Romina Power

Last updated

Romina Power
Romina Power 1969.jpg
Romina Power in the movie Las trompetas del apocalipsis (1969)
Born
Romina Francesca Power

(1951-10-02) October 2, 1951 (age 72)
Los Angeles, California
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active1964–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1970;div. 2012)​
Children4, including Ylenia Carrisi
Parent(s) Tyrone Power
Linda Christian
Relatives Taryn Power
(sister)
Tyrone Power Jr.
(half-brother)
Ariadna Welter
(maternal aunt)
Tyrone Power Sr.
(grandfather)
Tyrone Power
(great-great-grandfather)
Website www.rominapower.guru

Romina Francesca Power (born October 2, 1951) [1] is an American actress and singer born in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of Tyrone Power and actress Linda Christian. With ex-husband Albano Carrisi, she formed the music duo Al Bano & Romina Power, which gained popularity in many parts of the world during the 1980s.

Contents

Biography

Childhood

Power is the eldest daughter of American screen idol Tyrone Power and his second wife, Mexican actress Linda Christian. She was named after Rome, where her parents had fallen in love; her middle name is in reference to the church of Santa Francesca Romana, the site of their wedding ceremony. [1]

Initially, she grew up in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles. After her parents divorced in 1956, Power and her younger sister Taryn were sent to live with their maternal grandmother in Mexico. They went to live briefly with their mother and her new husband, Edmund Purdom, but were later sent to boarding schools in England, Switzerland, and Italy. [2] Among the schools Power attended was Cobham Hall School in Kent, England. [3] Later, both Power and her mother lived in a penthouse in the Roman quartiere of Parioli. [4]

Acting career

Power began trying out for film roles at age 12. She made her screen debut at age 14 in the Italian film Menage all'italiana , starring alongside Ugo Tognazzi and Anna Moffo. [5] Power subsequently appeared in several films, achieving notoriety for acting in roles that highlighted her sex appeal. [6] In December 1966, her role in the film How I Learned to Love Women came under attack from the Italian public and government, as well as the Catholic Church. [7] Ludovico Montini, brother of Pope Paul VI, and other Christian Democratic senators charged that Power was forced to rehearse "lewd scenes for the film countless times." [8] The Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano , called the film's moral content dubious and opined that minors should have been banned from viewing it. [7] In 1969, her starring role in the film Marquis de Sade: Justine resulted in its banning in Italy and in the seizure of all prints. [9]

In an interview Power gave in 1966, she said that despite her typecasting she did not regard herself as a "Lolita." [10] In a later interview in 1970, Power expressed regret for having let her mother choose sexually suggestive film roles for her. [11] [12]

In 1983, Power declined the role of Deborah in Once Upon a Time in America , which had been privately offered to her by the director Sergio Leone.[ citation needed ]

Musical fame

Power and Albano "Al Bano" Carrisi in Greece in 1975 Al Bano and Romina Power 1975.jpg
Power and Albano "Al Bano" Carrisi in Greece in 1975

Power's interest in music was awakened in her childhood by American musicals from the 1950s, Mexican Mariachi bands, and Italian music from the 1960s. In her early teens, Power discovered The Beatles and Bob Dylan, which inspired her to compose music. After receiving a guitar as a birthday gift, she learned chords and wrote her first songs.[ citation needed ]

In 1975, Power and her husband Albano "Al Bano" Carrisi founded the singing duo Al Bano and Romina Power, which became a sensation in Continental Europe and Latin America. They released multiple albums in different languages and achieved 7th place for Italy in both the 1976 and 1985 Eurovision Song Contests. Their biggest hits included "Felicità", "Sharazan", and "Ci sarà".

Later years

Power and Carrisi in the 1990s Romina Power and Al Bano in 1990s.jpg
Power and Carrisi in the 1990s

In 2005, Power was a judge in the Italian TV show Ballando con le Stelle . Between 2006 and 2007, she organized exhibitions of her paintings, mainly in Milan. At the same time she dedicated herself to directing her film Upaya.

