Bombolo
{{Short description|Italian character actor and comedian}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Bombolo
| image = Bombolo 1983 (cropped).jpg
| birth_name = Franco Lechner
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1931|05|22|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Rome, Italy
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1987|08|21|1931|05|22|df=yes}}
| death_place =
| occupation = Actor
| yearsactive = 1966–1987
| nationality =
| height = {{convert|1.68|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| notable works =
}}
File:G Bracardi Bombolo Nicolini ANTIFUD17.jpg, {{ill|Renato Nicolini|it}}, and Bombolo, at an anti-fast food demonstration in Piazza di Spagna, 20 April 1986]]
Franco Lechner, best known as Bombolo{{efn|colloquially meaning [https://en.pons.com/translate/italian-english/bombolo tubby person].}} (22 May 1931 – 21 August 1987), was an Italian character actor and comedian.
Life and career
Born in Rome into a poor family, a former peddler of dishes, Lechner was discovered in a tavern by Franco Castellacci and Pierfrancesco Pingitore, who entered him in their cabaret company "Il Bagaglino".{{cite news|last=Michele Anselmi|title=Muore Bombolo, fu comico "pe caso"|newspaper=L'Unità|date=24 August 1987}} He got a large popularity in cinema as the sidekick of Tomas Milian in a successful series of half-serious poliziottesco films directed by Bruno Corbucci. He was also partner of Enzo Cannavale in a number of comedy films.{{cite book|author1=Massimo Giraldi |author2=Enrico Lancia |author3=Fabio Melelli |title=Cento caratteristi del cinema italiano|year=2006 |publisher=Gremese Editore, 2006|isbn=8884403839|pages=37–38}} He died at age 56 as a result of complications following a major surgical operation. Decades later, his characteristic slang, and particularly his distinctive "tze tze", remain popular among the younger generations.
Partial filmography
{{Div col}}
- Remo e Romolo (Storia di due figli di una lupa) (1976) - Pappo
- La prima notte di nozze (1976)
- Hit Squad (1976) - Er Trippa
- Nerone (1977) - Roscio
- Il marito in collegio (1977) - Killer
- Messalina, Messalina (1977) - Zenturio Bisone
- Squadra antitruffa (1977) - Franco 'Venticello' Bertarelli
- Little Italy (1978) - Venticello
- Scherzi da prete (1978) - Bombolo
- Assassinio sul Tevere (1979) - Franco 'Venticello' Bertarelli
- Tutti a squola (1979) - Bombolo il bidello
- L'imbranato (1979) - Bombolo, il genero
- Ciao marziano (1980) - Pietro
- Girls Will Be Girls (1980) - Giulio Cesare
- Delitto a Porta Romana (1980) - Franco 'Venticello' Bertarelli
- Il casinista (1980) - Poldo
- L'amante tutta da scoprire (1981) - Bombolo
- La settimana al mare (1981) - Orazio Canestrari
- Uno contro l'altro, praticamente amici (1981) - Capoccione
- I carabbinieri (1981) - Mozzarella
- Una vacanza del cactus (1981) - Augusto Squarciarelli
- Crime at the Chinese Restaurant (1981) - Bombolo
- Miracoloni (1981) - Taxista
- Il marito in vacanza (1981) - Agenore
- W la foca (1982) - Doctor Filippo Patacchiola
- Attenti a quei P2 (1982) - Bombolo il portiere
- Il sommergibile più pazzo del mondo (1982) - Il Postino
- Delitto sull'autostrada (1982) - Venticello
- Sturmtruppen 2 (tutti al fronte) (1982)
- La sai l'ultima sui matti? (1982) - Caciotta
- È forte un casino! (1982) - Cicciobello
- Un jeans e una maglietta (1983)
- Sfrattato cerca casa equo canone (1983) - Maciste
- La discoteca (1983) - Bombolo
- Crime in Formula One (1984) - Venticello
- Cop in Drag (1984) - Franco 'Venticello' Bertarelli
- Vacanze d'estate (1985) - Cardinale
- Giuro che ti amo (1986) - (final film role)
{{div col end}}
==Notes and references==
;Notes
{{notelist}}
;References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0093585}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bombolo}}
Category:Italian male film actors
Category:Italian male stage actors
Category:20th-century Italian male actors
Category:Male actors from Rome
Category:Italian male comedians
Category:20th-century Italian comedians