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Alida Valli
Alida-Valli-1947.jpg
Valli in 1947
Born
Alida Maria Laura, Freiin Altenburger von Marckenstein-Frauenberg

(1921-05-31)31 May 1921
Pola, Italy (now Croatia)
Died 22 April 2006(2006-04-22) (aged 84)
Rome, Italy
Other names Valli
Occupation Actress, Singer
Years active 1936–2002
Spouse(s)
Oscar de Mejo
(m. 1944; div. 1952)

Giancarlo Zagni
(m. 196?; div. 1970)
Children 2, including Carlo De Mejo
Signature
Alida Valli signature.svg

Alida Valli (born May 31, 1921 – died April 22, 2006) was a famous Italian actress. She starred in over 100 movies during her long career, which lasted for 70 years. She was a huge star in Italy from the 1930s to the early 2000s.

Some people even called her "the most beautiful woman in the world." She was compared to other legendary actresses like Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo. Alida Valli worked with many important film directors from Italy and other countries. These included Alfred Hitchcock, Carol Reed, Luchino Visconti, and Dario Argento.

She received many honors for her work. She was named a Knight of the Italian Republic. She also won the Lifetime Achievement Golden Lion award at the 1997 Venice Film Festival. This award celebrated her amazing contributions to cinema.

Early Life and Background

Alida Valli was born in Pola, Italy. This city is now called Pula and is in Croatia. Her family had roots from Austria, Slovenia, and Italy. Even with this mixed background, she was always seen as Italian.

Alida grew up speaking many languages. She learned Slovene, Italian, and German. She also became fluent in Serbo-Croatian, French, and English. This skill was very helpful in her international films. She could speak her lines in the language of the other actors. Then, she would often dub her own voice into Italian for the movie's sound.

A Star's Journey: Her Career

Senso pozzo
Alida Valli with Farley Granger in a scene from the film Senso, 1954

When Alida was 15, she moved to Rome. There, she attended a special school for film actors and directors. This school, called Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, is one of the oldest and best in Europe.

She started her movie career in 1934. Her first big hit was Mille lire al mese in 1939. She became known for her serious acting roles. In 1941, she won a special award for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for her role in Piccolo mondo antico.

During World War II, she made several movies. Two of these, Noi Vivi and Addio Kira!, were based on a book. These films had messages against strict governments, which was very brave at the time.

By her early 20s, Alida Valli was already famous. She went to Hollywood and signed a contract with a big producer, David Selznick. He thought she could be as popular as Ingrid Bergman. In Hollywood, she starred in famous movies like Alfred Hitchcock's The Paradine Case (1947). She also appeared with Orson Welles in The Third Man (1949). This movie is considered one of the best British films ever made.

In America, she was often just called 'Valli'. She didn't like this one-name style. She said it made her feel silly and that people confused her with another famous person, Rudy Vallée. She also found the rules in Hollywood too strict. So, she decided to end her contract and return to Europe.

Back in Europe in the 1950s, she continued to make many French and Italian films. A big success was the drama Senso in 1954. In 1956, she decided to focus more on theater. She even ran a company that produced plays in Italy.

Sinatra Radio
Frank Sinatra and Valli, circa 1940s

Alida Valli kept working in films through the 1960s and beyond. She appeared in the horror film Eyes Without a Face (1959). She also worked with famous directors like Pier Paolo Pasolini, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Dario Argento. Her very last movie role was in Semana Santa in 2002.

She was also well-known for her stage performances. She acted in plays by famous writers like Henrik Ibsen and Arthur Miller. In 1997, she received the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival for her entire career.

Personal Life

Alida Valli's first love was Carlo Cugnasca, a famous Italian pilot. He was a fighter pilot and sadly died during a mission in 1941.

She married Oscar de Mejo in 1943. They had two sons together. Their marriage ended in 1952, and she moved back to Italy. Later, in the 1960s, she married Italian film director Giancarlo Zagni. They divorced in 1970.

Death and Legacy

Alida Valli passed away at her home in Rome on April 22, 2006.

