Known for Acting
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Joseph Vito DeSantis (June 15, 1909 - August 30, 1989) was an American radio, television, movie and theatrical actor and sculptor. Joe De Santis was born Joseph Vito Marcello De Santis to Italian immigrant parents in New York City. De Santis played in numerous films; the high point of his career came in 1962 with A Cold Wind in August. He was also featured in I Want to Live! and The Brotherhood. With the advent of television, Joe became known as a skilled character actor who could play convincing dialect characters, mugs, suave heavies and emotional leads. He was active in such early television series as Playhouse 90, Studio One, Sheriff of Cochise, and he appeared regularly on the programs of Red Buttons, Martha Raye and Sid Caesar shows. In addition to many single performances on other series like Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Joe had a recurring presence in such shows as The Untouchables, 77 Sunset Strip, Perry Mason, Mission: Impossible, and in the westerns such as Sugarfoot, Daniel Boone, Gunsmoke, Sara, and Bonanza. De Santis retired to Provo, Utah in 1978 to be close to family, and resided there until his death in 1989. He died in 1989 at the age of eighty of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Born
June 15, 1909
Died
August 30, 1989 (age 80)
Birthplace
New York City, New York, USA
Filmography
33 films, 67 shows


How Rare a Possession: The Book of Mormon
1987 · 1h 4m · US
Depicts the factual accounts of Vincenzo Di Francesca and Parley P. Pratt and how they came to appreciate the contents of the Book of Mormon.


Contract on Cherry Street
1977 · 2h 25m · US
A policeman devises an unorthodox plan for bringing criminals to justice after his partner is brutally gunned down.


Katherine
1975 · 1h 37m · US
A harrowing look at the 60s and early 70s through the eyes of Katherine Alman, a wealthy debutante who slowly, but inexorably spirals down into a fight for the causes that shook a nation, leading a path to the underground life. Written by Miguel Cane


It's Good to Be Alive
1974 · 1h 40m · US
This movie details the struggles of former Brooklyn Dodger catcher Roy Campanella to adapt to life in a wheelchair following his crippling automobile accident in 1959. Cinematographer Ted Voigtlander was Emmy-nominated.


Little Cigars
1973 · 1h 32m · US
A gangster's former mistress hooks up with a troupe of circus midgets who, as a sideline, rob banks and casinos.


Honor Thy Father
1973 · 1h 37m · US
Joseph Bologna stars as Bill Bonanno in this made-for-television adaptation of the controversial bestseller from Gay Talese, chronicling the rise of New York's infamous Bonanno organized crime family. When his father disappears in 1964 and Bill is compelled to take over the "empire," other mafiosi attempt to take what's theirs. Brenda Vaccaro and Richard S. Castellano fill out the impressive cast of this gripping crime tale.


Powderkeg
1971 · 1h 33m · US
A Mexican bandit is about to be executed in the United States, so his brother takes over a train and holds the passengers as hostages unless his brother is released. Now both the Americans and Mexicans are baffled as to what to do. One of the passengers — who wrote the letter for their captor — has a suggestion: call mercenaries Hank Brackett and Johnny Reech. They do, and as expected they do come up with a plan, but the president of the railroad is not sure if it will work.


The Brotherhood
1968 · 1h 36m · US
The son of a powerful Mafia don comes home from his army service in Vietnam and wants to lead his own life, but family tradition, intrigues and powerplays involving his older brother dictate otherwise, and he finds himself being slowly drawn back into that world.


Chubasco
1968 · 1h 40m · US
A wild beach boy takes a job on a tuna fishing boat.


The Venetian Affair
1966 · 1h 29m · US
Former CIA man, Bill Fenner, now a downbeat, loner journalist, is sent to Venice to investigate the shock suicide bombing by an American diplomat at a peace conference.


The Professionals
1966 · 1h 57m · US
An arrogant Texas millionaire hires four adventurers to rescue his kidnapped wife from a notorious Mexican bandit.


Beau Geste
1966 · 1h 43m · US
Brothers Beau, John and Digby Geste join the Foreign Legion, where they fall under the rule of tyrannical Sergeant Markoff. Beau and John are assigned to Fort Zinderneuf, where Markoff tries to break their spirit, aware of a dark family secret concerning a fabulous jewel one of them carries. As tensions rise, Arabs attack the fort and rivalries must be thrown aside in a desperate battle for life.


