Italian actor Vittorio Gassman dies at 77

ROME (AP) -- Vittorio Gassman, one of Italy's most respected actors who played both leading men and comedic roles on stage and screen, died Thursday. He was 77.

Gassman, best known for his performances in the films ''Bitter Rice,'' ''Mambo'' and ''The Family,'' died of a heart attack at his home in Rome, said his agent, Franca Rodolfi.

In the early 1950s, he went to Hollywood, where he appeared in such films as ''Beautiful but Dangerous'' and ''War and Peace'' and married actress Shelley Winters. They divorced.