Argentina Brunetti, a character actress who played the worried wife of Mr. Martini in the classic film “It’s a Wonderful Life,” has died. She was 98.
Brunetti died in her sleep Tuesday in Rome, said Ben Ohmart, whose Boalsburg, Pa.-based publishing house, BearManor Media, released Brunetti’s autobiography. She moved to Rome last year to live with her son, Mario, and his family, he said.
Brunetti starred in dozens of films and television shows over a career spanning more than 50 years.
She portrayed Dean Martin’s mother in the 1953 comedy “The Caddy,” in which Martin sings “That’s Amore” to her, and performed with Desi Arnaz in the 1949 film “Holiday in Havana.”
She earned her first credited screen role as an Italian immigrant in Frank Capra’s 1946 film “It’s a Wonderful Life,” in which Jimmy Stewart’s character helps her large family buy a house.
Associated Press
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