Alt Film Guide
Classic movies. Gay movies. International cinema. Socially conscious & political cinema.
Home Movie CraftsActors + Actresses James Farentino: Sandra Dee + Patty Duke Leading Man

James Farentino: Sandra Dee + Patty Duke Leading Man

2 minutes read

Ramon Novarro Beyond Paradise

James FarentinoJames Farentino, best remembered for the television series The Bold Ones: The Lawyers and Dynasty, died at age 73 on Jan. 24 in Los Angeles.

A Brooklyn native (born on Feb. 24, 1938), Farentino made his Broadway debut in the 1961 production of Tennessee WilliamsNight of the Iguana, starring Bette Davis, Margaret Leighton, and Patrick O’Neal. The following year, he began guesting on various television series, among them The Defenders, Route 66, and 77 Sunset Strip.

Despite a Golden Globe as Most Promising Newcomer – Male for Brian G. Hutton’s 1967 comedy The Pad and How to Use It, Farentino’s film career was a minor one. He did, however, play one of the leads in a more important comedy that same year, David Lowell Rich’s Rosie!, based on a play co-written by Ruth Gordon, and starring Rosalind Russell, Sandra Dee, and Brian Aherne. Additionally, Farentino was Patty Duke’s leading man in Me, Natalie, a 1969 comedy directed by Fred Coe.

After a decade-long break, Farentino returned to the big-screen in Don Taylor’s time-travel sci-fier The Final Countdown, playing opposite Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen, and Katharine Ross. His follow-up features were few and made little impact upon their release, e.g., Bruce Beresford’s Her Alibi (1989), starring Tom Selleck and Paulina Porizkova; Fred Gallo’s Termination Man (1998), with Steve Railsback; and Burt Reynolds’ The Last Producer (2000), with Sean Astin and Benjamin Bratt.

Farentino had better opportunities on television. In addition to The Bold Ones and Dynasty, he was featured in numerous TV series and movies, including Blue Thunder, Sins, and Mary, Mary Tyler Moore’s much-ballyhooed but ultimately short-lived television comeback in the mid-1980s. In 1978, Farentino was nominated for an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Special for his performance as St. Peter in Franco Zeffirelli’s miniseries Jesus of Nazareth.

According to the Los Angeles Times, in 1994 Farentino pleaded no contest to stalking his ex-girlfriend, Tina Sinatra. Two of his former wives were actresses Elizabeth Ashley and Michelle Lee.

James Farentino’s death was announced only hours after the passing of Greek filmmaker Theo Angelopoulos, who was hit by a motorcycle while filming his latest feature.

Recommended for You

Leave a Comment

*IMPORTANT*: By using this form you agree with Alt Film Guide's storage and handling of your data (e.g., your IP address). Make sure your comment adds something relevant to the discussion: Feel free to disagree with us and write your own movie commentaries, but *thoughtfulness* and *at least a modicum of sanity* are imperative. Abusive, inflammatory, spammy/self-promotional, baseless (spreading mis- or disinformation), and just plain deranged comments will be zapped. Lastly, links found in submitted comments will generally be deleted.

2 comments

Film -

I absolutely have agree with David. Farentino’s portrayal was compelling. May he Rest In Peace.

Reply
David Boyles -

James Farentino portrayed the role of Simon Peter in Jesus of Nazareth better that any actor I’ve ever seen in that role. I’ve watched all the ‘Jesus’ movies and no one compares with his acting ability for that role.

Reply

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. If you continue browsing, that means you've accepted our Terms of Use/use of cookies. You may also click on the Accept button on the right to make this notice disappear. Accept Privacy Policy