biography

Ziva Rodann Born Ziva Blechman in Haifa, Palestine (now Israel), on March 2, 1933 (some sources indicate her date of birth as March 22, and the year as 1935 and 1937), gorgeous Ziva Rodann was interested in the performing arts from a young age, studying ballet and acting while she was a teenager after moving to the U.S. in 1947. After the end of an early first marriage, Rodann renewed her interest in acting and was signed to a contract with Universal-International in 1956. Universal didn't use the actress much, so after her contract lapsed, she signed with director Sam Fuller in 1957, who cast her in the western Forty Guns (1957; with Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan, John Ericson, and Gene Barry). However, the alliance with Fuller went nowhere fast, so by the late 1950s, Rodann freelanced in a variety of films and made numerous guest appearances on such popular television programs as Death Valley Days and Perry Mason.

Ziva RodannZiva Rodann

Late 1950s cheesecake photos of Ziva Rodann. LEFT From Universal-International. RIGHT: Paramount photo

Ziva Rodann's personal life often overshadowed her film career. She was romantically linked to a number of actors in the 1950s and 1960s, including actor/producer Robert Evans and actors Gardner McKay, Lang Jeffries, and George Montgomery. She made many television appearances in the 1960s, and she acted in such films as Samar (1962; with George Montgomery and Gilbert Roland) and 3 Nuts in Search of a Bolt (1964; with Mamie Van Doren, Tommy Noonan, and T.C. Jones), which was her last theatrically released film. Some of her television appearances included The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Mr. Terrific, and a great role as Nefertiti in two first-season episodes of the ABC series Batman 1966-1968).

the films of ziva rodann

Last Train from Gun Hill (1959)

Ziva Rodann

Rodann as the Native American Catherine Morgan in the John Sturges western Last Train from Gun Hill, released by Paramount

Blood and Steel (1959)

Ziva Rodann

From the 20th Century Fox war film Blood and Steel

College Confidential (1960)

Jayne Meadows, Ziva Rodann, and Steve Allen

With Jayne Meadows and Steve Allen in Albert Zugsmith's teen torment drama College Confidential, released by Universal

Macumba Love (1960)

William Wellman Jr. and Ziva Rodann

With William Wellman Jr. in the voodoo themed adventure Macumba Love

The Private Lives of Adam and Eve (1960)

Toni Covington, Ziva Rodann, Mickey Rooney, and Theona Bryant

From Universal's campy comedy The Private Lives of Adam and Eve with Toni Covington, Mickey Rooney, and Theona Bryant

Samar (1962)

George Montgomery and Ziva RodannJoan O'Brien, George Montgomery, Ziva Rodann, and Gilbert Roland

Written and directed by George Montgomery, Samar stars George Montgomery as Dr. Saunders. LEFT: Nico Minardos and Ziva Rodann are pictured. RIGHT: With Joan O'Brien, George Montgomery, and Gilbert Roland

The Real McCoys (1957-1963 ABC/CBS TV series)

Walter Brennan and Ziva Rodann

With Walter Brennan in an episode of The Real McCoys titled Pepino's Inheritance, which originally aired on November 26, 1962

3 Nuts in Search of a Bolt (1964)

Tommy Noonan, Ziva Rodann, and Mamie Van DorenT.C. Jones and Ziva Rodann

LEFT: With Tommy Noonan and Mamie Van Doren in the low-budget comedy 3 Nuts in Search of a Bolt, a film which was directed by Tommy Noonan. RIGHT: With T.C. Jones

Alexander the Great (1968)

William Shatner and Ziva Rodann

From the made-for-TV movie Alexander the Great with William Shatner. This was filmed in 1964 but did not air until 1968

ziva rodann today

Rodann's career came to a halt in the late 1960s; after marrying her third husband in 1967, the couple moved to Israel and she retired from the screen. Rodann retured to the U.S. following their divorce in 1975, she remarried again in Los Angeles the late 1970s.