An American Dream
1966 · 1h 43m · US
Stephen Rojack is a decorated war vet who has now found success as an outspoken television personality. During a vicious argument with his wife, Deborah, Stephen snaps and pushes her from his high-rise apartment to her death. He manages to convince the authorities that she killed herself, then reignites an old affair with singer Cherry McMahon -- which doesn't sit well with her jealous mobster boyfriend, Nicky.


And Now Miguel
1966 · 1h 35m
A boy longs to be a shepherd in New Mexico but is repeatedly told he is too young.


Madame X
1966 · 1h 40m · US
Holly Parker, the wife of a wealthy diplomat, is compromised by the accidental death of a man who has been romantically pursuing her. She is forced by her mother-in-law to assume a new identity in order to save the reputation of her husband and infant son. She wanders the world, trying to forget her heartbreak with the aid of alcohol and unsavory men. Eventually returning to the city of her downfall, she murders a blackmailer who threatens to expose her past. Amazingly, Holly is represented at her murder trial by her now adult son, who has become a public defender. In the hope of protecting her family, she refuses to reveal her real name and is known to the court as "Madame X".


The George Raft Story
1961 · 1h 46m · US
The 1961 film biography of the nightclub dancer-turned-movie star George Raft.


A Cold Wind in August
1961 · 1h 20m · US
An older woman gets involved with her young neighbor.
The Flying Fontaines
The Flying Fontaines
1959 · 1h 24m · US
Director George Sherman's 1959 circus drama stars Michael Callan as a cocky aerialist causing romantic problems under the Big Top.


Cry Tough
1959 · 1h 23m · US
After getting out of prison, a Latino criminal tries to go straight.


Al Capone
1959 · 1h 44m · US
In this unusually accurate biography, small-time hood Al Capone comes to Chicago at the dawn of Prohibition to be the bodyguard of racketeer Johnny Torrio. Capone's rise in Chicago gangdom is followed through murder, extortion, and political fraud. He becomes head of Chicago's biggest "business," but moves inexorably toward his downfall and ignominious end.


I Want to Live!
1958 · 2h · US
Brazen perpetual offender Barbara Graham tries to go straight but she finds herself implicated in a murder and sent to death row.


Buchanan Rides Alone
1958 · 1h 20m · US
Passing through a border town, a man is caught up in a Mexican's murder of a member of the town's most powerful family.


The Case Against Brooklyn
1958 · 1h 22m · US
A rookie cop takes on criminals who have the local government in their pocket.


Jeanne Eagels
1957 · 1h 49m · US
Biographical film based loosely on the life of 1920s stage star Jeanne Eagels.


Dino
1957 · 1h 34m · US
A juvenile delinquent on parole receives support from a social worker and a girl from a slum.


The Unholy Wife
1957 · 1h 34m · US
A woman marries a man for his wealth, then concocts a plan to kill him, take his money, and run off with her lover. Things go wrong when they accidentally kill the wrong person.


Ain't No Time for Glory
1957 · 1h 30m
American soldiers must use stealth to take over a German command post in Normandy.


Full of Life
1956 · 1h 31m · US
A father-in-law's visit makes life even more complicated for a struggling writer and his pregnant wife.


Tension at Table Rock
1956 · 1h 33m · US
When the owner of a stagecoach station is killed, a gunman takes his place.


The Last Hunt
1956 · 1h 48m · US
A buffalo hunter has a falling-out with his partner, who kills for fun.


Deadline - U.S.A.
1952 · 1h 27m · US
New York City newspaper The Day is in trouble. Even though editor Ed Hutcheson has worked hard running the paper, its circulation has been steadily declining. Now the publisher's widow wants to sell the paper, which will most likely mean its end. Hutcheson's only hope is to finish his exposé on a dangerous gangster before the sale is finalized.


The Man with a Cloak
1951 · 1h 24m · US
Set in 19th-century New York, this mystery begins when a Frenchwoman shows up at the home of one of Napoleon's former marshals. The alcoholic man is badly crippled and slowly dying, but this doesn't stop the forthright lady from pushing him to change his will to include his estranged grandson so that he can help out the struggling French Republic. Unfortunately, the dying man's conniving housekeeper and butler, already planning murder to get the money themselves, overhear her and begin plotting her demise.


Slattery's Hurricane
1949 · 1h 27m · US
A pilot wants a life of ease, flying for drug smugglers and looking the other way until his conscience is tweaked by a woman he has misused. The story unfolds in flashbacks as the pilot battles the storm and recalls his failures, including a love affair with the wife of his best friend.