Franca Bettoia, 1936 – 2024

Italian actress Franca Bettoia, 88, has died, her family announced on Sept. 14. The native Roman was best-known in the US for her roles in The Last Man on Earth, the anti-Communism propaganda film The Dam on the Yellow River, and the Alan Ladd sword and sandal epic Duel of the Champions. Between 1955-93, she appeared in some 25 films and TV shows. Bettoia was married from 1972 till his 1990 death to actor Ugo Tognazzi; their daughter Maria is a director and their son Gianmarco is an actor.