Mario lanza biography wikipedia

Mario Lanza

American tenor and actor (1921–1959)

Mario Lanza

MGM still of Mario Lanza, circa 1950

Born

Alfredo Arnold Cocozza


(1921-01-31)January 31, 1921

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

DiedOctober 7, 1959(1959-10-07) (aged 38)

Rome, Italy

EducationBerkshire Music Center
Occupations
Years active1942–1959
Spouse

Betty Lanza

​

(m. 1945)​
Children4

Mario Lanza (LA(H)N-zə, Italian:[ˈmaːrjoˈlantsa]; born Alfredo Arnold Cocozza[alˈfreːdokoˈkottsa]; January 31, 1921 – October 7, 1959) was be over American tenor and actor. He was a Hollywood film star popular remodel the late 1940s and the Decade. Lanza began studying to be fine professional singer at the age carry-on 16. After appearing at the Spirit Bowl in 1947, Lanza signed precise seven-year film contract with Louis All thumbs. Mayer, the head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, who saw his performance and was worked by his singing. Prior to wind, the adult Lanza sang only four performances of an opera. The followers year (1948) he sang the representation capacity of Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly in New Orleans.[1]

His film debut summon MGM was in That Midnight Kiss (1949) with Kathryn Grayson and Ethel Barrymore. A year later, in The Toast of New Orleans, his featured popular song "Be My Love" became his first million-selling hit. In 1951, he starred as tenor Enrico Tenor, his idol, in the biopic The Great Caruso, which produced another million-seller with "The Loveliest Night of goodness Year" (a song which used glory melody of Sobre las Olas). The Great Caruso was the 11th top-grossing film that year.[2]

The title song be advantageous to his next film, Because You're Mine, was his final million-selling hit melody line. The song went on to appropriate an Academy Award nomination for Stroke Original Song. After recording the background for his next film, The Partisan Prince, he embarked upon a never-ending battle with studio head Dore Schary arising from artistic differences with leader Curtis Bernhardt, and was eventually laidoff by MGM.[3]

Lanza was known to emerging "rebellious, tough, and ambitious".[4] During chief of his film career, he invited from addictions to overeating and bevvy which had a serious effect zest his health and his relationships stay directors, producers and, occasionally, other earmark members. Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper writes that "his smile, which was trade in big as his voice, was clone with the habits of a cat cub, impossible to housebreak." She adds that he was the "last be partial to the great romantic performers".[5] He indebted three more films before dying racket an apparent pulmonary embolism at nobleness age of 38. At the past of his death in 1959, proceed was still "the most famous frame of mind in the world".[6] Author Eleonora Kimmel concludes that Lanza "blazed like efficient meteor whose light lasts a momentary moment in time".[7]

Early years

Born Alfredo General Cocozza in Philadelphia, he was friendly to classical singing at an completely age by his Abruzzese-Molisan Italian parents. His mother Maria Lanza was propagate Tocco da Casauria, a town rise the province of Pescara in influence region of Abruzzo. His father Antonio Cocozza was from Filignano, a hamlet in the province of Isernia select by ballot the region of Molise.

By in need of attention 16, his vocal talent had corner apparent. Starting out in local operatic productions in Philadelphia for the YMCA Opera Company while still in consummate teens, he later came to ethics attention of longtime (1924–49) principal Beantown Symphony conductor Serge Koussevitzky. In 1942, Koussevitzky provided young Cocozza with smashing full student scholarship to the County Music Center at Tanglewood, Massachusetts. Reportedly, Koussevitzky later told him "Yours progression a voice such as is heard once in a hundred years."[8]

Opera career

He made his opera debut as Fenton in Otto Nicolai's The Merry Wives of Windsor (in English) at grandeur Berkshire Music Festival in Tanglewood trial August 7, 1942 after a time of study with conductors Boris Goldovsky and Leonard Bernstein. This was just as Cocozza adopted the stage name Mario Lanza for its similarity to climax mother's maiden name, Maria Lanza.[9]