In 2007, Power moved back to the United States, buying a house in Sedona, Arizona. According to an interview she gave to the Italian press at the time, she felt to be perceived by the Italian public merely as a performer of "Il ballo del qua-qua" (a song for children), and that she found it difficult to establish herself in Italy as a painter and writer. Power also stated that she was disturbed by the intrusive attention of the local press, which published multiple articles speculating about her private life and the disappearance of her daughter Ylenia. [13] [14]

Shortly after Power's relocation in 2008, her mother Linda Christian was diagnosed with colon cancer. Power went to live in her mother's house in Palm Springs, where she remained until her mother's death on July 22, 2011. In a November 2009 interview she gave to Italian TV she stated she had considered, at least for some time, a possible return to Italy. She has continued living and working in the United States.[ needs update ]

In the fall of 2012 her album Da lontano was released, containing songs written in 1999. In the summer of 2013, Power and Carrisi reunited for a concert performance in Moscow. [15] [16] In 2015 they reunited again for a guest appearance at the Sanremo Music Festival.[ citation needed ]

Personal life

Stanislas "Stash" Klossowski de Rola, the eldest son of the painter Balthus, proposed marriage to Power when she was 15. [17] She accepted and her mother approved, provided that he wait until Power turned 18 and was allowed to develop artistically first. [18] Klossowski de Rola introduced Power to Paul McCartney, Jane Asher, and Syd Barrett, with whom she later became friends.[ citation needed ] The couple later postponed their wedding indefinitely. [19]

In 1969, Power announced her engagement to Albano Carrisi. [20] Upon their engagement, Carrisi persuaded Power to refrain from accepting any more risqué film roles and restricted the presence of her mother on set. [21] They married on July 26, 1970. [22]

Power and Carrisi separated in 1999. [23] Their divorce was finalized in 2012. [24] They have four children:

Power is a polyglot who speaks five languages: English, Italian, Spanish, French and Dutch. [26] She is a follower of Tibetan Buddhism. [27]

Filmography

Films

TitleYearRoleNotes
1965 Menage all'italiana Stella
1966 How I Learned to Love Women Irene
1967Assicurarsi vergineLucia Impallomeni
Nel sole Lorena Vivaldi
1968 24 Hours in the Life of a Woman Mariette
L'oro del mondo Lorena Vivaldi
1969 Il suo nome è Donna Rosa Rosetta Belmonte
Pensando a te Livia
Marquis de Sade: Justine Justine
Carnal Circuit Gloria Brighton
1970 Mezzanotte d'amore Rosetta Belmonte
Angeli senza paradiso Anna Roskova
1984 Champagne in paradiso Paola Davis
2007 Go Go Tales Yolanda Vega
2014Il segreto di ItaliaAdult Italia Martin
2016 Quo Vado? HerselfCameo appearance
2021 Nightmare Alley Show's viewerCameo appearance

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1969 Nero Wolfe (Italian TV series)Lois JarrellEpisode: "Circuito chiuso"
1970Doppia coppiaHerself/ Co-hostVariety show (season 2)
1981–1982 Fantastico Herself/ Co-hostVariety show (season 2)
1985Il tastomattoHerself/ HostVariety show
I promessi sposi Lucia MondellaSpecial
1989–1990Cinema InsiemeHerself/ HostInterstitial program
1991Albano e Romina Power StoryHerself/ HostSpecial
1996 The Return of Sandokan Maharani SuramaSeries regular (4 episodes)
Canzoni sotto l'alberoHerself/ JudgeMusical contest (season 5)
1998–2000Per tutta la vita...?Herself/ HostVariety show (seasons 2–4)
2003Tutti i sogni del mondoCinzia's teacherMiniseries
2010Ciak... Si canta!Herself/ ContestantTalent show (season 2)
2016Così lontani così viciniHerself/ Co-hostReality show (season 3)
2017Standing OvationHerself/ JudgeTalent show
2020 Amici di Maria De Filippi Herself/ GuestPerformer

