José Luis de Vilallonga

José Luis de Vilallonga y Cabeza de Vaca, 9th Marquess of Castellbell, GE (29 January 1920 – 30 August 2007) was a Spanish nobleman, author, socialite and film actor. His peculiar character, described as "a mixture of aristocratic arrogance, self-confidence and unconcern", brought him frequent enmities with other public figures. He was known to be a multifaceted, charming, elegant and playboy-like figure. At his death in 2007, Vilallonga was referred to by several newspapers as "the last dandy".

Family Villalonga was born to an important Catalan noble family, son of Salvador de Vilallonga y Cárcer, 8th Marquess of Castellbell amongst other titles, and María del Carmen Cabeza de Vaca y Carvajal, daughter of the 9th Marquess of Portago. On his paternal side, he was descended from viceroy Amat, whereas on his maternal side, some of Vilallonga's ancestors were Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, Pedro Téllez-Girón, Ferrante Gonzaga II and Christopher Columbus. Both Alfonso de Portago and Vicente Sartorius were his first cousins, being all from the maternal side of the Cabeza de Vaca family.

Biography

Early life and Spanish Civil War Born in Madrid, Vilallonga – who also went by the surname of Cabeza de Vaca – was a Grandee of Spain and part of the nobility, holding the title of Marquess of Castellbell.

He spent the first two years of his life at a clinic in Munich, to recover from an intestinal condition with which he was born. His grandmother had a powerful influence on his education, which was very broad and advanced for the time. He studied at the Jesuits of Barcelona and in other schools from which he was often expelled for misbehavior.

Upon the declaration in 1931 of Spain's Second Republic his family went into exile in Biarritz, France, but returned six months later. When the Spanish Civil War erupted in 1936, Vilallonga was studying at École Saint-Elme, a Dominican school in Arcachon, but his father ordered him back to Spain to fight on the side of the Nationalists. His father was an enthusiastic supporter of the rebel side, and at age 16 the younger Vilallonga was a serving member of a Nationalist execution platoon, as a provisional second lieutenant of Requetés.

Diplomat and author After pursuing a four-year long career in diplomacy, he married his first wife Esyylt Priscilla "Pip" Scott-Ellis, a daughter of Thomas Scott-Ellis, 8th Baron Howard de Walden, while he was working as an attaché in London. They met in January 1944 and they married at Sanlúcar on 20 September 1945. Her family did not approve and none of them could attend the wedding. His father-in-law was so unimpressed by him that he had his will changed in the faint hope of protecting his daughter's inheritance. He then became interested in journalism and literature, his first works being at Diario de Barcelona. After World War II, de Vilallonga became increasingly disenchanted with Francoist Spain, and he left the Spanish diplomatic service to live abroad.

In 1954 his first novel, The Ramblas End in the Sea, was published, causing the Spanish military government censor to issue a ban on his reentry to the country. He then obtained work as a foreign correspondent for the national press agency EFE and for the magazines Paris Match, Marie Claire and Vogue. His social connections and ability to relate gossip among Europe's jet set enabled him to regularly sell magazine articles, in addition to authoring four autobiographical tell-all books about his numerous love affairs.

He had a brief step through politics, that included toying with the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party.

Actor Vilallonga's acting career came through as a result of his good connections with many prominent figures of the artistic world. He made his film debut in the 1958 Louis Malle film The Lovers. Throughout the late 1950s and 1960s, Vilallonga appeared in numerous films in both Europe and Hollywood, working with prominent directors like Federico Fellini, Agnès Varda, Fred Zinnemann and John Schlesinger.

Though he refused a Hollywood acting contract, a highlight in his acting career was a role as "José da Silva Pereira," the dashing Brazilian multimillionaire whom Holly Golightly (played by Audrey Hepburn) planned to marry in Blake Edwards' classic movie, Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). He also appeared as the debonair Prince Cesare della Romita, who becomes Julie Christie's second husband in Darling (1965).

Personal life Vilallonga was married three times:

The Honourable Esyllt-Priscilla ("Pip") Scott-Ellis (b. 1916 d. 1983) (married 1945, divorced 1972) Syliane Stella Morell (married 1974, divorced 1995) Begoña Aranguren (married 1999, separated 2002)

A spendthrift, he soon disposed of much of his first wife's inheritance and property. He had frequent affairs, including a relationship with the French actress Michèle Girardon and Hungarian actress Magda Gabor, both while still married to Esyllt-Priscilla Scott-Ellis. They lived in France and Argentina and they had two children before they divorced in 1972. He is survived by children John and Carmen from his first marriage and an adopted son Fabricio. King Juan Carlos expressed his sadness at Vilallonga's death.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes1958 The Lovers Raoul Florès 1960 L'Ennemi dans l'ombre Georges Dandieu 1961 Vive Henri IV, vive l'amour L'envoyé d'Espagne 1961 Naked Autumn Prévieux 1961 The Nina B. Affair Kurt 1961 Breakfast at Tiffany's José da Silva Pereira 1962 Tales of Paris Louis (segment "Sophie")1962 Cléo from 5 to 7 The Lover 1962 Le Rendez-vous de minuit Bob 1962 The Law of Men Le prêtre 1963 Any Number Can Win M. Grimp 1963 Don't Tempt the Devil Paul Dupré 1964 Behold a Pale Horse Horse Dealer 1964 The Magnificent Cuckold The Club President 1965 The Three Faces Rodolph (segment "Gli amanti celebri")1965 The Sucker Uncredited1965 Darling Prince Cesare della Romita 1965 Juliet of the Spirits Giorgio's friend 1966 A Maiden for a Prince Alessandro de Medici 1966 Tecnica di un omicidio Dr. Goldstein / Frank Secchy 1967 L'homme qui trahit la mafia Mario Vérona 1970 The Naughty Cheerleader Mr. Epstein 1971 Sapho ou la Fureur d'aimer Maurice Duran-Vior 1971 The Burglars Tasco 1972 Le Viager Le général qui décore Martinet Uncredited1973 The Angels Bernard 1975 Trop c'est trop Le photographe 1976 The Good and the Bad 1976 Chi dice donna dice donna Louis (segment "Donne d'affari")1980 Speed Cross Meyer 1980 Eugenio Tristano 1980 Une femme au bout de la nuit Xavier, le mari 1981 National Heritage Álvaro 1981 Patrizia Lord James Cook 1981 Dos y dos, cinco Juanjo's Father 1982 Nacional III Álvaro 1983 Femmes Uncredited1983 Scarab Presidente frances 1984 Poppers Max 1985 Tex and the Lord of the Deep Dr. Warton 1988 La Diputada Federico 1989 Blood and Sand Don José 1992 The Long Winter Conde de Santbenet