Antony Carbone was born exactly 100 years ago today — on 15 July 1925. He only died five years ago at the age of 95.

I know him best for playing the duplicitous Doctor Leon in The Pit and the Pendulum (1961). The film is the second of the Corman Poe Cycle. A lot of people tried to drive Vincent Price crazy during the 1950s and 1960s. But Carbone along with Barbara Steele were probably the best.

Corbone also played Dick Miller’s boss in A Bucket of Blood. He was the horrible husband in The Last Woman on Earth. And he plays a murderous gangster in Creature From the Haunted Sea. As you can see, despite his lead-actor looks, producers loved casting him as terrible people. Maybe it was anti-Italian prejudice?

Like many Corman regulars, Antony Carbone worked mostly in television in his later career. According to Tom Weaver, during his later career, he worked directing plays in the Los Angeles area. I don’t know if that’s true. But I want to think it. Most actors are happiest in the theater. It’s why they started acting in the first place!

I haven’t found any information about his personal life. Even his birthplace is not known. Some sources say he was born in Italy and others say New York. There was a Facebook post from someone who claimed to be his son. I don’t know nor do I especially care. The work is enough.

And speaking of that, I recommend that we celebrate Antony Carbone’s birthday by watching The Pit and the Pendulum:

But if you like, you can watch The Last Woman on Earth and Creature From the Haunted Sea and A Bucket of Blood — all for free on Archive.

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Image of Antony Carbone in The Pit and the Pendulum taken under Fair Use.