R.I.P. Rosemary Dexter

Rosemary Dexter
Rosemary Dexter

Now here’s some sad news.  I stumbled across a report saying that actress Rosemary Dexter died back in September (this is also showing on the Italian Wikipedia).

The well known actress of the 1960s, Rosemary Dexter, was found dead yesterday afternoon in her home in Via Leopardi 1.  She was estimated to have died two days ago.  A friend, who was accustomed to seeing her every day, became suspicious and informed the Leopardi family, whose guest she was, because Ms Dexter lived alone and had suffered from a long-term illness.  The actress had arrived in Recanati 11 years ago having retired from the the film world.  She was a longtime friend of the Leopardi family and, in particular, of the Count Vanni and his daughter, Olimpia, who had found her accomodation in a small appartment near the Centre of Leopardiani Studies.  “She wanted to spend her last years living in Recanati,” said Count Vanni, “because she loved these hills and the poetry of Giacomo.”  She had no relatives and expressed her wish to be cremated after she died.
The actress arrived in Italy in the late 1950s from Pakistan, where she was born on July 19, 1944 to English parents.

Determined to enter the world of cinema, she made her debut in 1963 with Ugo Gregoretti’s Omicron. She was the protagonist in 1968s Romeo and Juliet, by Franco Zefirelli [she wasn’t she was in Riccardo Freda’s 1964 version], and worked with Mario Monicelli on Casanova 70, Sergio Leone on For a Few Dollars More, Duccio Tessari and Gianni Morandi on Per amore… per magia and Luigi Comencini on Mio Dio, come sono caduta in basso!


About Matt Blake 890 Articles
The WildEye is a blog dedicated to the wild world of Italian cinema (and, ok, sometimes I digress into discussing films from other countries as well). Peplums, comedies, dramas, spaghetti westerns... they're all covered here.

21 Comments

  1. I spent happy childhood holidays with my cousin Rosemary and her parents in their Cornish home. We lost touch as we both travelled extensively, and were planning to meet again, but were prevented by both my mother and Rosemary’s terminal illnesses. I shall always regret this.

    • I was saddened to hear why Ms. Dexter had to leave acting, and of her early passing. When I saw her films in the 1970s, I guessed she had some Italian heritage, but when I found she was born in Pakistan, wondered if she had South Asian ancestry ?

  2. I was on a holiday with my parents (your mother’s sister was my mother) and visited your parents at their home in Millbrook in the summer of 1966. I am sorry that our paths never crossed in life, but I feel you are with all of our family who have left and are in a more beautiful place.

  3. I met Rosemary in 1962 in Rome. It was love at first sight for both of us. We were together living in Trastevere as a couple for a year. She got her first feature work with Omicron working with Renato Salvatore. I was her acting coach since she had no formal training and I was trained at the American Theatre Wing in New York, but she had a natural talent and a stunnng beauty and an incredible charm.
    I’ve never forgotten her and think of her still with all my heart as one of the great loves of my life. Rest In peace precious.

  4. I met and became Friends with Rosemary in Paris where we were both studying in 1962.I often wondered where she was living as we lost touch with each other.She will be sadly missed as she was truely one of lifes beautiful people in soul as well as looks.I would loved to have entertained her at my club The Cuckoo club and catch up on old times but sadly that can never be.May you rest in Peace.Your good friend Bobby Lorenz.x

    • Rosemary will be sadly missed. I was watching the movie The Vanetta of The Saint with Roger Moore she was a great actress.RIP

      • Have just watched Vendetta for the saint, & wanted to know who the lovely actress was who played Gina. Am so sad to discover it was Rosemary. Such a sad loss to her family & everyone who knew her. A great actress who is sorely missed. RIP angel.

  5. Hello, I am trying to see if their is anyone who could tell me how Rosemary Dexter died from? I heard she was suffering a long illness.Are their new photos of her when before she died?

  6. I have been in shock with this sad news and coming to know it two years later. I met ROse Mary in ñrime in 1975 she was a close friend of Greta Vaillant and she used to come to her home at Via del Colosseo very oftenly. Once Rose Mary came to Colombia where I lived and we spent beautiful days together. After that I lost any contact, but she has always been in my heart, I want to say hello to Vani if he sometime come to read this message.

  7. I was saddened to hear of Rosemary’s passing. We spent many happy days, times full of laughter and fun in Jamaica where she lived for a while in the late 70’s to 80’s. She was an avid reader so we spent much of the time on the beach relaxing. I will miss her and so sorry I lost touch with her for the last days of her life. Plenty love Rosemary, I can’t forget you my friend.

  8. Didn’t she act on a movie called, “Blow Hot Blow Cold”? I am certain she did because I couldn’t remember her name and I searched through that movie to get to her name! Then how come that movie name is not credited her in so many sites, including this one? I saw only one movie of her and that was enough to remember her forever!

  9. I saw Rosemary in Shoes of the Fisherman. It was love at first sight. Even in a minor role as David Jansen’s mistress she dominated the film with her beauty.

  10. How sad that a beautiful and talented woman should spend her last years quite alone, no relatives, no partner, few friends.

    And to die alone is terrible.

    My heart goes out to all who knew her and counted her as a friend.

    Rest in Peace Rosemary Dexter.

  11. I saw the movie “Blow Hot Blow Cold’in which she played the main female role against Giuliano Gemma back in the late 1960’s in Sri Lanka, a film you could never forget. Sad to hear about her death. May she rest in peace.

  12. I just watched The Saint Vendetta episodes and researched the cast. Nice performance of Rosemary. I will be looking for some of her other work, sounds she had a lot of movies. RIP.

  13. On behalf of my sister Eve Babitz and Myself, we never stopped talking about you Rosemary after meeting you in 1961 in a pansion in Paris where we all stayed. You and Eve met again in Rome in 1962 and spent fun time together. I designed clothes in 1967 in London and knew people that knew you, like Michael Rainey at Hung On You, who carried news of you to my in London. Darling girl you will always be in our hearts and I know that Eve really loved you a lot. Rest in Peace.

  14. Having watched Rosemary in a film today I must say I have seen such a beautiful young lady who also had a fantastic personality. May she be blessed with lots of love in heaven.

  15. I myself have just seen her in this episode of The Saint (vendetta) She plays a great part in this and is naturally beautiful, it is such a shame if she has passed under these circumstances, alone without many friends..

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