The actress died at the age of 80 in Gloucester, England Margaret Leepseudonym of Margaret Gwendolyn Box. The actress known for starring in many of the comedy duo’s films Franco and Ciccio and of Johnny Dorellipassed away on April 23, but only today did her son Roberto Malerbaa film producer in Los Angeles, reported it.
His career
Born in Wolverhampton, England on August 4, 1943, Margaret Lee had a passion for acting from an early age. She trained at Italia Conti Academy of Theater Arts of London, graduating in 1960. From there she then moved to Rome, Italy to begin her career as an actress. Her first film shot in Cinecittà in 1962, which has now become a cult: Maciste against monsterswhere it was Moah the female protagonist. The following year, in 1963, she also filmed the sequel, Samson against the pirates.
The woman of comedies
However, success came with popular comedies, thanks to a physicality and look that made her resemble Marilyn Monroe. There were numerous films in which she starred, especially together with the comedy duo Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassiawho almost made her their muse. The two public dangers, Two jokers at the Moulin Rouge, A monster and a half, I kill, you kill, General Custer’s two sergeants, Franco, Ciccio and the cheerful widows, these are just some of the titles she played which led her to become a first-rate star, especially in Italy.
A failed Bond Girl
It was precisely that exuberant physicality that put her on the line to get the part of Tatiana Romanova the bond girl of the film Agent 007, from Russia with love, he didn’t succeed, continuing his career alternating comedies with spy films in which he often played sexy roles. Among the numerous films he shot in the 60s to remember Agent 077 from the East with fury” (1965) by Sergio Grieco, The dynamite scented tiger (1965) by Claude Chabrol, The Thief of the Mona Lisa (1965) by Michel Deville, New York calls Superdragon (1966) by Giorgio Ferroni, If all the women in the world… (Operation Paradise) (1966) by Henry Levin And Arduino Maiuri (1966), The greatest coup of the century (1967) by Jean Delannoy And Dick Smart 2.007 (1967) by Franco Prosperi (1967).
In the 70s his career changed considerably, even playing violent thrillers such as The beast kills in cold blood (1971) by Fernando Di Leo. Other films from that period are The beasts (1971) by Giovanni Grimaldi, Women above, females below (1971), by Boro Drašković, Sensuality is… a moment of life (1974) by Dante Maraccini, The assassins are our guests (1974) by Vincenzo Rigo (1974).
Farewell to Italy
It was in the mid-1970s that Lee decided to leave Italy and return to England. Only in ’91 did she return for a small role in the comedy of Dino Risi Sex and willingly of 1982. On the set he met again Johnny Dorelli with whom he had often worked in the past. The film, however, did not give her a new success and she after filming Neapolitan sting Of Vittorio Caprioli in 1983 he decided to move to the United States.
Private life
He had two children: Roberto Malerba, born from her marriage to her press agent and husband and Damian Anderson, born from his bond with the musician Kim Brownboth involved as producers in the cinematographic field.
In 1985 she remarried Walter Creighton.
