Stock Photo - 1968 - vs Gangster C a little old Italian villa with crumblin walls, placid ripened fruits of the harvest, pestles and mortars, -ooden hoos, and the oldest ways of tilling the ground and cooking for the family wonders a modern American in dark lounge suit with knowledge of all the latest modern gadgets at his fingertips, straight form the glamour and glitter of Hollywood. He is Rod Steiger, the actor picked to plat the role of the late Pope John in his younger days. His likeness to the Pope is startling and he once played Al Capone. He will not be seen as John once he was Pope this part will be taken by various extras, shot from a distance. As well as taking the main part in the film, to be directed by Massimo Olmi and called 'And There Came a man', Steiger will act as middle man between audience and film story, wearing a lounge suit and commenting on what is happening. So to understand what it was like to live in the backwoods of Italy eight years ago he is spending a few weeks at Fontanella, near Sotto il Monte in Northern Italy. And soon shooting of Pope John XXIII's life from cradle to grave will begin near the cemetery at Fontanella where his parents are buried and he himself used to visit once a year on All Souls Day. Photo shows Rod Steiger meditates near the cemetery where the late Pope's parents are buried. (Credit Image: © Keystone Pictures USA/ZUMAPRESS.com)