Bombolo

Franco Lechner, best known as Bombolo^[a] (22 May 1931 – 21 August 1987), was an Italian character actor and comedian.

Bombolo
Born	Franco Lechner (1931-05-22)22 May 1931 Rome, Italy
Died	21 August 1987(1987-08-21) (aged 56) Rome, Italy
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1966–1987
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)

Giorgio Bracardi, Renato Nicolini [it], and Bombolo, at an anti-fast food demonstration in Piazza di Spagna, 20 April 1986

Bombolo, 1983

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".^[1] 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.^[1] He was also partner of Enzo Cannavale in a number of comedy films.^[2] He died at age 56 as a result of complications following a major surgical operation.^[1] Decades later, his characteristic slang, and particularly his distinctive "tze tze", remain popular among the younger generations.^[2]

Partial filmography

• 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
• Swindle (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
• The Week at the Beach (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)