Alida Maria Laura, Freiin Altenburger von Marckenstein-Frauenberg, better known by her stage name Alida Valli, was an Italian actress who appeared in more than 100 films in a 70-year career, spanning from the 1930s to the early 2000s. She was one of the biggest stars of Italian film during the Fascist era, once being coined "the most beautiful woman in the world" by Benito Mussolini, but managed to find continued international success post-World War II. According to Frédéric Mitterrand, Valli was the only actress in Europe to equal Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo.
Mario Soldati was an Italian writer and film director. In 1954, he won the Strega Prize for Lettere da Capri. He directed several works adapted from novels, and worked with leading Italian actresses, such as Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida.
Light in the Darkness is a 1941 Italian drama film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Fosco Giachetti, Alida Valli and Clara Calamai. The film's sets were designed by the art director Ottavio Scotti. It was shot at the Palatino Studios in Rome.
Invisible Chains is a 1942 Italian drama film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Alida Valli, Carlo Ninchi and Giuditta Rissone. It was shot at the Cinecittà Studios in Rome. The film's sets were designed by the art directors Ottavio Scotti and Mario Rappini.
Stasera niente di nuovo is a 1942 Italian drama film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Alida Valli.
Life Begins Anew is a 1945 Italian melodrama film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Alida Valli, Fosco Giachetti and Eduardo De Filippo. It was the second most popular Italian film during 1945-46 after Roberto Rossellini's Rome, Open City.
Headlights in the Fog is a 1942 Italian drama film directed by Gianni Franciolini and starring Fosco Giachetti, Luisa Ferida and Antonio Centa. The film's art direction was by Camillo Del Signore. It was made at the Palatino Studios in Rome and on location in Piedmont and Liguria.
The First Woman Who Passes is a 1940 Italian historical comedy film directed by Max Neufeld and starring Alida Valli, Carlo Lombardi and Niní Gordini Cervi. The film is set in eighteenth century France. It was made at the Palatino Studios in Rome.
Unjustified Absence is a 1939 Italian "white-telephones" comedy film directed by Max Neufeld and starring Alida Valli, Amedeo Nazzari and Lilia Silvi. A girl leaves school to marry a doctor, but becomes annoyed by his constant absences and decides to secretly resume her studies.
The Last Enemy is a 1938 Italian drama film directed by Umberto Barbaro and starring Fosco Giachetti, María Denis and Guglielmo Sinaz.
The Secret Lover is a 1941 Italian drama film directed by Carmine Gallone and starring Alida Valli, Fosco Giachetti and Vivi Gioi. It was made at Cinecittà in Rome.
The Two Orphans is a 1942 Italian historical drama film directed by Carmine Gallone and starring Alida Valli, María Denis and Osvaldo Valenti. It was based on the play The Two Orphans by Adolphe d'Ennery and Eugène Cormon, one of many film adaptations. It was made at Cinecittà in Rome.
The Two Sergeants is a 1936 Italian historical drama film directed by Enrico Guazzoni and starring Evi Maltagliati, Gino Cervi and Mino Doro. It was based on the play The Two Sergeants by Theodore d'Aubigny, which has been made into films several times. It is set in the Napoleonic Wars. The film marked the debut of Alida Valli who had until recently been a student of the Centro sperimentale di cinematografia. Valli went on to be a leading star of Italian cinema.
A Wife in Danger is a 1939 Italian "white-telephones" comedy film directed by Max Neufeld and starring Marie Glory, Antonio Centa and Carlo Lombardi. It is a "White Telephone" film, shot at the Cinecittà Studios in Rome.
Manon Lescaut is a 1940 Italian historical drama film directed by Carmine Gallone and starring Alida Valli, Vittorio De Sica and Lamberto Picasso. It is an adaptation of the Abbé Prévost's novel of the same title. The film was made at the Cinecittà studios in Rome with sets designed by the art directors Ivo Battelli and Guido Fiorini.
The Song of Life is a 1945 Italian melodrama film directed by Carmine Gallone and starring Alida Valli, Carlo Ninchi and María Mercader. It is set during the German occupation of Rome in the Second World War before the Liberation of the city in 1944.
The House of Shame is a 1938 Italian "white-telephones" comedy film directed by Max Neufeld and starring Amedeo Nazzari, Assia Noris and Alida Valli.
A Thousand Lire a Month is a 1939 Italian "white-telephones" comedy film directed by Max Neufeld and starring Alida Valli, Umberto Melnati and Osvaldo Valenti. It is a remake of the 1936 Hungarian film Havi 200 fix. The plot concerns an electronic engineer who goes to Budapest, accompanied by his girlfriend, to work on experiments for a new television system leading to countless mix-ups.
Beyond Love is a 1940 Italian historical drama film directed by Carmine Gallone and starring Alida Valli, Amedeo Nazzari and Osvaldo Valenti. It is based on the 1829 novella Vanina Vanini by Stendhal.
Battles in the Shadow is a 1938 Italian spy thriller film directed by Domenico Gambino and starring Antonio Centa, Dria Paola and Paola Barbara. It was shot at the Cinecittà Studios in Rome. The film's sets were designed by the art director Giorgio Pinzauti.
