Valda Joanne Hansen (November 3, 1932 – July 21, 1993) was an American actress, known for her performances in a number of B-movies in the 1950s and 1970s. Her most famous role was that of the White Ghost in

Ed Wood Edward Davis Wood Jr. (October 10, 1924 – December 10, 1978) was an American filmmaker, actor, and pulp novel author. In the 1950s, Wood directed several low-budget science fiction, crime and horror films that later became cult cla ...

's ''

Night of the Ghouls ''Night of the Ghouls'' is a horror film written and directed by Ed Wood. The film was shot between April and May 1958. Cast member Paul Marco recalled that the film had a preview screening in 1959 at the Vista Theatre in Hollywood, after which ...

'' (1959). She had previously played a

stripper A stripper or exotic dancer is a person whose occupation involves performing striptease in a public adult entertainment venue such as a strip club. At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at a bachelor party or other private event. M ...

in ''Strips Around the World'' (1955). She returned to the screen in the 1970s and appeared in movies such as ''

Cain's Cutthroats ''Cain's Cutthroats'' is a 1971 western-themed exploitation film. It is a story of brutality, betrayal, and revenge set in the period immediately following the end of the American Civil War. The film was released under the alternate titles ''Ca ...

'' (1971), ''

Slaughter's Big Rip-Off ''Slaughter's Big Rip-Off'' is a 1973 blaxploitation film directed by Gordon Douglas and written by Charles Eric Johnson. The film stars Jim Brown, Ed McMahon, Don Stroud, Brock Peters, Gloria Hendry and Dick Anthony Williams. The film was relea ...

'' (1973) ''Norma'' (1970), ''The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid'' (1972) and ''Wham! Bam! Thank You, Spaceman!'' (1975). She also appeared in a 1992 documentary about the filmmaker

entitled ''Flying Saucers over Hollywood: The 'Plan 9' Companion'', in which she said very nice things about the famed 1950s director. Valda, who believed deeply in astrology, said she and Wood shared a psychic link: "We were on this Earth, but not of it."

Career

Hansen first came across Ed Wood in 1957 at a local theater production called "Accidentally Yours". Impressed with what he saw, Wood asked her to think about a role in a short TV film he was making called "The Night the Banshee Cried", but he later put her in his 1958 film ''Night of the Ghouls'' instead. She accepted the role which was that of a ghost. He also got her to bleach her hair for the role. In 1964, Ed Wood wrote a proposed screenplay for a horror/comedy film to be called ''Attack of the Giant Salami'', which was supposed to star Boris Karloff, Joe E. Brown and Valda Hansen, but the film was never made. Valda still remained a friend and admirer of Ed Wood for the remainder of her life, and always spoke highly of him. She played the part of Sister Anne in the 1970 biker film, '' Outlaw Riders'' which was directed by Tony Huston, and a western called ''Cain's Cutthroats'' with Scott Brady and John Carradine. She played Mady Maguire's roommate in ''Norma'' (1970), a sexy drama co-starring Uschi Digard and Art Metrano. In 1972, she appeared in ''The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid'', starring Robert Duvall and Cliff Robertson. She also appeared in the 1973 film, ''

'' which starred

Jim Brown James Nathaniel Brown (born February 17, 1936) is a former American football player, sports analyst and actor. He played as a fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 through 1965. Considered to be one ...

, Ed McMahon, Don Stroud and Brock Peters.

Letterboxd Letterboxd is an online social networking service co-founded by Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow in 2011. It was launched as a social app focused on sharing opinions about, and love of film, and is maintained by a small team in Auckland, New ...

Slaughter’s Big Rip Off 1973 Directed by Gordon Douglas
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Later years

Hansen retired from acting around 1975 at age 43, and died in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

on July 21, 1993, from cancer at age 60. The cancer started from a mole on her leg and spread rapidly. Due to her impoverished financial situation, she couldn't afford health insurance or the necessary medical treatments that might have saved her life.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hansen, Valda 1932 births 1993 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Los Angeles American film actresses Deaths from cancer in California People from Greater Los Angeles Actresses from California