(ORIGINALLY POSTED MARCH 2, 2019)
The death of Katherine Helmond has catapulted me back to re-live many memories involving LADY IN WHITE and especially those memories that involve others who were integral to the film and have died.
Among them are Angelo Bertolini who played Papa Charlie.
Prior to being cast in LADY IN WHITE, Angelo was an actor in a theater group in Los Angeles that performed Neopolitan Comedies and I can remember him inviting me to attend a performance with him after the film's release. LADY was, perhaps, the “zenith” of his professional career and Angelo was aglow with pride at having been a part of it.
Jack Holland played the priest in the church scene and had a similar but more significant role in FEAR NO EVIL. Jack was also a theater critic for Drama-Logue and a dear friend and I always accepted his invitation to accompany him to the opening night of the production he had been assigned to review that week.
I invited Renata Vanni, who played Mama Assunta, to a 10th year anniversary screening of LADY IN WHITE and can recall her being accompanied by her daughter, Delia, who explained to me prior that Renata was suffering from Alzheimers. Renata's words to me upon arriving were “Oh, I'm so happy to be here. Was I in this picture?”
Alex Rocco and his wife Sandy and I remained close for many years and I can remember myself and my dear friend and right arm during production (and well past post production) Lorie Zerweck, being invited to their home in Carpinteria for an afternoon barbecue to feast on Italian sausage, pasta and wine. Alex was fond of telling me that I reminded him of Coppola on set. When Alex died, his daughter Jennifer told me that he carried a laudatory review that praised his performance in LADY IN WHITE to the set of every production he did afterwards.
Gone as well are Sydney Lassick (Mr. Lowry) and Hal Bokar (Mr. Cilak) and still others, who worked behind the scenes, that were invaluable to the film's success including hair and make-up genius Frank Montesanto, co-producer Andy La Marca and my cousin Charles M. LaLoggia, the film's Executive Producer, without whom LADY IN WHITE would never have happened at all.
Lady's ghosts have transcended the screen to become a daily part of my life and the lives of those who hold the film dear.
