California on June 5, 1996. Mr. Scotti was interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery, originally called Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery, is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angeles, California. It is located at 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard in the Hollywood...
, along with his first wife Irene, in the Abbey of the Psalms Mausoleum, Sanctuary of Light, G-4, crypt 1253. Vito Scotti was survived by his daughter Carmen Scozzari (who today works for LAUSD as a Special Education Assistant in the West San Fernando Valley), his son Ricardo, a brother Jerry, and his widow Beverly.