{{Short description|Italian actress (born 1939)}} {{Distinguish|Rosalina Neri}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Rosalba Neri | image = Rosalba Neri in Lady Frankenstein (1971) (cropped).jpg | image_size = | caption = Neri in ''[[Lady Frankenstein]]'' (1971) | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1939|6|19|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Forlì]], Kingdom of Italy | spouse = | other_names = Sara Bey | death_date = | death_place = | alma_mater = [[Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia]] | known_for = {{hlist|''[[Esther and the King]]''|''[[The Arena (1974 film)|The Arena]]''|''[[Lady Frankenstein]]''}} | occupation = Actress | years_active = 1958–1985 }}
'''Rosalba Neri''' (born 19 June 1939) is a retired Italian actress.
==Early life== [[File:Rosalba Neri, Nives Zegna, Miss Italia 1956.jpg|thumb|left|Neri (left) with winner Nives Zegna during the [[Miss Italia]] 1956 beauty pageant]] Born in [[Forlì]], [[Emilia-Romagna]], Italy, Neri was regarded for her beauty even in youth, winning a [[beauty pageant]] when she was still young. Eventually pursuing an acting career, she attended the [[Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia]] (Centre for Experimental Cinematography) in Rome, graduating in 1959.<ref name=ATTRICI>{{cite book|last=Enrico Lancia, Roberto Poppi|title=Dizionario del cinema italiano, Le Attrici|publisher=Gremese Editore, 2003|isbn=888440214X|chapter=Neri, Rosalba}}</ref> She also received an offer to attend the [[Actors Studio]] in the United States, but did not accept.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0626219/bio Rosalba Neri - Biography]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://rosalbaneri.com/Rosalba-Neri-biography.php |title=Tribute To Rosalba Neri - Biography |publisher=Rosalbaneri.com |date=21 June 2011 |access-date=6 March 2012}}</ref>
==Career== {{BLP unsourced section|date=June 2017}} She made her film debut in 1958 in the film ''Mogli pericolose''. She is uncredited in this comedy, which was directed by [[Luigi Comencini]]. Her second film role was in [[Roberto Rossellini]]'s prize-winning drama ''[[Escape by Night (1960 film)|Era notte a Roma]]'' in 1960.
===Historical roles=== {{BLP unsourced section|date=June 2017}} In 1960, she appeared in two [[sword and sandal]] films set in the Ancient world. The first was ''[[Il Sepolcro dei Re]]'' (AKA ''Cleopatra's Daughter'' or ''The Tomb of the King''). This film tells the story of Nemorat, an Egyptian pharaoh who was instrumental in the creation of the pyramids of [[Giza]] due to the intrigues surrounding his death and entombment. [[File:Rosalba Neri, Eva Thulin, and Edwige Fenech in a screenshot from the film Top Sensation (1968-2).png|left|thumb|[[Edwige Fenech]], [[Eva Thulin]] and Neri in ''[[The Seducers]]'' (1969)]] The second was [[Raoul Walsh]]'s ''[[Esther and the King]]'' (1960), starring [[Joan Collins]] as the Biblical Jewish Queen. Rosalba played Keresh and was assassinated by someone who mistook her for the Queen. Because of her dark, sultry beauty, Rosalba was often a natural fit to play certain legendary characters.
She was Ramses' intended bride in the [[Hercules]] Adventure, ''[[The Lion of Thebes|Il leone di Tebe]] (The Lion of Thebes)'' in 1964. She played [[Delilah]], the Biblical beauty who was the downfall of the Old Testament hero, [[Samson]], in ''[[I Grandi Condottieri]]'' (''The Great Guides'') (1965). She returned to the genre in ''[[The Arena (1974 film)|The Arena]]'' (1974).
Although starring roles were few and far between for Neri, she worked steadily throughout the 1960s/70s in supporting and sometimes, nondescript roles, such as her turn as a harem girl in ''[[El Cid (film)|El Cid]]'' (1961).
===Spy films=== Neri had quite a few roles in [[Eurospy]] intrigue films, often playing a less-than-saintly character. She was Faddja in 1965's ''[[Superseven Chiama Cairo]]'' (''Superseven Calls on Cairo''), one of the dangerous women that the spy, a [[James Bond]]-like character, comes into contact with. Also in 1965, she appeared in ''[[Due Mafiosi contro Goldginger]]'' (''[[Two Mafiosi Against Goldfinger]]'').
In 1967, she was Amalia in ''[[Password: Uccidete Agente Gordon]]'' (''[[Password: Kill Agent Gordon]]''). The same year, she played her first part for Spanish director [[Jess Franco]] in a spy film send-up done in comic book style, ''[[Lucky, the Inscrutable]]'', starring [[Ray Danton]]. In the following year, she appeared in ''[[OSS 117 - Double Agent]]'' (1968).
===Spaghetti Westerns=== She followed the trends of European cinema by appearing in several [[Spaghetti Western]]s such as ''[[Johnny Yuma (film)|Johnny Yuma]]'' (1966), ''[[Arizona Colt]]'' (1966), ''[[Long Days of Hate]]'' (1968), ''[[A Long Ride from Hell]]'' (1968), ''[[The Reward's Yours... The Man's Mine]]'' (1969), ''[[Arizona Colt Returns]]'' (1971), ''[[Drummer of Vengeance]]'' (1971) and ''[[Man Called Invincible]]'' (1973).
