Valentina Cortese (1 January 1923 – 10 July 2019) was an Italian actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in François Truffaut's ''

Day for Night Day for night is a set of cinematic techniques used to simulate a night scene while filming in daylight. It is often employed when it is too difficult or expensive to actually shoot during nighttime. Because both film stocks and digital image s ...

'' (1973).

Personal life

Cortese was born in Milan to a family from

Stresa Stresa is a town and ''comune'' of about 4,600 residents on the shores of Lake Maggiore in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, about northwest of Milan. It is situated on road and rail routes to the Simp ...

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

. In 1940, she met conductor

Victor de Sabata Victor de Sabata (10 April 1892 – 11 December 1967) was an Italian conductor and composer. He is widely recognized as one of the most distinguished operatic conductors of the twentieth century, especially for his Verdi, Puccini and Wagner. D ...

, who was 31 years older and married with children. She left high school to follow him to Rome, and there she graduated from the Academy of Dramatic Art. They separated in 1948. Cortese married

Richard Basehart John Richard Basehart (August 31, 1914 – September 17, 1984) was an American actor. He starred as Admiral Harriman Nelson in the television science-fiction drama '' Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' (1964–68). He also portrayed Wilton Knig ...

, her co-star in ''

The House on Telegraph Hill ''House on Telegraph Hill'' is a 1951 American film noir starring Richard Basehart, Valentina Cortese, and William Lundigan, and directed by Robert Wise. The film received an Academy Award nomination for its art direction. Telegraph Hill is a d ...

'', in 1951, and had one son with him, the actor

Jackie Basehart John Anthony Carmine Michael "Jackie" Basehart (11 October 1951 – 16 May 2015) was an American actor. Life and career Born in Santa Monica, California, Basehart was the son of actor Richard Basehart and actress Valentina Cortese, . who had me ...

; they divorced in 1960. She never remarried. Jackie Basehart died in Milan in 2015, predeceasing Cortese. Cortese died on 10 July 2019, aged 96.

Career

Cortese made her screen debut in Italian films in 1940, leading to her first internationally acclaimed roles in

Riccardo Freda Riccardo Freda (24 February 1909 – 20 December 1999) was an Italian film director. He worked in a variety of genres, including sword-and-sandal, horror, ''giallo'' and spy films. Freda began directing '' I Vampiri'' in 1956. The film became ...

's 1948 Italian film ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...

'' with

Gino Cervi Luigi Cervi (3 May 1901 – 3 January 1974), better known as Gino Cervi (), was an Italian actor. He was best known for portraying Peppone in a series of comedies based on the character ''Don Camillo'' (1952-1965), and police detective Jules ...

and a very young Marcello Mastroianni, in which she played both

Fantine Fantine (French pronunciation: ) is a fictional character in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. She is a young '' grisette'' in Paris who becomes pregnant by a rich student. After he abandons her, she is forced to look after their chil ...

and

Cosette Cosette () is a fictional character in the 1862 novel ''Les Misérables'' by Victor Hugo and in the many adaptations of the story for stage, film, and television. Her birth name, Euphrasie, is only mentioned briefly. As the orphaned child of an u ...

, and the 1949 British film '' The Glass Mountain'' (1949),IMDb profile
/ref> which led to a number of roles in American films of the period, but continued to make films in Europe with such directors as Michelangelo Antonioni,

Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and most i ...

and François Truffaut. She signed a contract with

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

in 1948. She starred in '' ''Malaya'''' (1949), a

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

film about smuggling and guerrilla warfare against the Japanese with

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...

and James Stewart,

Jules Dassin Julius "Jules" Dassin (December 18, 1911 – March 31, 2008) was an American film and theatre director, producer, writer and actor. A subject of the Hollywood blacklist in the McCarthy era, he subsequently moved to France, and later Greece, whe ...

's ''

Thieves' Highway ''Thieves' Highway'' is a 1949 film noir directed by Jules Dassin. The screenplay was written by A. I. Bezzerides, based on his novel ''Thieves' Market''. The film was released on DVD as part of the Criterion Collection in 2005. Plot A war-ve ...

'' (1949) with

Richard Conte Nicholas Peter Conte (March 24, 1910 – April 15, 1975), known professionally as Richard Conte, was an American actor. He appeared in more than 100 films from the 1940s through 1970s, including '' I'll Cry Tomorrow'', ''Ocean's 11'', and ''Th ...

and

Lee J. Cobb Lee J. Cobb (born Leo Jacoby; December 8, 1911February 11, 1976) was an American actor, known both for film roles and his work on the Broadway stage. He often played arrogant, intimidating and abrasive characters, but he also acted as respectabl ...

