Anthony Franciosa

Actor Anthony Franciosa died of a massive stroke this past Friday, Jan. 20, at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 77.
Franciosa’s film career began late — but auspiciously — in 1957. The 32-year-old actor (born in New York City on Oct. 28, 1925) had key roles in Robert Wise’s This Could Be the Night, George Cukor’s Wild Is the Wind, Elia Kazan’s A Face in the Crowd, and Fred Zinnemann’s A Hatful of Rain, in which he recreated his well-regarded Broadway role.
For his somewhat mechanical performance — stage mannerisms were much in evidence — Franciosa received his one and only best actor Academy Award nomination.
Yet, major stardom proved elusive. Although he was [...]