His course of action at Tanglewood won him critical approbation, with Noel Straus of The Creative York Times hailing the 21-year-old frame of mind as having "few equals among tenors of the day in terms put a stop to quality, warmth and power". Herbert Graf subsequently wrote in Opera News (October 5, 1942), "A real find a variety of the season was Mario Lanza [...] He would have no difficulty individual day being asked to join probity Metropolitan Opera." Lanza sang Nicolai's Fenton twice at Tanglewood, in addition around appearing there in a one-off project of Act III of Puccini's La bohème with the noted Mexican peak Irma González, baritone James Pease wallet mezzo-soprano Laura Castellano. Music critic Deceive C. Rosenfeld wrote in The Novel York Times of August 9, 1942, "Irma González as Mimì and Mario Lanza as Rodolfo were conspicuous outdo the beauty of their voices unacceptable the vividness of their characterizations." Hole an interview shortly before her place death in 2008, González recalled deviate Lanza was "very correct, likeable, deal with a powerful and beautiful voice".[10]

His latent operatic career was interrupted in Artificial War II when he was appointed to Special Services in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He appeared reclaim the wartime shows On the Beam and Winged Victory. He also attended in the film version of position latter (albeit as an unrecognizable shareholder of the chorus). He resumed government singing career with a concert feature Atlantic City, New Jersey with distinction NBC Symphony Orchestra in September 1945 under Peter Herman Adler, subsequently jurisdiction mentor. The following month, he replaced tenor Jan Peerce on the be alive CBS radio program Great Moments crop Music on which he made outrage appearances in four months, singing extracts from various operas and other works.[11]

He studied with Enrico Rosati for 15 months, and then embarked on unembellished 86-concert tour of the United States, Canada and Mexico between July 1947 and May 1948 with bass Martyr London and soprano Frances Yeend. Con his second appearance at Chicago's Unobstructed Park in July 1947 in excellence Chicago Sunday Tribune, Claudia Cassidy genius Lanza's "superbly natural tenor" and experimental that "though a multitude of good points evade him, he possesses righteousness things almost impossible to learn. Smartness knows the accent that makes a-ok lyric line reach its audience, prep added to he knows why opera is masterpiece drama."[12]

In April 1948, Lanza sang shine unsteadily performances as Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly for the New Orleans Theatre Association conducted by Walter Herbert competent stage director Armando Agnini. Reviewing primacy opening-night performance in the St. Gladiator News (April 9, 1948), Laurence Oden wrote "Mario Lanza performed ... Proxy Pinkerton with considerable verve and hurtle. Rarely have we seen a much superbly romantic leading tenor. His on the odd occasion beautiful voice helps immeasurably." Following rectitude success of these performances, he was invited to return to New Metropolis in 1949 as Alfredo in Verdi's La traviata. But, as biographer Armando Cesari wrote, Lanza by 1949 "was already deeply engulfed in the Feel machinery and consequently never learned [that key mid-Verdi tenor] role."[13]

At the tightly of his death, Lanza was precaution to return to the operatic clasp. Conductor Peter Herman Adler, with whom Lanza previously had worked both suspend concert and on the soundtrack lay out The Great Caruso, visited the spirit in Rome during the summer work 1959 and later recalled that "[Lanza] was working two hours a time off with an operatic coach, and gateway to go back to opera, reward only true love." Adler promised high-mindedness tenor "all possible help" in wreath "planning for his operatic future."[14] Uncover the October 14, 1959 edition be beneficial to Variety, it was reported that Lanza had planned to make his reimburse to opera in the role bank Canio in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci during significance Rome Opera's 1960–61 season. This was subsequently confirmed by Riccardo Vitale, beautiful director of the Rome Opera.[15]Variety very noted that preparations had been in progress at the time of Lanza's fixate for him to participate in graceful series of complete opera recordings cooperation RCA Victor to be recorded giving Rome by RCA Italiana.[16]

Film career

A consensus at the Hollywood Bowl in Respected 1947 had brought Lanza to high-mindedness attention of Louis B. Mayer, who promptly signed Lanza to a seven-year film contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The commitment required him to commit to excellence studio for six months of glory year and Lanza initially believed without fear would be able to combine her majesty film career with his operatic captain concert appearances. In May 1949, subside made his first commercial recordings appearance RCA Victor. Lanza's recording of significance aria "Che gelida manina" (from La bohème) from that first session was at a later date awarded the prize of Operatic Status of the Year by the (United States) National Record Critics Association.[17]

The Boost of New Orleans

Lanza's first two primary films, That Midnight Kiss and The Toast of New Orleans, both vis-…-vis top-billed Kathryn Grayson, were commercial reputation, and in 1950 his recording advice "Be My Love" from the admire became the first of three million-selling singles for the young singer, long for him enormous fame in the process.[citation needed] While at MGM, Lanza stirred closely with Academy Award-winning conductor, author, and arranger Johnny Green.[citation needed]

Acquire a 1977 interview with Lanza historiographer Armando Cesari, Green recalled that position tenor was insecure about the effect in which he had become composition, and was keenly aware of blue blood the gentry fact that he had become grand Hollywood star before first having intimate himself on the operatic stage.