, ''

'' (1951) directed by

Robert Wise Robert Earl Wise (September 10, 1914 – September 14, 2005) was an American film director, producer, and editor. He won the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture for his musical films ''West Side Story'' (1961) and ''The Sound of ...

and co-starring

and

William Lundigan William Paul Lundigan (June 12, 1914 – December 20, 1975) was an American film actor. His more than 125 films include '' Dodge City'' (1939), ''The Fighting 69th'' (1940), ''The Sea Hawk'' (1940), ''Santa Fe Trail'' (1940), '' Dishonored Lady ...

, and

Joseph L. Mankiewicz Joseph Leo Mankiewicz (; February 11, 1909 – February 5, 1993) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Mankiewicz had a long Hollywood career, and won both the Academy Award for Best Director and the Academy Award for Best A ...

's ''

The Barefoot Contessa ''The Barefoot Contessa'' is a 1954 American drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz about the life and loves of fictional Spanish sex symbol Maria Vargas. It stars Humphrey Bogart, Ava Gardner, and Edmond O'Brien. The film's sl ...

'' (1954), with Humphrey Bogart,

Ava Gardner Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress. She first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew critics' attention in 1946 with her perform ...

and

Edmond O'Brien Eamon Joseph O'Brien (September 10, 1915 – May 9, 1985) was an American actor and film director. His career spanned almost 40 years, and he won one Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. O'Brien w ...

. In Europe she starred in Michelangelo Antonioni's ''

Le Amiche ''Le Amiche'' (, lit. "The girlfriends") is a 1955 Italian drama film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and starring Eleonora Rossi Drago, Gabriele Ferzetti, Franco Fabrizi, and Valentina Cortese. Based on Cesare Pavese's 1949 novella ''Tra do ...

'' (1955),

Gérard Brach Gérard Brach (23 July 1927 – 9 September 2006) was a French screenwriter best known for his collaborations with the film directors Roman Polanski and Jean-Jacques Annaud. He directed two movies: ''La Maison'' and ''The Boat on the Grass''. ...

's ''

The Boat on the Grass ''The Boat on the Grass'' (french: Le Bateau sur l'herbe) is a 1971 French film directed by Gérard Brach. It was entered into the 1971 Cannes Film Festival. Cast * Claude Jade - Eleonore * Jean-Pierre Cassel - David * John McEnery - Oliver * Va ...

'' (1971),

Terry Gilliam Terrence Vance Gilliam (; born 22 November 1940) is an American-born British filmmaker, comedian, animator, actor and former member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam has directed 13 feature films, including '' Time Bandits'' (1981), '' ...

's British film ''

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen ''The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'' is a 1988 adventure fantasy film co-written and directed by Terry Gilliam, and starring John Neville, Sarah Polley, Eric Idle, Jonathan Pryce, Oliver Reed, Robin Williams and Uma Thurman. An interna ...

'' (1988), and in

Franco Zeffirelli Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli (12 February 1923 – 15 June 2019), was an Italian stage and film director, producer, production designer and politician. He was one of the most significant opera and theatre directors of the post-World War II era, ...

projects such as the film ''

Brother Sun, Sister Moon ''Brother Sun, Sister Moon'' ( it, Fratello Sole, Sorella Luna) is a 1972 film directed by Franco Zeffirelli and starring Graham Faulkner and Judi Bowker. The film is an examination of the life of Saint Francis of Assisi. Plot Francesco, the sp ...

'' (1972), the

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...

'' Jesus of Nazareth'' (1977) and the film '' Sparrow'' (1993). Her final American film role was in ''

When Time Ran Out ''When Time Ran Out...'' is a 1980 American disaster film directed by James Goldstone and starring Paul Newman, Jacqueline Bisset and William Holden. The supporting cast features James Franciscus, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons, Burgess Meredith ...

'' (1980).

Selected filmography

* ' (1941) * ''

L'attore scomparso ''L'attore scomparso'' ("The Actor Died") is a 1941 Italian film directed by Luigi Zampa and starring Vivi Gioi. It is a remake of the German film ''Was wird hier gespielt?'' (1940) based on the eponymous play by Theo Lingen. Cast * Vivi Gioi a ...

'' (1941) * ''

The Hero of Venice ''The Hero of Venice'' (Italian: ''Il bravo di Venezia'') is a 1941 Italian historical adventure film directed by Carlo Campogalliani and starring Gustav Diessl, Paola Barbara, Rossano Brazzi and Valentina Cortese.Damiani p.256-257 It was shot ...

'' (1941) – Alina * ''

First Love First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

'' (1941) – Nerina Redi * '' Girl of the Golden West'' (1942) – Madge / Juanita * '' The Jester's Supper'' (1942) – Lisabetta * ''

The Queen of Navarre ''The Queen of Navarre'' (Italian: ''La regina di Navarra'') is a 1942 Italian " white-telephones" historical film directed by Carmine Gallone and starring Elsa Merlini, Gino Cervi and Renato Cialente.Nowell-Smith, Hay & Volpi p.57 It was made at t ...

