Alida Valli, born Alida Maria Altenburger von Marckenstein und Frauenberg (Pola, May 31, 1921 – Rome, April 22, 2006), was an Italian actress and model of remarkable expressiveness.
One of the greatest actresses in Italian cinema, she was also recognized and appreciated internationally.
Endowed with a rare beauty and stage presence, due to her slender figure and her unmistakable gaze and eye color…
After starring in many Italian films, at the end of the war, she was invited to Hollywood by producer Selznick, who intended to make her the “Italian Ingrid Bergman.”
During her brief time in America, Alida Valli starred in The Paradine Case, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, The Miracle of the Bells alongside Frank Sinatra, and The Third Man with Orson Welles.
We love remembering her as the housekeeper Carol in Dario Argento’s Inferno (1980), and especially as the stern Miss Tanner in Suspiria (1977), also by Argento… memorable is the scene where she scolds the pianist Daniel.
Trivia
In her later years, Valli faced financial difficulties, and in 2003 she was granted the life annuity provided by the Bacchelli Law.
In 2004, Croatia decided to honor her as a great Croatian artist, but she declined the award, stating: “I was born Italian, and I want to die Italian.”
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