Eduardo Ciannelli

Italian baritone and character actor, born on 30 August 1888 in Ischia, Italy – died on 8 October 1969 in Rome, Italy. Originally training as a surgeon at the University of Naples, Ciannelli's love for opera led him to become a singer instead. In 1914, Ciannelli came to New York City where he performed in musicals on Broadway, including in the Oscar Hammerstein II productions "Always You" and "Rose-Marie." In the 1920s, he acted in many Theatre Guild productions. In 1935, he played Trock Estrella in Maxwell Anderson's "Winterset" both on Broadway and in the 1936 film version. He stayed in Hollywood permanently and performed in more than 150 films, playing mostly gangsters and criminals, sometimes credited as Edward Ciannelli. In 1920 and 1921, Ciannelli recorded a number of monologues and a song in Italian for Columbia's ethnic music series.