Argentina Brunetti (Argentina Brunetti)

Argentina Brunetti

Actress. Best remembered as ‘Mrs. Martini’ in the holiday classic “It’s a Wonderful Life.” She began her show business career at the age of three in a walk on part in the opera, “Cavalleria Rusticana” and followed her mother actress Mimi Aguglia’s footsteps in the theater performing several supporting roles on stages in Europe, and South America. She landed a contract with MGM in 1937. At first she spent her time dubbing the voices of Jeanette MacDonald and Norma Shearer in Italian. Her next job came as the narrator of the “Voice of America,” interviewing famous American movie stars for broadcast in Italy. In 1946 she made her film debut in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” She appeared as an uncredited player in several films from the 1940’s through the 1970’s. She also appeared in radio, and television including guest-starring roles on such shows as “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” and “Bonanza.” In 1985 she joined the cast of “General Hospital,” playing ‘Filomena Soltini’ for one season. Through the 1980’s and 1990’s she continued to appear on films and television. She appeared in a classic episode of “Everybody Loves Raymond,” playing ‘Zia Sarina,’ a woman thought to be the aunt of ‘Frank Barone’ but is later found out to not be a member of the family at all. She was last seen in the 2002 Rodney Dangerfield Comedy “The 4th Tenor.” Her later years were spent hosting a weekly weblog on the Internet called “Argentina Brunetti’s Hollywood Stories”, in which she writes about Hollywood of yesterday, today and tomorrow with photos of her with the important stars of the entertainment industry. She was also wrote a book about the life of her mother and her career entitled; “In Sicilian Company.” All proceeds of her book and any future related movie or TV mini series would go to the Argentina Brunetti Foundation to help needy children throughout the world.

Born

  • August, 31, 1907
  • Buenos Aires, Argentina

Died

  • December, 20, 2005
  • Rome, Italy

Cemetery

  • Holy Cross Cemetery
  • Los Angeles County, California
  • USA

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