Burnu Acquanetta

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Burnu Acquanetta

SP from Tarzan and the Leopard Woman - 1946

Lovely vintage signed photo of Acquanetta from the 1946 film Tarzan and the Leopard Woman. Generally inscribed but unnamed “Happiness & Good Wishes from Acquanetta.”

Acquanetta (1921-2004), nicknamed “The Venezuelan Volcano,” was a B-movie actress known for her exotic beauty. Acquanetta started her career as a model in New York City with Harry Conover. She signed with Universal Studios in 1942 and acted mostly in B-movies, including Tarzan and the Leopard Woman, Arabian Nights, The Sword of Monte Cristo, and Captive Wild Woman, in which Universal attempted to create a female monster movie franchise with Acquanetta as an ape.

She retired from movies in the 1950s after marrying Jack Ross, a car dealer. They settled in Mesa, Arizona, and she returned to a degree of celebrity by appearing with Ross in his local television advertisements, and also by hosting a local television show called Acqua’s Corner that accompanied the Friday late-night movies. She and Ross had four children, and divorced in the 1980s.

Acquanetta also authored a book of poetry, The Audible Silence. In 1987, the all-girl band The Aquanettas adopted (and adapted) their name from hers.