Many critics praised her talent. One critic, David Shipman, said that if you watch her later films, you would see her as "one of the half-dozen best actresses in the world." Another critic, Frédéric Mitterrand, believed she was the only European actress who could truly compare to stars like Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo. Her long career and many memorable roles show her lasting impact on cinema.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1935 The Three-Cornered Hat Uncredited
1936 The Two Sergeants Una commessa dell'emporio 'Au Bon Marché' as Alida Altenburger
1937 It Was I! Lauretta
The Ferocious Saladin Dora Florida / La bella Sulamita
1938 A Lady Did It Maria Sardo
L'amor mio non muore! Maria D'Alba
The House of Shame La ragazza
1939 A Thousand Lire a Month Magda
Unjustified Absence Vera Fabbri
The Castle Ball Greta Larsen
1940 Manon Lescaut Manon Lescaut
Red Tavern Susanna Sormani
The Last Enemy A friend of Anna
Beyond Love Vanina Vanini
The First Woman Who Passes Gabrielle de Vervins
1941 Piccolo mondo antico Luisa Rigey Maironi
Light in the Darkness Marina Ferri
Schoolgirl Diary Anna Campolmi
The Secret Lover Renata Croci
1942 We the Living Kira Argounova
Invisible Chains Elena Silvagni
The Two Orphans Enrichetta
Addio Kira Kira Argounova
Stasera niente di nuovo Maria
1943 I pagliacci Giulia
T'amerò sempre Adriana
Apparizione Andreina
1944 The Za-Bum Circus segments "Gelosia", "Il postino" and "Galop finale al circo"
1945 Il canto della vita Patrizia Martini
Life Begins Anew Giovanna
1946 Eugenia Grandet Eugenia Grandet
1947 The Paradine Case Maddalena Anna Paradine
1948 The Miracle of the Bells Olga
1949 The Third Man Anna Schmidt
1950 The White Tower Carla Alton
Walk Softly, Stranger Elaine Corelli
1951 Les Miracles n'ont lieu qu'une fois Claudia
Last Meeting Lina Castelli
1953 Lovers of Toledo Doña Inés de Arévalo Blas
The World Condemns Them Renata Giustini
We, the Women Alida Segment: "Alida Valli"
1954 The Stranger's Hand Roberta Gleukovitch
Senso La contessa Livia Serpieri
1957 Il Grido Irma
This Angry Age Claude
The Wide Blue Road Rosetta
1958 The Night Heaven Fell Florentine
L'amore più bello Carolina
1959 Signé Arsène Lupin Aurélia Valéano
1960 Treno di Natale
Eyes Without a Face Louise
Dialogue with the Carmelites Mère Thérèse de Saint-Augustin
Il peccato degli anni verdi Elena's mother
1961 The Long Absence Thérèse Langlois
The Happy Thieves Duchess Blanca
La fille du torrent Livia Boissière
1962 Disorder Carlo's Mother
Al otro lado de la ciudad
Homage at Siesta Time Constance Fischer
1963 A la salida
Ophelia Claudia Lesurf
The Castilian Reina Teresa
The Paper Man La Italiana
Una cara para escapar
1964 L'Autre Femme Annabel
1965 Black Humor The Widow segment: "La vedova"
1967 Edipo re Merope
1970 The Mushroom Linda Benson
La strategia del ragno Draifa
1972 Eye in the Labyrinth Gerda
La prima notte di quiete Marcella Abati - Vanina's mother
1973 Lisa and the Devil Countess
Diario di un italiano Olga
1974 Lola Louise
Tender Dracula Héloïse
The Antichrist Irene
1975 La Chair de l'orchidée La folle de la gare
Cher Victor Anne
Il caso Raoul Elsa
1976 Novecento Signora Pioppi
Le jeu du solitaire Germaine
The Cassandra Crossing Nanny
1977 Suspiria Miss Tanner
Un cuore semplice Mrs. Obin
Berlinguer, I Love You Mrs. Cioni
1978 Porco mondo Teresina
The Perfect Crime Lady Clementine De Revere
1979 Zoo zéro Yvonne, la mère
Killer Nun Mother Superior
La luna Giuseppe's Mother
Licanthropus, il figlio della notte
1980 Inferno Carol, the caretaker
Aquella casa en las afueras Isabel
Puppenspiel mit toten Augen
1981 Peacetime in Paris
The Fall of the Rebel Angels Bettina
1982 Aspern Juliana Bartes
Sogni mostruosamente proibiti Marina's mother
1985 Secrets Secrets Gina
1987 Le jupon rouge Bacha
1988 À notre regrettable époux Catarina
1991 La bocca Countess Bianca Rospigliosi
The Party's Over Clara
1993 The Long Silence Carla's Mother
Bugie rosse Caterina, Andrea's mother
1995 A Month by the Lake Signora Fascioli
1996 Fotogrammi mortali Countess Alessandra Mirafiori
1999 Il dolce rumore della vita Sofia's grandmother
2000 Vino santo Sveva
2001 Probably Love Alida Valli
2002 Semana santa Doña Catalina Final film role