Discography

Solo

With Al Bano

Bibliography

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References

  1. 1 2 "Daughter Born to Tyrone Powers". Redding Record Searchlight. Redding, CA. Associated Press. October 3, 1951. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  2. ↑ Beck, Marilyn (February 8, 1979). "Power's 'Gay' Life, Louella's Girl Too, Spice Tell-All Tales". Fort Lauderdale News. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  3. ↑ Biography of Romina Power at her official web site.
  4. ↑ Rhodes, Andrew (December 4, 1966). "A Film Veteran at 15". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  5. ↑ "In Father's Footsteps?". New York Daily News. December 22, 1965. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022. Actress Romina Power, daughter of the late Tyrone Power, . . . at a cast party in Rome following her screen debut in the Italian comedy 'Menage, Italian Style.'
  6. ↑ Graham, Sheilah (December 13, 1966). "Sheilah Graham in Hollywood". Des Moines Tribune. North American Newspaper Alliance. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  7. 1 2 "'Erotic' Teen Scenes Protested in Rome". New York Daily News. Associated Press. December 2, 1966. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ↑ "Pope's Brother Calls Film Lewd". Hackensack Record. Hackensack, NJ. United Press International. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Italy Bans Movie Starring Young Romina Power". Arizona Daily Star. Tucson, AZ. Associated Press. May 25, 1969. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Italy's Teen-Agers Idolize Romina Power". Long Beach Press-Telegram. Long Beach, CA. Associated Press. August 5, 1966. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022. 'Some people see me as a Lolita, but I don't like that,' Romina said disdainfully. 'I don't see myself as that at all.'
  11. ↑ Broadley, Wes. "Bradley Broadley". Colorado Springs Gazette. Colorado Springs, CO. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022. My mother talked me into doing nude movie scenes when I was only fourteen.
  12. ↑ "The Last Word". Burlington Daily Times-News. Burlington, NC. Retrieved March 23, 2022. Mother should really have seen the mistakes I was making.
  13. ↑ Spettacoli.tiscali.it Archived September 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine , Romina Power: "Addio lascio l'Italia"
  14. ↑ Tgcom.ùrfozdry/oy, La Power: "Italia addio per sempre"
  15. ↑ Bild.de: Al Bano and Romina Power: Reunion after 14 Years (German). Retrieved May 12, 2013.
  16. ↑ Express.de: Comeback: Al Bano and Romina Power Singing Together Once More Archived December 12, 2013, at the Wayback Machine (German). Retrieved May 12, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Child Actress to Wed Polish Baron". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, MO. Associated Press. November 1, 1966. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  18. ↑ Scott, Walter (January 8, 1967). "Walter Scott's Personality Parade". Cedar Rapids Gazette. Parade. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022. Romina Power has agreed to marry her prince if he agrees to wait until she is 18. The prince is Stanislas Kosslowski de Rola, . . . 23, oldest son of the French painter Balthus. He plays the guitar, is known in Paris Left Bank circles as "Stash." [Linda] Christian approves of the match but first would like to see her daughter develop into a film star.
  19. ↑ Knickerbocker, Suzy (November 26, 1966). "Wedding of 14 Year Old Romina Power Delayed". San Francisco Examiner. New York Journal-American. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  20. ↑ Manners, Dorothy (April 5, 1969). "Dorothy Manners' Hollywood". Scranton Tribune. Scranton, PN. King Features Syndicate. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  21. ↑ O'Brian, Jack (October 14, 1969). "Reason To Hire A Press Agent". San Francisco Examiner. New York Journal-American. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Tyrone's Romina Weds". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, NY. Associated Press. July 27, 1970. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  23. ↑ Celi, Rita. "Al Bano e Romina si separano". La Repubblica. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  24. ↑ Venegoni, Arianna (February 3, 2020). "Albano e Romina Power se la meritano una timeline con tutte le tappe della loro storia d'amore". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  25. ↑ "Yari.tv". Yari.tv. Archived from the original on July 9, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  26. ↑ "We'll live it all again". Esctoday.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2009.
  27. ↑ Marcella, Domenico (May 19, 2017). "La meditazione? Il "potere" di Romina Power" [Meditation? Romina Power's "Power"]. Vanity Fair (in Italian). Retrieved September 27, 2022.
Preceded by Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest
1976
(as Al Bano and Romina Power)		Succeeded by
Preceded by Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest
1985
(as Al Bano and Romina Power)		Succeeded by
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