===Erotic horror films=== [[File:Rosalba Neri, Eva Thulin, and Edwige Fenech in a screenshot from the film Top Sensation (1968-4).jpg|thumb|Neri (left) alongside [[Eva Thulin]] and [[Edwige Fenech]] in ''[[The Seducers]]'' (1969)]] Neri, the bombshell, was also much in demand for erotic ''[[giallo]]'' thrillers, [[horror cinema|horror]], and [[sexploitation film]]s. She was in [[Jess Franco]]'s box office hit ''[[99 Women]]'' (1969), one of the first [[women in prison film]]s,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/home-video/3408255/jess-franco-blu-ray-yes-please-2/ |title=More Jess Franco on Blu-ray? Yes, Please! |first=Chris |last=Coffel |date=29 September 2016 |access-date=15 February 2020 |work=[[Bloody Disgusting]]}}</ref> and ''[[Top Sensation]]'' (''The Seducers'') (1969) opposite [[Edwige Fenech]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zcvsblKmeDcC&q=Rosalba+Neri+in+Top+Sensation |title=Records & Briefs New York State Appellate Division |page=50}}</ref> In 1972 she played [[Farley Granger]]'s wife in ''[[Amuck!]]''. Granger plays a wealthy author who hires a beautiful secretary ([[Barbara Bouchet]]) and engages in kinky sex games with her and his wife. Also in 1972, Neri played the lead role in the erotic horror flick ''[[Lucifera: Demon Lover]]''.
Bouchet and Neri would team up in 1972 in another movie combining sex with horror, ''Casa d’appuntamento'' (''[[French Sex Murders]]''). A jewel thief is accused of murdering a prostitute but is decapitated in a motorcycle accident prior to the trial. When those involved in the trial start dying off, everyone wonders if the dead man has come back to exact his revenge. [[File:Patrizia Viotti & Rosalba Neri - Amuck (1972).png|thumb|left|Neri and [[Patrizia Viotti]] in a scene from ''[[Amuck!]]'' (1972)]] Perhaps Neri's best-known films are from the horror genre. Credited as Sara Bay, she played Tania Frankenstein, the daughter of the [[Frankenstein monster|monster]]'s creator, in 1971's ''[[Lady Frankenstein]]''. Tania was willing to take her father's work to new – and frightening – levels. It is considered a [[B movie]] classic.
In 1973, she starred in ''[[The Devil's Wedding Night]]'' as Lady Dracula, a vampire who uses [[Dracula (character)|Dracula]]'s ring to lure young virgins to her home so she can murder them and bathe in their blood (à la the medieval [[Elizabeth Báthory|Countess Elizabeth Báthory]]). In Italy, it was released as ''Il Plenilunio dell Vergini'' (''Full Moon of the Virgins'').
==Retirement== Neri would appear in a few more films, such as: ''[[No Way Out (1973 film)|No Way Out]]'' (1973), ''Loving Cousins'' (1974), ''Blood River'' (1974) and ''Il Pomicione'' (1976), which is her last credited film.
==Selected filmography== {{div col|colwidth=15em}} * ''[[Escape by Night (1960 film)|Escape by Night]]'' (1960) * ''[[Esther and the King]]'' (1960) * ''[[Those Two in the Legion]]'' (1962) * ''[[Cleopatra's Daughter (film)|Cleopatra's Daughter]]'' (1962) * ''[[Hercules vs. Moloch]]'' (1963) * ''[[Hercules and the Black Pirates]]'' (1964) * ''[[The Lion of Thebes]]'' (1964) * ''[[Corpse for the Lady]]'' (1964) * ''[[Desert Raiders]]'' (1964) * ''[[3 Avengers]]'' (1964) * ''[[I Kill, You Kill]]'' (1965) * ''[[Marvelous Angelique]]'' (1965) * ''[[Super Seven Calling Cairo]]'' (1965) * ''[[Gideon and Samson]]'' (1965) * ''[[Two Mafiosi Against Goldfinger]]'' (1965) * ''[[The Spy with Ten Faces]]'' (1966) * ''[[Password: Kill Agent Gordon]]'' (1966) * ''[[Johnny Yuma (film)|Johnny Yuma]]'' (1966) * ''[[Arizona Colt]]'' (1966) * ''[[Lucky, the Inscrutable]]'' (1967) * ''[[Long Days of Hate]]'' (1968) * ''[[A Long Ride from Hell]]'' (1968) * ''[[OSS 117 - Double Agent]]'' (1968) * ''[[99 Women]]'' (1969) * ''[[The Seducers]]'' (1969) * ''[[Marquis de Sade: Justine]]'' (1969) * ''[[The Castle of Fu Manchu]]'' (1969) * ''[[The Reward's Yours... The Man's Mine]]'' (1969) * ''[[Arizona Colt Returns]]'' (1970) * ''[[Slaughter Hotel]]'' (1971) * ''[[Drummer of Vengeance]]'' (1971) * ''[[Lady Frankenstein]]'' (1971) * ''[[Lucifera: Demon Lover]]'' (1972) * ''[[Amuck!]]'' (1972) * ''[[Smile Before Death]]'' (1972) * ''[[French Sex Murders]]'' (1972) * ''[[The Mighty Anselmo and His Squire]]'' (1972) * ''[[Watch Out Gringo! Sabata Will Return]]'' (1972) as kidnapped girl * ''[[The Devil's Wedding Night]]'' (1973) * '' [[No Way Out (1973 film)|No Way Out]]'' (1973) * ''[[Man Called Invincible]]'' (1973) * ''[[The Arena (1974 film)|The Arena]]'' (1974) * ''[[High School Girl]]'' (1974) * ''[[Libera, My Love]]'' (1975) {{div col end}}
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=0626219|name=Rosalba Neri}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Neri, Rosalba}} [[Category:1939 births]] [[Category:Italian film actresses]] [[Category:20th-century Italian actresses]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from Forlì]] [[Category:Actresses from Emilia-Romagna]]