Elena Varzi

Elena Varzi
Varzi in the Italian magazine Cineguida (1954)
Born(1926-12-21)21 December 1926
Rome, Italy
Died1 September 2014(2014-09-01) (aged 87)
Sperlonga, Italy
OccupationActress
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1952; died 2002)​
Children

Elena Varzi (21 December 1926 – 1 September 2014) was an Italian film actress.

Life and career

Born in Rome, in spite of a non-professional acting background, Varzi made her film debut in a leading role, as the Sicilian Maria Antonia in Renato Castellani's neorealist post-war comedy-drama It's Forever Springtime.[1][2] Her second role, as the mistress of a Sicilian bandit in Pietro Germi's Path of Hope, received critical acclaim.[1] It was during filming The Forbidden Christ that Varzi met and later married Raf Vallone. She eventually left her film career, devoting herself to the family.[1][2] She was the mother of Arabella, Saverio, and Eleonora Vallone.[3] Her husband died in 2002.

Death

Varzi died of cardiac arrest at her holiday cottage in Sperlonga, Latina, on 1 September 2014. She was 87.[3]

Partial filmography

References

  1. ^ a b c Enrico Lancia, Roberto Poppi. Dizionario del cinema italiano – Le Attrici. Gremese Editore, 2003. ISBN 888440214X.
  2. ^ a b Fabio Carlini, Maurizio Gusso. I sogni nel cassetto: il cinema mette in scena la società italiana della ricostruzione, 1945-1957. F. Angeli, 2002. ISBN 8846441109.
  3. ^ a b "Addio a Elena Varzi, volto del neorealismo italiano". La Repubblica. 2 September 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2014.