Bella Cortez

Born: 1943-11-30

Alicia Paneque was spotted by an Italian film producer visiting Cuba. She accepted the proposal and moved to Italy. Her first release was Primo Zeglio's The Seven Revenges (1961). Cortez played niece to Orson Welles's character and formed "an attractive pair of young lovers" with Luciano Marin in the international film The Tartars (1961). The same year, she was paired opposite Gordon Mitchell in the Seven Arts production The Giant of Metropolis (1961), directed by Umberto Scarpelli. They appeared together in two more films; Vulcan Son of Jupiter (1962) and Ali Baba and the Seven Saracens (1964). Cortez's characters were that of and Greco-Roman mythological Aetna an Arabian princess, respectively in these films. She continued her starring roles with Antonio Leonviola-directed epic drama Taur, The Mighty (1963). Cortez played the female lead in Ali Baba and the Sacred Crown, directed by Erminio Salvi. The book Italian Sword and Sandal Films, 1908-1990 noted that Cortez was a "major asset to the production". She made appearance in a supporting character in Gothic horror Katarsis (1963). Beside starring in 11 films, Cortez also did print modelling for cars and graced the covers of several European magazines. Following her marriage, she left the film industry.


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The Giant of Metropolis

as Princess Mecede
Released: 1961-10-25

Obro the muscleman goes to Atlantis and sinks a death-ray king who knows the secret of immortality.

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The Tartars

as Samia
Released: 1961-04-01

The Tartars and the Vikings maintain a fragile peace in the harsh landscape of the Russian...

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Vulcan, Son of Giove

as Etna
Released: 1962-03-16

A superhero battles lizard men and other monsters that are terrorizing the countryside.

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Ali Baba and the Seven Saracens

as Fatima
Released: 1964-12-18

A rebel leader returns to his city for a final confrontation with the evil king he is fighting....

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Challenge the Devil

as Free
Released: 1963-05-28

A group of young people happen upon an old man in a castle who turns out to be the devil.

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The Seven Revenges

as Suani
Released: 1961-03-31

The leaders of Circassians and Kyrgyz face off in a tournament divided into seven challenges:...

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The Seven Tasks of Ali Baba

as Lota
Released: 1962-10-25

A wizard summons Ali Baba to transport a sacred crown to a nearby country. An evil ruler has...

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Taur the Mighty

as Queen Akiba
Released: 1963-06-29

The warlike men of Kixos murder the king of Surupak and abduct his two daughters, Jia and Tuja....

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F.B.I. chiama Istanbul

as Manuela
Released: 1964-02-16

The members of a gang of drug dealers are killed one by one. Clues lead to an elegant villa on...

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Appuntamento a Dallas

as uncredited
Released: 1964-04-27

A group of retired crime leaders is meeting to discuss the death threats they are all getting.

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