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3.1.19.1 Mario Lanza.
Peter Gammond. "The Oxford Companion to Popular Music." Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1993. ISBN 0-19-28004-3 p. 330.
Lanza, Mario [Cocozza, Alfredo Arnold] b. Philadelphia 31 Jan. 1921, d. Rome 7 Oct. 1959. American singer of Italian descent. A stocky, curly-haired prototype Italian opera singer, he had a moderate career in opera and on the concert stage before he became an international star by way of his portrayal of Caruso, his full-throated popularization of the genre, and his recordings of such songs as 'Be my love' and 'Because you're mine.' He appeared in the films: "That Midnight Kiss" (1949) "The Toast of New Orleans" (1950) "The Great Caruso" (1951) "Because You're Mine" (1952) "The Student Prince" (1954) "Serenade" (1956) "The Seven Hills of Rome" (1958) "For the First Time" (1959) Since his early death he has been accorded a cult reputation.
References: M. Bernard: "Mario Lanza" (NY 1971) R. Strait and T. Robinson: "Mario Lanza: His Tragic Life" (NY 1980)
** How did Mario Lanza die?
Mario Lanza committed suicide in Rome, about two months before the real-life
Heavenly Creatures were released from incarceration in New Zealand.
** What was Bert Rieper's name for Mario Lanza?
Bert enquired if Pauline was listening to the famous Irish singer 'Murray O'Lanza.'
Then he lip-synched into a mackerel. That Bert was a real kidder...
** How did Pauline rebuke her father?
"He's Italian, Dad!" Of course we know, from the info above, that Pauline
was wrong: Mario Lanza was really an American who traded on his Italian ancestry.
