Actor who starred in John Cassavetes’s Shadows and gave Michael Caine the plans for the heist in The Italian Job
The lacerating 1959 drama Shadows, a pinnacle of US independent film-making, heralded two striking new talents: the director John Cassavetes and the actor Lelia Goldoni, who was just 20 when she gave a guileless performance combining wistful romanticism and mercurial restlessness. She played Lelia – all the actors in the film share their first names with their characters – who is an African-American woman “passing” for white. Goldoni herself was of Sicilian descent.
When Lelia’s white boyfriend meets one of her darker-skinned brothers (Hugh Hurd) and realises that she is black, his discomfort inflames tensions in the household and sends aftershocks through the rest of the film.
The lacerating 1959 drama Shadows, a pinnacle of US independent film-making, heralded two striking new talents: the director John Cassavetes and the actor Lelia Goldoni, who was just 20 when she gave a guileless performance combining wistful romanticism and mercurial restlessness. She played Lelia – all the actors in the film share their first names with their characters – who is an African-American woman “passing” for white. Goldoni herself was of Sicilian descent.
When Lelia’s white boyfriend meets one of her darker-skinned brothers (Hugh Hurd) and realises that she is black, his discomfort inflames tensions in the household and sends aftershocks through the rest of the film.
- 8/3/2023
- by Ryan Gilbey
- The Guardian - Film News
Italian American actor won herself iconic status with the 1959 film where she played a woman ‘passing’ as white
Lelia Goldoni, the actor best known as the female lead in John Cassavetes’ groundbreaking film Shadows, has died aged 86. The news was first reported by the Wrap, who said that her manager Jd Sobol announced that she died on Saturday at the Actors Fund Home in Englewood, New Jersey.
Goldoni had become involved with Shadows as a result of the acting workshop Cassavetes had started in 1956 – before which, according to Cassavetes, she had no professional acting experience. The film itself arose from an improvised audition sketch Cassavetes had performed for acting guru Lee Strasberg about two black siblings who “passed” for white. Having elaborated the idea into a full-length film, Cassavetes asked Goldoni to play the sister to brothers Hugh Hurd and Ben Carruthers; her character became the central figure of the film,...
Lelia Goldoni, the actor best known as the female lead in John Cassavetes’ groundbreaking film Shadows, has died aged 86. The news was first reported by the Wrap, who said that her manager Jd Sobol announced that she died on Saturday at the Actors Fund Home in Englewood, New Jersey.
Goldoni had become involved with Shadows as a result of the acting workshop Cassavetes had started in 1956 – before which, according to Cassavetes, she had no professional acting experience. The film itself arose from an improvised audition sketch Cassavetes had performed for acting guru Lee Strasberg about two black siblings who “passed” for white. Having elaborated the idea into a full-length film, Cassavetes asked Goldoni to play the sister to brothers Hugh Hurd and Ben Carruthers; her character became the central figure of the film,...
- 7/28/2023
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
Considered one of the fathers of American indie cinema, John Cassavetes would have been 81 years young today, were he still alive.
Why not celebrate his birthday by watching his directorial debut, Shadows, the improvisational film that revolves around an interracial romance between Lelia (Lelia Goldoni), a light-skinned black woman living in New York City with her two brothers, and Tony (Anthony Ray), a white man, who isn’t aware of her true racial heritage. The relationship crumbles when Tony meets Lelia’s brother Hugh (Hugh Hurd), a dark-skinned jazz singer struggling to find work, and learns that the woman he’s been involved with is actually black.
The film was shot on location in New York City, with a cast and crew made up primarily of amateurs. Shadows is widely considered a visionary work, and the forerunner of the American independent film movement.
Netflix carries it as an “Instant Watch” title,...
Why not celebrate his birthday by watching his directorial debut, Shadows, the improvisational film that revolves around an interracial romance between Lelia (Lelia Goldoni), a light-skinned black woman living in New York City with her two brothers, and Tony (Anthony Ray), a white man, who isn’t aware of her true racial heritage. The relationship crumbles when Tony meets Lelia’s brother Hugh (Hugh Hurd), a dark-skinned jazz singer struggling to find work, and learns that the woman he’s been involved with is actually black.
The film was shot on location in New York City, with a cast and crew made up primarily of amateurs. Shadows is widely considered a visionary work, and the forerunner of the American independent film movement.
Netflix carries it as an “Instant Watch” title,...
- 12/9/2010
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
Netflix has once again added several films available in the Criterion Collection, to their streaming “Watch Instantly” line-up. While their additions over the past few months have been few and far between, they have nevertheless been consistently great choices.
Over the past few days they have been adding the various John Cassavetes films that are available in the “Five Films” box set, save the documentary “A Constant Forge.” You can now watch Shadows, Faces, A Woman Under The Influence, The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie, and Opening Night through their web interface, or through their various other devices (Roku boxes, the Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, or select Blu-ray players).
With Redbox ramping up plans to implement a streaming service, Netflix continues to show it’s dedication to expanding it’s library of important films available at a minimal cost to it’s customers.
To see all of the Criterion Collection films available on Netflix Watch Instantly,...
Over the past few days they have been adding the various John Cassavetes films that are available in the “Five Films” box set, save the documentary “A Constant Forge.” You can now watch Shadows, Faces, A Woman Under The Influence, The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie, and Opening Night through their web interface, or through their various other devices (Roku boxes, the Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, or select Blu-ray players).
With Redbox ramping up plans to implement a streaming service, Netflix continues to show it’s dedication to expanding it’s library of important films available at a minimal cost to it’s customers.
To see all of the Criterion Collection films available on Netflix Watch Instantly,...
- 8/6/2010
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
Chicago – Entries number 251 and number 252 in the most important and impressive series of DVDs in the history of the format, The Criterion Collection, come from the same influential writer/director, one of the godfathers of the independent film industry, John Cassavetes. Both are worthwhile additions to any serious film collector’s shelf.
DVD Rating: 4.5/5.0 The first of the pair is the half-century old “Shadows,” Cassavetes’ directorial debut. As the credit so perfectly says “Improvised/Directed by John Cassavetes”. These visionary films were the forerunner of the American independent film movement - creative people getting together with a camera to create art.
Shadows was released on DVD on February 17th, 2009.
Photo credit: Courtesy of the Criterion Collection Those creative people in “Shadows” were headed by Lelia Goldoni and Anthony Ray. Goldoni plays a character of the same name, a light-skinned black woman living in New York City with her two brothers.
DVD Rating: 4.5/5.0 The first of the pair is the half-century old “Shadows,” Cassavetes’ directorial debut. As the credit so perfectly says “Improvised/Directed by John Cassavetes”. These visionary films were the forerunner of the American independent film movement - creative people getting together with a camera to create art.
Shadows was released on DVD on February 17th, 2009.
Photo credit: Courtesy of the Criterion Collection Those creative people in “Shadows” were headed by Lelia Goldoni and Anthony Ray. Goldoni plays a character of the same name, a light-skinned black woman living in New York City with her two brothers.
- 2/26/2009
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
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