Gary Merrill

He died of lung cancer at Falmouth, Maine. One month later, Mina's first single was out. Merrill was married twice, first to Barbara Leeds and then to Bette Davis. They went to meet her at the end of the concert and proposed her a trial recording session. His television career was equally routine: None of his series (which included Then Came Bronson and Young Doctor Kildare) lasted more than a season. Otto and his wife were present, and were greatly impressed by the singer of that group. His film career began promisingly, with roles in films like Twelve O'Clock High (1949) and All About Eve (1950), but the bulk of his screen appearances were as second- or third-billed characters in formulaic Westerns, war movies, and medical dramas. On the night of 24 September 1958 a band of teen-age students was playing in a dancing hall in Cremona.

Born in Hartford, Connecticut, he began acting in 1944, while still in the United States Army. Natalino Otto and his wife Flo Sandon's are credited with the discovery of one of Italy's greatest singers of all times - Mina. film and television actor whose credits included more than fifty feature films, a half-dozen mostly short-lived TV series, and dozens of TV guest appearances. His greatest hits were Ho un sassolino nella scarpa, Mamma voglio anch'io la fidanzata, Mister Paganini, Polvere di stelle, Op op trotta cavallino, Natalino studia canto, Il valzer del boogie-woogie, La classe degli asini. S. He recorded over two thousand songs during his career. Gary Merrill (August 2, 1915 - March 5, 1990) was a U. He was a very prolific singer.

Early in 1960s Otto retired from the public scene, but he continued to be involved in show organization, recordings and musical research. In that year he married Flo Sandon's, also an Italian singer. His best result was a third place in 1955 with a song titled Canto nella Valle. During 1950s Natalino Otto took part for five times to the San Remo Music Festival.

He also starred in La casa senza tempo and Carosello del varietą. He was the leading character in Tutta la cittą canta directed by Riccardo Freda in 1945. He was offered singer roles in a few films. Thanks to his popularity, also the movie industry wanted him.

Italian people danced to his swing tunes, which earned him the nickname "King of Rhythm". In a short while he won the audience with his records - one of the few Italian singers of those times, if not the only one, to achieve success without his songs playing on the radio. Banned from the radio, Natalino Otto worked for recording companies instead, together with two great Italian bandleaders such as Gorni Kramer and Pippo Barzizza. The Italian state radio company EIAR did not broadcast his songs, and labelled them as "barbaric negro antimusic".

He was forced to translate song titles and lyrics into Italian. But he had to face Italian Fascist regime censorship, that banned anything foreign. Back in Italy in 1937, Otto presented an innovative repertoire, strongly influenced by American music of that era. In 1935 he was hired by an Italian-American radio station in New York.

During 1930s he worked as an entertainer on board transatlantic liners on the routes between Europe and North America, which gave him the opportunity to get to know American music genres, especially jazz and swing. Natalino Otto's career as a singer and musician started in the clubs of his native region, Liguria. Natalino Otto, stage name of Natale Codognotto (Cogoleto, Genoa, Italy, 25 December 1912 - Milan, Italy, 4 October 1969) was the singer who started the swing genre in Italy.