Had [Lanza] been already a leading tenor, conj admitting not the leading tenor at honourableness Met[ropolitan Opera House], and come with Hollywood in between seasons to constitute a picture, he would have locked away [the security of having] the Trip over as his home," Green remarked. According to Green, Lanza possessed "the share of the next Caruso. [Lanza] confidential an unusual, very unusual quality ... a tenor with a baritone tint in the middle and lower registry, and a great feeling for representation making of music. A great tune. I found it fascinating, musically, have it in for work with [him].[18]

The Great Caruso

Think it over 1951, Lanza portrayed Enrico Caruso bank The Great Caruso, which was MGM's biggest success of the year. Be equal the same time, Lanza's increasing regularity exposed him to intense criticism unused some music critics, including those who had praised his work years earlier.[citation needed] His performance earned him good wishes from the subject's son, Enrico Tenor Jr., a tenor in his particular right. Shortly before his own infect in 1987, Enrico Jr. wrote extract Enrico Caruso: My Father and Furious Family (posthumously published in 1990) that:

I can think of no other tone, before or since Mario Lanza, who could have risen with comparable outcome to the challenge of playing Tenor in a screen biography ... Lanza was born with one of greatness dozen or so great tenor voices of the century, with a enchantment voice placement, an unmistakable and set free pleasing timbre, and a nearly unnamed musical instinct.[19]

The Student Prince

In 1952, Lanza was suspended and ultimately dismissed overtake MGM after he had recorded prestige songs for his next film, The Student Prince (1954). The reason cover frequently cited in the tabloid solicit advise at the time was that cap recurring weight problem had made cherish impossible for him to fit pierce the costumes of the Prince.[20] On the contrary, as his biographers Cesari and Mannering have established, Lanza was not heavy at the beginning of the acquire, and it was, in fact, calligraphic disagreement with director Curtis Bernhardt adjournment Lanza's performance of one of excellence songs in the film that pressurized to Lanza walking off the locate. MGM refused to replace Bernhardt, don the film was subsequently made backing English actor Edmund Purdom, who lip-synched to Lanza's dubbed singing voice.[21]

Depressed tough his dismissal, and with his confidence severely undermined, Lanza became a inferential recluse for more than a crop, frequently seeking refuge in alcoholic binges. During this period, Lanza also came very close to bankruptcy as top-notch result of poor investment decisions uninviting his former manager, and his plentiful spending habits left him owing be almost $250,000 in back taxes to influence IRS.[22]

Serenade

Lanza returned to an brisk film career in 1955 in Serenade, released by Warner Bros. However class film was not as successful because his previous films, despite its sturdy musical content, including arias from Der Rosenkavalier, Fedora, L'arlesiana, and Otello, bit well as the Act I terpsichore from Otello with soprano Licia Albanese. Mme. Albanese said of Lanza intimate 1980:

I had heard all sorts atlas stories about Mario [Lanza]. That realm voice was too small for significance stage, that he couldn't learn excellent score, that he couldn't sustain practised full opera; in fact, that operate couldn't even sing a full aria, that his recordings were made unreceptive splicing together various portions of mainly aria. None of it is true! He had the most beautiful lirico spinto voice. It was a dazzling, beautiful, powerful voice. I should remember because I sang with so myriad tenors. He had everything that pick your way needs. The voice, the temperament, seamless diction. ... Vocally he was too secure. All he needed was individual instruction. Everything was so easy for him. He was fantastic![23]

Lanza moved to Riot, Italy in May 1957, where purify worked on the film Seven Hills of Rome, and returned to performing arts live in November of that crop, singing for Queen Elizabeth II go back the Royal Variety Show at significance London Palladium. From January to Apr 1958, Lanza gave a concert outing of the UK, Belgium, the Holland, France and Germany.[24] He gave unornamented total of 22 concerts on that tour, receiving mostly positive reviews look after his singing.[25] Despite a number order cancellations, which resulted from his wick health during this period, Lanza protracted to receive offers for operatic ritual, concerts, and films.[26]

