| Alida Valli | Kira |
| Rossano Brazzi | Leo |
| Fosco Giachetti | Andrei |
| Other Characters | |
Alida Valli
- Kira
ALIDA VALLI stars as the strong-willed
Kira Argounova. One of Europe's most enduring screen actresses,
Alida Valli was born in 1921 in Pola, Italy, the daughter of an
Austrian journalist. After training at Centrosperimentale di
Cinematografia in Rome, she began making films at an early age, and
rapidly became one of the Italian screen's leading young stars.
Valli was 21 and already one of Italy's highest paid actresses when
she starred in WE THE LIVING. Rossano
Brazzi
- Leo ROSSANO BRAZZI plays Leo Kovalensky, fugitive son of
an aristocrat. Brazzi was truly one of the great romantic leading
men to emerge in the film industry. In over 50 years of acting,
Brazzi performed in over 100 movies, a score of TV series, winning
several best actor awards in Italy and other European countries. Fosco
Giachetti
- Andrei FOSCO GIACHETTI plays Andrei Taganov, the ruthless
GPU official and idealistic revolutionary.
In 1944 she married pianist-composer Oscar de Mejo (he wrote
"All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth"). During
World War II Valli went into hiding rather than continue working in
the Fascist controlled film industry. Resuming her work after the
war, she came to Hollywood under contract with David 0. Selznick.
She appeared in Hitchcock's THE PARADINE CASE and co-starred with
Frank Sinatra and Fred McMurray in THE MIRACLE OF THE BELLS.
Among her other English language films is the British classic, THE
THIRD MAN with Orson Welles and Joseph Cotten. Returning to Europe
in the early 1950's, Valli began an international career that saw
her gradually mature from romantic roles to strongly etched
character parts. She recently was featured in A MONTH BY THE LAKE
(1995) starring Vanessa Redgrave. Valli makes her home in Rome, and
continues to appear on stage and screen.
Valli has made over 80 additional films. Among them are: MANON
LESCAUT (1939); PICCOLO MONDO ANTICO (1941); WALK SOFTLY, STRANGER
(1950); ULTIMO INCONTRO (1951); Visconti's SENSO (1954); Antonioni's
IL GRIDO (1957); THIS ANGRY AGE (1958); THE LONG ABSENCE (1961); THE
HAPPY THEIVES (1962); OEDIPUS REX (1967); Bertolucci's THE SPIDER'S
STRATAGEM (1970): THE CASSANDRA CROSSING (1977); and INFERNO (1979).
He was born in Bologna in 1916 and attended law school in Florence.
When his parents were killed by the Fascists, Brazzi moved to Rome
and joined a repertory company in 1937. He made his film debut in
1939, and when WE THE LIVING was made in 1942, he was already among
the highest paid Italian film stars. Generally cast in swashbuckling
roles, WE THE LIVING established him as a serious actor as well.
During World War II, Brazzi worked with resistance groups in Rome.
His first Hollywood film was LITTLE WOMEN in 1949, but he did not
win a following in America until 1954 when he appeared in THREE
COINS IN A FOUNTAIN. After that he appeared with Katherine Hepburn
in David Lean's SUMMERTIME and the musical SOUTH PACIFIC and a
number of other Hollywood hits. Brazzi died December 24th, 1994.
Among his other memorable films are THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA (1954);
INTERLUDE (1957); A CERTAIN SMILE (1958); LEGEND OF THE LOST (1957);
LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA (1962); De Sica’s WOMAN TIMES SEVEN (1967);
THE ITALIAN JOB (1969); MISTER KINGSTREET'S WAR (1970); THE
OMEN--FINAL CONFLICT (1981); THE FAR PAVILIONS (1984); FEAR CITY
(1985).
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Giachetti became a major force in Italian film after his first
successful starring role in SQUADRONE BIANCO, released in 1936. By
the time he starred in WE THE LIVING, he was the number one box
office attraction in Italy. Giachetti abandoned the theater for
cinema and made approximately 50 films during his career.
A virile screen presence, he was considered at his best when playing
the romantic, melancholy loner. Giachetti completed his last film,
L'HERITIER in 1973, a year before his death at the age of 70.
Among his other notable films are: SCIPPIONE L'AFRICANCO (1938); THE
LIFE OF G. VERDI (1940); Alessandrini's NOZZE DI SANGUE (1941);
ALCAZAR (1942); BROTHERS KARAMAZOFF (1947); and, in French, Rene
Clement's CHATEAU DE VERRE (1948), with Michele Morgan and Jean
Marais.
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