Posted: Wed., Jun. 11, 2008, 3:31pm PT

Actress Nelly Lainez dies at 88

Argentinian thesp known for comedies

Argentine actress Nelly Lainez, best known for her performances of absurd comedy in pics like "Vampires Prefer Fatties," died May 31 in Buenos Aires of acute urinary infection. She was 88.

Born Nelida Rotstein in Buenos Aires, she made her debut on radio in a comic role at the age of 12.

She broke into film eight years later in the 1950 comedy "Cinco grandes y una chica" (Five Men and a Girl) and went on that same year to perform in the sequel "Cinco locos en la pista" (Five Crazies on the Floor) followed by another 20 or so films including the 1956 tango-tinged musical comedy "Amigos para la aventura" (Love at First Sight).

On the small screen, she participated in the classic comedies "La Tuerca" and "Operacion Ja Ja" in the 1980s. In "El Polibomber," she played a troubled lady who after a confusion of words always received the same advice from a policeman: take the Number 60 bus.

In the 1990s she made a comeback on TV in "El mundo de Antonio Gasalla" and "El palacio de la risa" and went on to win a Martin Fierro kudo for comic actress for her performance in 1993.

-- Charles Newbery


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