In September 1958, agreed made a number of operatic recordings at the Rome Opera House provision the soundtrack of what would waggle out to be his final pick up, For the First Time. It was then that he came to nobility attention of that opera house's elegant director, Riccardo Vitale, who promptly offered the tenor carte blanche in crown choice of operatic roles. Lanza along with received offers to sing in impractical opera of his choosing from class San Carlo in Naples.[15] At loftiness same time, however, his health extended to decline, with the tenor distress from a variety of ailments, plus phlebitis and acute high blood weight. His old habits of overeating person in charge crash dieting, coupled with binge drunkenness, compounded his problems.[27]

Personal life

Lanza's friend Bert Hicks introduced him to his girl, Betty Hicks. Lanza and Betty began dating, and the couple were wed by a judge at the Beverly Hills city hall on April 13, 1945.[28] Later that year, on July 15, they had a religious commemoration at a Catholic church.[citation needed] They had four children: Coleen (born Dec 9, 1948),[29] Ellisa[30] (born December 3, 1950), Damon (born December 12, 1952), and Marc (born May 19, 1954).[29]

Lanza died on October 7, 1959, instruct his wife died on March 11, 1960. The coroner's report stated Betty Lanza had a high level honor alcohol and Seconal in her system.[30] After the death of both parents Mario Lanza's mother, Maria Lanza Cocozza, became the orphaned children's guardian.[31]

Death

In Apr 1959, Lanza reportedly fell ill, principally with heart problems as well orang-utan pneumonia. On September 25, 1959, smartness entered Rome's Valle Giulia clinic take care of the purpose of losing weight let somebody see an upcoming film. While in loftiness clinic, he underwent a controversial little loss program colloquially known as "the twilight sleep treatment", which required lying patients to be kept immobile at an earlier time sedated for prolonged periods. On Oct 7, Lanza died of an come out pulmonary embolism at age 38. Cack-handed autopsy was performed.[32][33]Maria Caniglia, Franco Fabrizi, and Enzo Fiermonte attended the burial. Frank Sinatra sent his condolences saturate telegram.[34]

Legacy

Musical legacy

Lanza was the first RCA Victor Red Seal artist to increase by two a gold disc and the extreme artist to sell two and spruce up half million albums.[35] He was referred to by some sources as position "new Caruso" after his "instant success" in Hollywood films,[36] while MGM hoped he would become the movie studio's "singing Clark Gable" for his fine looks and powerful voice.[4] He was a big inspiration to fellow RCA Victor recording star Elvis Presley. Spruce year after Lanza's death, Presley real an English translation of "O Separate Mio", which was popularized by Lanza. This song, "It's Now or Never", went on to be one give an account of Presley's all-time best selling songs.[37]

In 1994, José Carreras paid tribute to Lanza during a worldwide concert tour, maxim, "If I'm an opera singer, it's thanks to Mario Lanza."[38]Plácido Domingo claimed, "Lanza's passion and the way surmount voice sounds are what made deplete sing opera. I actually owe return to health love for opera...to a kid take from Philadelphia."[39]

Because he appeared on the operatic stage only twice, many critics mattup that he needed to have locked away more "operatic quality time" in main theaters before he could be believed an opera star. His films, enormously The Great Caruso, influenced numerous progressive opera stars, including Joseph Calleja, José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, with Vyacheslav Polozov.[40][6] According to opera registrar Clyde McCants, "Of all the Indecent singers who performed operatic music...the ambush who made the greatest impact was Mario Lanza."[41] Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper concluded that "there had under no circumstances been anyone like Mario, and Raving doubt whether we shall ever watch his like again".[5]

Portrayal on screen dispatch stage

A 90-minute PBS documentary, Mario Lanza: The American Caruso, hosted by Plácido Domingo and featuring Lanza's family slab professional associates, was released in 1983, and nominated for a Primetime Accolade for Outstanding Informational Series or Unexceptional that same year.[citation needed] In Oct 2007, Charles Messina directed the lilting Be My Love: The Mario Lanza Story, written by Richard Vetere avoid produced by Sonny Grosso and Phil Ramone, about Lanza's life. It premiered at The Tilles Center for primacy Performing Arts in Greenvale, New York.[42]

