Maria Bice Valori (13 May 1927 – 17 March 1980) was an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a Character (arts), character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek ...

comedian A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing Amusement is the state of experiencing humorous and entertaining events or situations while the person or a ...

and

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

and

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...

personality.

Life and career

Born in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, Valori studied at the

Silvio d’Amico Academy of Dramatic Arts Accademia Nazionale d'Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico (translation: Silvio d'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Arts) is a national drama school in Rome, Italy. Founded in 1936 by the theatrical theorist, critic, and writer Silvio D'Amico, the ac ...

, graduating in 1948. The same year, she entered the stage company of the Piccolo Teatro of Rome directed by

Orazio Costa Orazio Costa (6 August 1911 – 14 November 1999) was an Italian theatre pedagogist and director. Born Orazio Costa Giovangigli in Rome, Costa graduated at the Silvio d’Amico Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1937, and after being assistant director ...

. After playing in several classics, Valori specialized as a comedic actress, and had her main successes in the

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

genre, notably appearing in ''

Rugantino ''Rugantino'' is a musical comedy by Pietro Garinei and Sandro Giovannini, which debuted at the Teatro Sistina in Rome, Italy, on 15 December 1962. Music was written by Armando Trovaioli. It is a comedy set in the papal Rome of the 19th century. ...

'' and ''

Aggiungi un posto a tavola ''Aggiungi un posto a tavola'' (ET: Set another place at the table) is a musical comedy written by Pietro Garinei, Sandro Giovannini and Iaia Fiastri, with music by Armando Trovaioli. It debuted in 1974 under the direction of Garinei and Giovanni ...

''. In films, she was a very active

character actress A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to be ...

, mainly cast in humorous roles. Valori appeared often on television, as a comedian, a presenter and an actress in series and TV-movies of some success. She also had a consistent success on radio, in which she created the character of "Sora Bice", a shrewish

RAI RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many ter ...

telephone operator. Valori often shared the scene with her husband, the actor and comedian

Paolo Panelli Paolo Panelli (15 July 1925 – 18 May 1997) was an Italian comedian and film actor. He appeared in 55 films between 1948 and 1996. He was married to Bice Valori. Selected filmography * '' Guarany'' (1948) * ''Arrivederci, papà!'' (1948) ...

, whom she had married in 1952. Their daughter Alessandra is also an actress. Valori died in 1980, aged 52, as a result of a tumor.

Partial filmography

* ''

His Last Twelve Hours ''His Last Twelve Hours'' (French: ''Pour l'amour du ciel'', Italian: ''È più facile che un cammello...'') is a 1951 French-Italian drama film directed by Luigi Zampa and starring Jean Gabin, Mariella Lotti and Elli Parvo. The film's sets w ...

'' (1950) - Un testimone dell'incidente * '' Accidents to the Taxes!!'' (1951) - Allieva del collegio * ''

Toto the Third Man ''Toto the Third Man'' ( it, Totò terzo uomo) is a 1951 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Totò. Plot In a small village Peter and Paul (both starring Toto), twin brothers of opposite characters, Peter, mayor of the t ...

'' (1951) - Luisa - la moglie di Pietro * ''

Seven Hours of Trouble ''Seven Hours of Trouble'' (Italian: ''Sette ore di guai'') is a 1951 Italian comedy film directed by Vittorio Metz and Marcello Marchesi and starring Totò, Isa Barzizza and Carlo Campanini.Goble p.958 Plot Toto De Pasquale (Toto) is the holder ...

'' (1951) - Maddalena - la balia * ''

Il padrone del vapore ''The Steamship Owner'' (Italian: ''Il padrone del vapore'') is a 1951 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Walter Chiari, Delia Scala and Carlo Campanini.Aprà p.101 The film's sets were designed by the art director Al ...

'' (1951) - Marga * ''

My Heart Sings ''My Heart Sings'' ( it, Anema e core) is a 1951 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Ferruccio Tagliavini. Cast * Ferruccio Tagliavini - Marco * Franca Marzi - Gina * Riccardo Billi - Riccardo * Mario Riva - Mario * Car ...

'' (1951) - Liliana * '' Inganno'' (1952) - Giustina * ''

Good Folk's Sunday ''Good Folk's Sunday'' ( it, La domenica della buona gente) is a 1953 Italian comedy film directed by Anton Giulio Majano. Plot Several destinies are displayed as the soccer teams of Rome and Naples meet, with Sophia Loren in one of the episo ...

'' (1953) - (uncredited) * ''

Siamo tutti inquilini ''Siamo tutti inquilini'' (literally: We are all tenants) is a 1953 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Aldo Fabrizi. Production The film is a 98 minute black and white that was produced for Documento. Plot Anna has ...

'' (1953) - Una cameriera * ''

Marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

'' (1954) - Anna Snakina, l'ostetrica * ''

Papà Pacifico ''Papà Pacifico'' is a 1954 Italian comedy film directed by Guido Brignone and starring Antonella Lualdi and Frank Latimore.Alberto Albertazzi. "Papà Pacifico" (review). ''Intermezzo''. 31 March 1954. It grossed 88 million lire at the Italian bo ...

'' (1954) - Gina - the servant * ''

The Three Thieves ''The Three Thieves'' (Italian: ''I tre ladri'') is a 1954 Italian-French comedy film directed by Lionello De Felice and starring Totò, Jean-Claude Pascal and Simone Simon Simone Thérèse Fernande Simon (23 April 1910 or 1911 – 22 Febru ...