Television

  • I Figli di Medea (1959) as Medea / Alida Valli
  • Il caso Mauritius (1961)
  • Combat! as Marie (Episode: "Doughboy", 1963)
  • Desencuentro (series, 1964)
  • Rome Will Never Leave You, three episodes of Dr. Kildare (1964) as Luisa Brabante
  • Il consigliere imperiale (1974)
  • Les grandes conjurations: Le tumulte d'Amboise (1978)
  • L'altro Simenon (series, 1979)
  • L'eredità della priora (serial, 1980) as Priora
  • Dramma d'amore (serial, 1983)
  • Piccolo mondo antico (serial, 1989) as La marchesa Maironi
  • Una vita in gioco 2 (serial, 1992)
  • Delitti privati (1992) as Matilde Pierboni

Theatre

  • La casa dei Rosmer (1956) Henrik Ibsen (aka Rosmersholm)
  • L'uomo, la bestia e la virtù (1956), Luigi Pirandello
  • Gli innocenti (1956), William Archibald
  • Enrico IV (1958), Luigi Pirandello
  • Il sole e la luna (1965), Guglielmo Biraghi
  • Epitaffo per George Dillon (1966), John Osborne and Anthony Creighton (Epitaph for George Dillon)
  • Uno sguardo dal ponte (1967), Arthur Miller (A View from the Bridge)
  • La bambolona (1968), Raf Vallone
  • Il dio Kurt (1969), Alberto Moravia
  • I parenti terribili (1969), Jean Cocteau (Les parents terribles)
  • Uno sporco egoista (1971), Francois Dorin
  • Lulu (Lo spirito della terra – Il vaso di Pandora) (1972), Frank Wedekind (Lulu [Erdgeist-Die Büchse der Pandora])
  • Le massacre à Paris (1972), Christopher Marlowe (The Massacre at Paris)
  • Il Gabbiano (1973), Anton Cechov
  • L'uomo che incontrò de stesso (1981), Luigi Antonelli
  • La Venexiana (1981), Anonimo del Cinquecento
  • La fiaccola sotto il moggio (1981), Gabriele d'Annunzio
  • Ekaterina Ivanovna (1983), Leonid Andreev
  • Il malinteso (1984), Albert Camus (Le malentendu)
  • Romeo e Giulietta (1985), William Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)
  • A porte chiuse, da Sartre a Mishima (1986), di Jean-Paul Sartre e Yukio Mishima (Huis clos – Aoi – Hanjo)
  • La città morta (1988), Gabriele D'Annunzio
  • La nave (1988), Gabriele D'Annunzio
  • I paraventi (1990), Jean Genet (Les paravents)
  • Improvvisamente l'estate scorsa (1991), Tennessee Williams (Suddenly Last Summer)
  • Più grandiose dimore (1993), Eugene O'Neill
  • Così è (se vi pare) (1994), Luigi Pirandello
  • Questa sera si recita a soggetto (1995), Luigi Pirandello

Radio appearances

Year Program Episode/source
1948 Lux Radio Theatre The Miracle of the Bells

Lux Radio Theatre broadcast "The Paradine Case" in a radio adaptation of the film on 9 May 1949, starring Joseph Cotten, with Alida Valli and Louis Jourdan reprising their roles.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Alida Valli para niños

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