Movie Star Mystery Photo

Los Angeles Times file photo

Update: Renzo Cesana in a publicity photo for "The Continental" radio show, Feb. 5, 1951.

Update: Don't be afraid, darling. It's only Renzo Cesana!

Just
a reminder on how this works: I post the mystery photo on Monday and
reveal the answer on Friday … or on Saturday if I have a hard time
picking only five pictures; sometimes it's difficult to choose. To keep
the mystery photo from getting lost in the other entries, I move it
from Monday to Tuesday to Wednesday, etc., adding a photo every day.

I
have to approve all comments, so if your guess is posted immediately,
that means you're wrong. (And if a wrong guess has already been
submitted by someone else, there's no point in submitting it again.)

If
you're right, you will have to wait until Friday. There's no need to
submit your guess five times. Once is enough. The only prize is
bragging rights.

The answer to last week's mystery star: LeRoy Prinz!

Los Angeles Times file photo

Update, Renzo Cesana, Jan. 28, 1952.

Here's another picture of our elegant mystery guest. Please congratulate Mike Hawks, Herb Nichols, Laura fan Waldo Lydecker (who even quoted some dialogue!) and Richard Heft for identifying him!

Los Angeles Times file photo

Update: Renzo Cesana with Ingrid Bergman in Roberto Rossellini's "Stromboli." Cesana was hired as a writer for the film, then pressed into service as a dialogue coach and finally was cast as a priest.

Here's our mystery guest with a (not very) mysterious companion. Please congratulate Flo Myers and Dewey Webb for identifying him!

Los Angeles Times file photo

Update: Renzo Cesana, March 20, 1952.

Here's another photo of our mystery guest, with the background painted out by The Times' art department. That's some outfit, eh?

Please congratulate Megan, Earl Boebert, "Dr. Fudd," Diane Ely, D Celle, Nick Santa Maria, Allison Berntsen, Rogét-L.A. and Mary Mallory for identifying him!

Los Angeles Times file photo

Renzo Cesana, Sept. 21, 1961. Please congratulate Barry O'Brien for identifying him!

About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times

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35 Responses to Movie Star Mystery Photo

Mary Mallory says:

August 31, 2009 at 9:06 am

Fritz Lang.

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dDewey Webb says:

August 31, 2009 at 9:09 am

Rare screen test shot of Halston as FDR in Sunrise at Campobello?

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Greg Clancey says:

August 31, 2009 at 9:45 am

Ralph Lynn

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Steven Bibb says:

August 31, 2009 at 9:55 am

Duke York, and I am only saying him due to the monocle.

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Arye Michael Bender says:

August 31, 2009 at 10:16 am

If I could see his hair, I’d say it was the incomparable Sam Jaffe.

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Mike Hawks says:

August 31, 2009 at 10:29 am

How about Ezio Pinza.

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Mike Hawks says:

August 31, 2009 at 10:48 am

O.K. How about Renzo Cesana.

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herb nichols says:

August 31, 2009 at 10:59 am

renzo cesana

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Sandy says:

August 31, 2009 at 11:12 am

Never saw him dressed anything like that, but it looks like Hugh Brannum, aka “Mr. Green Jeans.”

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Antonio Triana says:

August 31, 2009 at 11:28 am

Picture definitely shot in L.A.; could it be Señor Wences?

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waldo lydecker says:

August 31, 2009 at 11:46 am

“Don’t be afraid my dear, it’s only a man’s apartment!” Played directly to the camera, these were the words with which RENZO CESANA greeted his TV audience in the early 50’s for his show, The Continental. It was seen locally on KNBH (Ch.4) and briefly on CBS-TV. He did act in features and T V usually playing …. an Italian!

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Karen says:

August 31, 2009 at 1:01 pm

Conrad Veidt

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Richard Heft says:

August 31, 2009 at 3:18 pm

Renzo Cesana. Even if I’m wrong, I don’t care. How often do I get to invoke Renzo Cesana?

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Phoebe says:

August 31, 2009 at 5:53 pm

Milton Berle?

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Carmen says:

August 31, 2009 at 7:40 pm

Max Schreck

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Victor Huntrods Brown, from across the pond in England says:

September 1, 2009 at 12:10 am

I feel that I should know this man but it is with little confidence that I suggest it could be John Litel.

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James Curtis says:

September 1, 2009 at 9:43 am

Looks like Lucien Prival.

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dDewey Webb says:

September 1, 2009 at 10:39 am

Renzo Cesana, “The Continental”!

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Flo Myers says:

September 1, 2009 at 10:54 am

Renzo Cesana

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Arye Michael Bender says:

September 1, 2009 at 12:01 pm

What a dapper chap, in the old world style. Looks like he could have fathered Danny Kaye. Not saying he did…

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Cynthia K. says:

September 1, 2009 at 1:56 pm

Ernst Deutsch.

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Mary mallory says:

September 2, 2009 at 12:10 am

Adolfo Celi.

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gerald mccann says:

September 2, 2009 at 8:25 am

Sam Jaffe?

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Mary Mallory says:

September 2, 2009 at 9:21 am

Renzo Cesana.

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Rogét-L.A. says:

September 2, 2009 at 9:38 am

Renzo Cesana! He looked so familiar, but I just couldn’t place him. I knew he was Italian, and then I remembered I recognized him from episodes of “Bewitched” and “That Girl”.

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Allison Berntsen says:

September 2, 2009 at 11:43 am

Renzo Cesana?

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Nick Santa Maria says:

September 2, 2009 at 11:59 am

Renzo Cesana?

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Diane Ely says:

September 2, 2009 at 12:27 pm

Renzo Cesano, “The Continental”.

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Dr Fudd says:

September 2, 2009 at 1:56 pm

Renzo Cesana

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Earl Boebert says:

September 2, 2009 at 2:23 pm

Renzo Cesana?

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Megan says:

September 2, 2009 at 4:54 pm

Renzo Cesana

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MichaelRyerson says:

September 3, 2009 at 12:08 pm

Obviously Christopher Walken in character as ‘The Continental’

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Sam Flowers says:

September 3, 2009 at 4:50 pm

Everett Sloane

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JM GREEN says:

September 3, 2009 at 7:47 pm

michael wilding

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Barry O'Brien says:

September 3, 2009 at 10:24 pm

Renzo Casena?

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