GIOVANNI LOMBARDO RADICE
(John Morghen)
1954 Rome, Italy
although some sources quote fulci's Paura Nella Citta` Dei Mort Viventi(City Of The Living Dead) as Radice's first film role, it was actually Ruggero Deodato's La Casa Sperduta Nel Parco.(House By The Edge Of The Park) Radice was discovered by Deodato's mother (!) while preparing the stage for a play he was working on in Rome.
Radice, already an accomplished stage actor, gave an incredible performance as the slow-witted "Ricky." you really feel for the character who only rapes and terrorizes to be accepted by his friend.
Radice next teamed up with Fulci for the afore mentioned Paura... where he played the role of "Bob," the local sex maniac, who the towns people believe to also be a murderer. caught in a garage with a man's daughter, poor Giovanni gets a table drill slowly shoved into his head and out the other side.
he gets his revenge though, he comes back as a zombie and eats a few foreheads in the local tavern.
next up was Antonio Margheriti's Apocalysse Domani(Cannibal Apocalypse). here Radice plays a Veit Nam vet who while in a P.O.W. camp, contracted a strange disease that causes insanty and cannibalistic tendencies. another good performance from Radice saves a fairly boring movie, not to mention the incredible scene where Radice is shot in the back with a shot gun, leaving a huge gaping hole in his abdomoden.
in 1981, Radice joined Umberto Lenzi in the amazon for the ultra nasty Cannibal Ferox. Radice played way against chracter as the sadistic drug dealer who tortures man and beast to get his rocks off. Lenzi and Radice had lots of clashes on the set. for example, Giovanni refused the shot the notorious pig stabbing scene, and a P.A. had to do it. obviously no hard feelings though, as Radice wrote the script fo Lenzi's Daughter Of The Jungle 3 years later.
Radice worked on Fabrizio De Angelis' Impatto Mortale (Deadly Impact) in 1984, and then in 1987 made a return to horror with Michele Soavi's Stage Fright, a film close to his roots. a mad man stalking actors in a theater while they rehearse for a play. Radice plays a flamboyant homosexual who spends most of his screen time in an owl costume! the same year he again worked with Deodato on Un Dilitto Poco Commune (Off Balance), and he had parts in most of Soavi's and Lamberto Bava's horror films in the late 80's.
Radice has said that the stage is where he is most comfortable, and that he only acts in films when he needs money. what a shame.
Radice has a role in the upcoming Italian comedy Honolulu Baby, though i doubt it will reach these shores.