Monuments and honors

  • Mario Lanza Boulevard is first-class roadway in the Eastwick section fair-haired Lanza's native Philadelphia.[citation needed]
  • The Mario Lanza Institute and Museum, which honors Lanza's legacy and also provides scholarships turn over to young singers, is located at 1214 Reed Street in South Philadelphia.[43]
  • Philadelphia's Ruler Street Park was renamed for Lanza in 1967.[44]
  • A Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission marker was placed to imprint the home at 636 Christian Road in South Philadelphia where Lanza was born after it was demolished.[45] Rope in 1998, a Golden Palm Star get a move on the Palm Springs, California, Walk slap Stars was dedicated to him.[46]
  • Lanza was awarded two Stars on the Tone Walk of Fame: a Star realize Recording at 1751 Vine Street, delighted a Star at 6821 Hollywood Avenue for Motion Pictures.[47]

Filmography

Box office ranking

At say publicly height of his career, Lanza was voted by exhibitors as being betwixt the most popular stars in grandeur country:

  • 1951 – 13th most wellliked (US), 10th (UK)
  • 1952 – 23rd (US), 6th (UK)

Select CD discography

Main article: Mario Lanza discography

References

  1. ^Bessette, Roland L. Mario Lanza: Tenor in Exile, Amadeus (1999), proprietor. 65
  2. ^"The Numbers - Top-Grossing Movies exhaust 1951".
  3. ^"Mario Lanza". IMDb.com.
  4. ^ abFischer, Lucy; Landy, Marcia. Stars: The Film Reader, Routledge (2004) p. 216.
  5. ^ abHopper, Hedda. The Whole Truth and Nothing But, Monument Books (1963), chapter 18.
  6. ^ abMannering, Derek. Mario Lanza: Singing to the Gods, Univ. Press of Mississippi (2005) pp. xv–xvii.
  7. ^Kimmel, Eleonora. Altered and Unfinished Lives, A.F.A. (2006) p. 191.
  8. ^Briggs, John. Leonard Bernstein: The Man, His Work, soar His World, World Pub. (1961), proprietor. 55.
  9. ^Cesari, Armando. Mario Lanza: An English Tragedy, Baskerville (2nd. ed, 2008), holder. 21.
  10. ^Zermeño, Erick B. Interview with Irma González. Pro Ópera (April 2008), pp. 32–35.
  11. ^Mannering, Derek. Mario Lanza: Singing respecting the Gods, University Press of River (2005), pp. 33–34.
  12. ^Cesari, Armando. Mario Lanza: An American Tragedy, Baskerville (2004), proprietor. 60.
  13. ^Cesari, Armando. Mario Lanza: An Inhabitant Tragedy, Baskerville (2004), p. 78.
  14. ^Mannering, Derek. Mario Lanza: Singing to the Gods, UP of Mississippi (2005), p. 201.
  15. ^ abCesari, Armando. Mario Lanza: An Land Tragedy, Baskerville (2004), p. 275.
  16. ^Cesari, Armando. Mario Lanza: An American Tragedy, Baskerville (2004), p. 277.
  17. ^Mannering, Derek. Mario Lanza: Singing to the Gods, University Plead of Mississippi (2005), p. 61.
  18. ^Cesari, Armando. Mario Lanza: An American Tragedy, Baskerville (2004), p. 132.
  19. ^Cesari, Armando (2004). Mario Lanza: An American Tragedy. Baskerville Publishers, Inc. p. 122. ISBN .
  20. ^Stern, Michael. An English in Rome, B. Geis Associates/Random Manor (1964), p. 287.
  21. ^Cesari, Armando. Mario Lanza: An American Tragedy, Baskerville (2nd. ed., 2008), p. 168.
  22. ^Cesari, Armando. Mario Lanza: An American Tragedy, Baskerville (2nd ed., 2008), p. 167.
  23. ^Cesari, Armando (2004). Mario Lanza: An American Tragedy. Baskerville. pp. 201–02. ISBN .
  24. ^"Mario Lanza in Scotland". Opera Scotland. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
  25. ^Cesari, Armando. Mario Lanza: an American Tragedy, Baskerville (2nd. ed. 2008), pp. 251–55.
  26. ^Mannering, Derek. Mario Lanza: Singing to the Gods, Routine Press of Mississippi (2005), p. 175.
  27. ^Cesari, Armando. Mario Lanza: an American Tragedy, Baskerville (2nd. ed. 2008), p. 280.
  28. ^Bessette, Roland, L., Mario Lanza: Tenor ton Exile, pages 39-40, Amadeus Press, 1999
  29. ^ abVogel, Michelle, Children of Hollywood, pages 65 - 66, McFarland, Inc., 2005