filmography

FILM
Mirror, Mirror Off the Wall (1969) with George C. Scott, Maureen Stapleton, and John McGiver
Alexander the Great (1968) with William Shatner, Adam West, John Cassavetes, Joseph Cotten, and Simon Oakland
999 Aliza Mizrahi (1967)
3 Nuts in Search of a Bolt (1964) with Mamie Van Doren, Tommy Noonan, T.C. Jones, Paul Gilbert, Alvy Moore, and Marjorie Bennett
Wild Living (1963) with Christian Marquand and Reggie Nalder
Samar (1962) with George Montgomery, Gilbert Roland, and Joan O'Brien
The Private Lives of Adam and Eve (1960) with Mickey Rooney, Mamie Van Doren, Fay Spain, Mel Torme, Martin Milner, Tuesday Weld, Cecil Kellaway, Paul Anka, and June Wilkinson
The Giants of Thessaly (1960) with Roland Carey
College Confidential (1960) with Steve Allen, Jayne Meadows, Mamie Van Doren, Rocky Marciano, Mickey Shaughnessy, Herbert Marshall, Conway Twitty, Pamela Mason, and Elisha Cook Jr.
Macumba Love (1960) with Walter Reed, William Wellman Jr., and June Wilkinson
The Story of Ruth (1960) with Stuart Whitman, Tom Tryon, Viveca Lindfors, Jeff Morrow, Les Tremayne, John Gabriel, and John Banner
Blood and Steel (1959) with John Lupton, Brett Halsey, and James Hong
The Big Operator (1959) with Mickey Rooney, Steve Cochran, Mamie Van Doren, Mel Torme, Ray Danton, Jim Backus, Ray Anthony, Jackie Coogan, Charles Chaplin Jr., and Vampira
Last Train from Gun Hill (1959) with Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, Carolyn Jones, Earl Holliman, and Brad Dexter
King Creole (1958) with Elvis Presley, Carolyn Jones, Walter Matthau, Dolores Hart, Dean Jagger, and Vic Morrow
The Story of Mankind (1957) with Ronald Colman, Hedy Lamarr, Groucho Marx, Virginia Mayo, Agnes Moorehead, Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Cesar Romero, John Carradine, Dennis Hopper, and Marie Wilson
Forty Guns (1957) with Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan, Dean Jagger, John Ericson, Gene Barry, and Robert Dix
Teenage Doll (1957) with June Kenney, Fay Spain, Barboura Morris, Ed Nelson, and Bruno VeSota
The Tattered Dress (1957) with Jeff Chandler, Jeanne Crain, Jack Carson, Gail Russell, Elaine Stewart, George Tobias, Edward Andrews, and Edward Platt
Pharaoh's Curse (1957) with Mark Dana and Diane Brewster
Courage of Black Beauty (1957) with Johnny Crawford, J. Pat O'Malley, and Russell Johnson

TELEVISION GUEST APPEARANCES
Mr. Terrific, episode Stanley the Track Star, originally aired April 17, 1967
Batman, episode The Pharaoh's in a Rut, originally aired April 14, 1966
Batman, episode The Curse of Tut, originally aired April 13, 1966
Burke's Law, episode Or No Tomorrow, originally aired December 15, 1965
The Man from U.N.C.L.E., episode The Secret Sceptre Affair, originally aired February 8, 1965
Rawhide, episode The Book, originally aired January 8, 1965
The Third Man, episode Gold Napoleons, originally aired August 3, 1963
The Real McCoys, episode Pepino's Inheritance, originally aired November 26, 1962
The Beachcomber, episode The Two-Sided Triangle, originally aired October 23, 1962
Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Glamorous Ghost, originally aired February 3, 1962
Hawaiian Eye, episode My Love But Lightly, originally aired January 31, 1962
The Bob Cummings Show, episode Always on Tuesday, originally aired November 16, 1961
The Dick Powell Show, episode Out of the Night, originally aired October 31, 1961
The Rifleman, episode The Vaqueros, originally aired October 2, 1961
Tales of Wells Fargo, episode Rifles for Red Hand, originally aired May 15, 1961
The Tab Hunter Show, episode The Invitation, originally aired April 30, 1961
Bonanza, episode The Fugitive, originally aired February 4, 1961
Have Gun - Will Travel, episode An International Affair, originally aired April 2, 1960
Death Valley Days, episode Forbidden Wedding, originally aired March 17, 1960
Not for Hire, episode The Deserter, originally aired November 27, 1959
World of Giants, episode The Smugglers, originally aired November 7, 1959
Mr. Lucky, episode The Magnificent Bribe, originally aired October 24, 1959
The D.A.'s Man, episode Bajour, originally aired May 23, 1959
The Third Man, episode As the Twig Is Bent, originally aired April 30, 1959
Behind Closed Doors, episode The Middle East Story, originally aired December 18, 1958
Man Without a Gun, episode Danger, originally aired March 10, 1958
The Adventures of Hiram Holliday, episode Dancing Mouse, originally aired December 12, 1956

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Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen: Ziva Rodann

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Watch Ziva Rodann's 1957 horror film Pharaoh's Curse
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