Ruggiero Eugenio di Rodolpho Colombo (January 14, 1908 – September 2, 1934), known as Russ Columbo, was an American singer, violinist and actor, most famous for his signature tune "You Call It Madness, But I Call It Love", his compositions "Prisoner of Love" and "Too Beautiful For Words", and the legend surrounding his early death.
After Russ Columbo's death, his girlfriend, actress Carole Lombard, and his friends got together and staged an elaborate subterfuge (similar to the plot of the recent film "Good Bye, Lenin!") to keep Columbo's mother from finding out that her son had died, since they thought the news would kill her. The secret campaign, which included making and sending her false reports of what he was supposedly doing and what was happening to him career-wise, continued until Lombard's own early death in 1942.
2
The circumstances of Russ Columbo's sudden death, if true, constitute one of the most freakish freak accidents ever brought to popular attention. The story as it is most frequently given runs thus: Columbo was visiting the studio of a photographer friend when the friend, in lighting a cigarette, lit the match by striking it against the wooden stock of an antique French dueling pistol. The flame set off a long-forgotten charge in the gun, and a lead pistol ball was fired. The pistol ball ricocheted off a nearby table and hit Columbo in the forehead, killing him almost instantly. All this took place in about ten seconds.
3
Universal once considered him for the role of Gaylord Ravenal when their 1930s film version of Show Boat (1936) was still in the discussion stages, but his death ended the speculation.
4
Singer Russ Columbo, a major romantic idol in the early 1930s, was in the midst of a highly publicized romance with Carole Lombard (which her studio was said to have strongly opposed) when he was killed in a bizarre shooting "accident" at the age of 26. In 1955, popular recording star Alan Dale was approached by producers planning a film based on the life of Russ Columbo. It had long been noted that Dale's voice had a quality reminiscent of the ill-fated singer's, and in view of the dramatic and tragic events in Columbo's life, such a movie seemed like a good bet. For some mysterious reason the project never materialized.
5
Interred at Forest Lawn (Glendale), Glendale, California, USA, in the Great Mausoleum, Sanctuary of Vespers, to the left of the Last Supper Window.
6
His mother was gravely ill at the time of his death and was never told of it. She lived the next ten years believing that he was alive, her husband writing her letters as Russ -- telling her of his life and continuing success in the movies.
7
Linked romantically to Carole Lombard at the time of his death.
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Boardwalk Empire
2014
TV Series performer - 1 episode
Magic in the Moonlight
2014
writer: "You Call It Madness But I Call It Love"
Crazy Love
2007/I
Documentary writer: "You Call It Madness But I Call It Love"
King of California
2007
writer: "Let's Pretend There's A Moon"
Romance & Cigarettes
2005
writer: "Prisoner of Love"
The Sopranos
1999
TV Series writer - 1 episode
In Too Deep
1990
writer: "PRISONER OF LOVE"
Raging Bull
1980
music: "Prisoner of Love" 1931 / performer: "Prisoner of Love" 1931
The Bob Hope All Star Christmas Comedy Special
1977
TV Special writer: "Prisoner of Love"
Where the Action Is
1965
TV Series writer - 1 episode
The T.A.M.I. Show
1964
Documentary music: "Prisoner of Love"
Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall
1958-1959
TV Series music - 2 episodes
Jazz Party
1958
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Show Time at the Apollo
1955
TV Series music - 1 episode
Wake Up and Dream
1934
lyrics: "Let's Pretend There's a Moon", "Too Beautiful for Words", "When You're in Love" / music: "Let's Pretend There's a Moon", "Too Beautiful for Words", "When You're in Love" / performer: "Wake Up and Dream", "Let's Pretend There's a Moon", "Too Beautiful for Words", "When You're in Love"
Moulin Rouge
1934
"Coffee in the Morning and Kisses in the Night", uncredited
Going Hollywood
1933
writer: "You Call It Madness But I Call It Love" 1931 - uncredited
Broadway Thru a Keyhole
1933
performer: "You Are My Past, Present and Future", "I Love You Pizzicato"
That Goes Double
1933
Short music: "Prisoner of Love", "You Call it Madness" / performer: "Prisoner of Love", "You Call it Madness", "My Love"
Night World
1932
music: "Prisoner of Love" - uncredited
Hell Bound
1931
writer: "Is It Love?"
Dynamite
1929
performer: "How Am I to Know" 1929 - uncredited
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Wake Up and Dream
1934
Paul Scotti
Moulin Rouge
1934
Russ Columbo
Broadway Thru a Keyhole
1933
Clark Brian
That Goes Double
1933
Short
Russ Columbo
Hell Bound
1931
The Texan
1930
Singing Cowboy at Campfire (uncredited)
Dynamite
1929
Singing Mexican Prisoner (uncredited)
Street Girl
1929
Violinist - Gus Arnheim and His Ambassaors (uncredited)
$4 Million