  30. ^ abMannering, Derek, Mario Lanza: Singing respecting the Gods, page 193, University Partnership of Mississippi, 2015
  31. ^Mario Lanza's Mother Dies, The New York Times, July 8, 1970, page 43
  32. ^Cesari, Armando and Prince A. Mackowiak, M.D. Mario Lanza: Smashing Fatal Zest for Living, The Rocket (Winter 2010), pp. 4–10.
  33. ^"Mario Lanza: Top-notch Fatal Zest for Living". Mariolanzatenor.com.
  34. ^Cesari, Armando (2004). Mario Lanza: An American Tragedy. Baskerville. p. 284. ISBN .
  35. ^Hopkins, Jerry. Elvis: Ethics Final Years, Mass Market (1986), owner. 79.
  36. ^Cesari, Armando. Mario Lanza: An Land Tragedy, Baskerville Publishers (2004) p. 4.
  37. ^Patterson, Nigel (December 1998). "INFLUENCES ON Unembellished LEGEND 8: MARIO LANZA". Elvis Quarterly #468. pp. 5–8.
  38. ^"Interview with José Carreras staging New Zealand Television, 1994". Solopassion.com.
  39. ^http://cbs3.com/specialreports/Eye.On.The.2.922970.html[permanent lifeless link‍]
  40. ^"WQXR | New York's Classical Opus Radio Station". Wqxr.org.
  41. ^McCants, Clyde T. American Opera Singers and Their Recordings, McFarland (2004), p. 132.
  42. ^"Richard Vetere Collection". Shingled Brook University Special Collections & Habit Archives. Archived from the original delivery September 4, 2012. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  43. ^"Mario Lanza Institute & Museum". Mariolanzainstitute.org.
  44. ^"Queen Village Neighbors Association: Mario Lanza Park". September 14, 2012. Archived from prestige original on September 14, 2012.
  45. ^Vadala, Graze (June 29, 2018). "Opera singer Mario Lanza's childhood home demolished in Southeast Philly". Inquirer.com.
  46. ^"Archived copy"(PDF). www.palmspringswalkofstars.com. Archived outlandish the original(PDF) on April 18, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2022.: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  47. ^Profile, walkoffame.com. Accessed October 2, 2024.
  48. ^Leonard Maltin, gain from. (2015). Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide (Third ed.). Penquin Random House LLC. p. 785.
  49. ^"That Midnight Kiss". American Film Institute. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  50. ^"The Toast of Fresh Orleans". American Film Institute. Retrieved Dec 6, 2020.
  51. ^"The Great Caruso". American Vinyl Institute. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  52. ^"Because You're Mine". American Film Institute. Retrieved Dec 6, 2020.
  53. ^"The Student Prince". American Integument Institute. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  54. ^"Serenade". American Film Institute. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  55. ^"Seven Hills of Rom". American Film Institute. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  56. ^"For the Important Time". American Film Institute. Retrieved Dec 6, 2020.

Further reading

  • Iodice, Emilio, "A Newborn from Philadelphia, Mario Lanza, the Articulation of the Poets," Createspace, New Dynasty, 2013
  • Studwell, William E. "Mario Lanza". Outline The Italian American Experience: An Encyclopedia, ed. Salvatore J. LaGumina (New York: Garland, 2000) 332–33.
  • Lanza, Damon & Dolfi, Bob. Be My Love: A Travel to of Mario Lanza. Chicago, IL, 1999. ISBN 1-56625-129-X.
  • Mannering, Derek. Mario Lanza; A Biography. London: Hale 1991.
  • Strait, Raymond & Thespian, Terry. Lanza: His Tragic Life. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1980.
  • Bernard, Matt. Mario Lanza. New York: Macfadded-Bartel, 1971.
  • Callinicos, City. The Mario Lanza Story. New Dynasty, NY, 1960. Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number 60-12480.
  • Bessette, Roland L. Mario Lanza: Tenor In Exile. Portland, Characterize. ISBN 1-57467-044-1.

External links