'' (1954) - Amica di Doris * '' The Belle of Rome'' (1955) - Suor Serafina * ''La moglie è uguale per tutti'' (1955) - Giulietta's Sister * '' Bravissimo'' (1955) - Soprano * ''

The Most Wonderful Moment ''The Most Wonderful Moment'' ( it, Il momento più bello) is a 1957 Italian drama film directed by Luciano Emmer. This drama deals with natural childbirth, and was described as "clinically pure, informative, edifying and, on occasion, tenderly ...

'' (1957) - Carla * ''

Susanna Whipped Cream ''Susanna Whipped Cream'' ( it, Susanna tutta panna, es, Susana, pura nata) is a 1957 Italian-Spanish romantic comedy film directed by Steno. Cast *Marisa Allasio: Susanna *Germán Cobos: Alberto *Mario Carotenuto: Alfredo Libotti *Memmo Caro ...

'' (1957) - Rossella * ''Femmine tre volte'' (1957) - Katiuscia * ''La zia d'America va a sciare'' (1957) - Faustina * '' Maid, Thief and Guard'' (1958) - La contessa * ''Le dritte'' (1958) - Edna Piselli * ''Caporale di giornata'' (1958) - Gelsomina * ''

Mia nonna poliziotto ''Mia nonna poliziotto'' (i.e. "My Grandma a Policewoman") is a 1958 Italian comedy film directed by Steno and starring Tina Pica. Plot The old grandmother Tina arrives in town to attend the wedding of his nephew Alberto with his girlfriend Il ...

'' (1958) - Francesca * ''Le confident de ces dames'' (1959) - Lucienne * ''

Guardatele ma non toccatele ''Guardatele ma non toccatele'' is a 1959 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Ugo Tognazzi. Cast * Ugo Tognazzi - Maresciallo La Notte * Caprice Chantal - Rebecca O'Connor * Johnny Dorelli - Tenente Altieri * Lynn Shaw ...

'' (1959) - Irma, moglie di La Notte * ''

Tough Guys ''Tough Guys'' is a 1986 American action comedy film directed by Jeff Kanew and starring Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Eli Wallach, Charles Durning, Dana Carvey and Darlanne Fluegel. It is the eighth film of Touchstone Pictures, and the final ...

'' (1960) - Genzianetta * ''

Le signore ''Le signore'' (i.e. "The ladies") is a 1960 Italian comedy film directed by Turi Vasile and starring Chelo Alonso and Nadia Gray. Plot Cast * Chelo Alonso as Rosario * Nadia Gray as Tatjana Baker * Liana Orfei as Patrizia Viotti * Irè ...

'' (1960) - Nora * ''Caccia al marito'' (1960) - Giuditta - the nursemaid * '' Il carro armato dell'8 settembre'' (1960) * '' Ferragosto in bikini'' (1960) - Gladys * ''

5 marines per 100 ragazze ''5 marines per 100 ragazze'' is a 1961 Italian "musicarello" comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Virna Lisi. Cast * Virna Lisi as Grazia * Mario Carotenuto as Admiral Michigan * Hélène Chanel as Elena * Little Tony as Tony C ...

'' (1961) - La direttrice * ''

Hercules in the Valley of Woe ''Hercules in the Vale of Woe'' ( it, Maciste contro Ercole nella valle dei guai/ ''Maciste vs Hercules in the Valley of Woe''), a.k.a. ''Hercules in the Valley of Woe'', is a 1961 Italian Franco and Ciccio comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli a ...

'' (1961) * ''Scandali al mare'' (1961) - Beatrice Garfano' * ''Mariti a congresso'' (1961) * ''Adultero lui, adultera lei'' (1963) - L'avvocato difensore * '' Le motorizzate'' (1963) - Lola Rossi (segment "La Roulotte Squillo") * ''

Salad by the Roots ''Salad by the Roots'' (french: Des pissenlits par la racine, literally ''(Eating) dandelions by the roots'' which is the French idiom for ''Pushing up the daisies'') is a Franco-Italian comedy directed by Georges Lautner and released in 1964, a y ...

'' (1964) - Tante Ophélie (uncredited) * ''

Amori pericolosi ''Amori pericolosi'' is a 1964 anthology film consisting of three segments directed by Alfredo Giannetti, Carlo Lizzani and Giulio Questi. Cast ; Il generale * Grégoire Aslan: The General * Sandra Milo: The lover of the General * Marco Tulli ...

'' (1964) - La domestica (segment "Il generale") * ''Oltraggio al pudore'' (1964) * '' Le sedicenni'' (1965) * ''

Rita the Mosquito ''Rita the Mosquito'' ( it, Rita la zanzara) is a 1966 Italian "musicarello" film directed by Lina Wertmüller (under the stage name George H. Brown). It has a sequel, ''Don't Sting the Mosquito''. Plot Cast * Rita Pavone: Rita * Gianc ...

'' (1966) - Luigina, the school director * ''

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken ...

'' (1967) - The Widow * '' Be Sick... It's Free'' (1968) - Amelia-Doctor Bui's Wife * ''Gli infermieri della mutua'' (1969) - Dr. Venanzi * ''Il suo nome è Donna Rosa'' (1969) - Donna Rosa * ''Lisa dagli occhi blu'' (1970) - Mamma Coco Prandi * '' Mezzanotte d'amore'' (1970) - Donna Rosa

References

External links

* 1927 births 1980 deaths Actresses from Rome Italian film actresses Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico alumni 20th-century Italian actresses Italian stage actresses Italian television actresses Italian television presenters Italian radio personalities Italian women comedians Deaths from cancer in Lazio 20th-century Italian comedians Italian women television presenters Burials at the Cimitero Flaminio {{Italy-actor-stub