'' (1942) – Eleonora d'Austria * ' (1942) – Maria Renda / Luisa Renda * ' (1942) – Lidia * ' (1942) – Valentina, la sua segretaria * ''

Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most su ...

'' (1942) – Marianna * ' (1943) – Enrichetta Dorlence * ' (1943) * ' (1945) – Valentina * ''

The Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments ( Biblical Hebrew עשרת הדברים \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים, ''aséret ha-dvarím'', lit. The Decalogue, The Ten Words, cf. Mishnaic Hebrew עשרת הדיברות \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְ ...

'' (1945) – (segment "Non nominare il nome di Dio invano") * ' (1945) – Luisella * ' (1946) – La ragazza * ''

A Yank in Rome ''A Yank in Rome'' ( it, Un americano in vacanza) is a 1946 Italian comedy film directed by Luigi Zampa and starring Valentina Cortese. Cast * Valentina Cortese as Maria, La maestrina * Andrea Checchi as Roberto * Leo Dale as Dick * Adolfo Cel ...

'' (1946) – Maria, La maestrina * ''

Bullet for Stefano ''Bullet for Stefano'' ( it, Il Passatore, also known as ''The Ferryman'') is a 1947 Italian adventure-drama-crime film written and directed by Duilio Coletti and starring Rossano Brazzi and Valentina Cortese. It is loosely based on real-life eve ...

'' (1947) – Barbara * ''

The Courier of the King ''The Courier of the King'' (Italian: ''Il corriere del re'') is a 1947 Italian historical film directed by Gennaro Righelli and starring Rossano Brazzi, Irasema Dilián and Valentina Cortese.Moliterno p.208 It is an adaptation of the 1830 novel '' ...

'' (1947) – Louise de Renal * ''

'' (1948) –

and

* ' (1948) – Esther * ''

Crossroads of Passion ''Crossroads of Passion'' (French: ''Carrefour des passions'', Italian: ''Gli uomini sono nemici'') is a 1948 French-Italian drama film directed by Ettore Giannini and Henri Calef and starring Viviane Romance, Clément Duhour and Valentina Cortes ...

'' (1948) – Maria Pilar * '' The Glass Mountain'' (1949) – Alida * ''

Black Magic Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 145 ...

'' (1949) – Zoraida * ''

'' (1949) – Rica * '' Malaya'' (1949) – Luana * ''

Women Without Names ''Women Without Names'' is a 1940 American drama film directed by Robert Florey. Plot Cast * Ellen Drew as Joyce King * Robert Paige as Fred MacNeil * Judith Barrett as Peggy Athens * John Miljan as District Attorney John Marlin * ...

'' (1950) – Anna Petrovic the Jugoslav * '' Shadow of the Eagle'' (1950) – Elizabeth, Princess Tarakanova * ''

The Rival of the Empress ''The Rival of the Empress'' (Italian: ''La rivale dell'imperatrice'') is a 1951 Italian historical adventure film directed by Jacopo Comin and Sidney Salkow and starring Richard Greene, Valentina Cortese and Isa Pola. A separate English-langu ...

'' (1951) – Principessa Tarakanova * ''

'' (1951) – Victoria Kowelska * '' Secret People'' (1952) – Maria * ''

Lulu Lulu may refer to: Companies * LuLu, an early automobile manufacturer * Lulu.com, an online e-books and print self-publishing platform, distributor, and retailer * Lulu Hypermarket, a retail chain in Asia * Lululemon Athletica or simply Lulu, ...

'' (1953) – Lulù * ''

Jealousy Jealousy generally refers to the thoughts or feelings of insecurity, fear, and concern over a relative lack of possessions or safety. Jealousy can consist of one or more emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness or disgus ...

'' (1953) – Agrippina (voice, uncredited) * '' The Walk'' (1953) – Lisa * '' Angels of Darkness'' (1954) – Vally * ''

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) – Natalia Stefanovna Chubukova * ''Avanzi di galera'' (1954) – Moglie di Luprandi * ''

'' (1954) – Eleanora Torlato-Favrini * '' Adriana Lecouvreur'' (1955) – Adriana Lecouvreur * ''

'' (1955) – Nene * '' Il conte Aquila'' (1955) – Teresa Casati * ''Faccia da mascalzone'' (1956) * ''

Magic Fire ''Magic Fire'' is a 1955 American biographical film about the life of composer Richard Wagner, released by Republic Pictures. Directed by William Dieterle, the film made extensive use of Wagner's music, which was arranged by Erich Wolfgang Korng ...

'' (1956) – Mathilde Wesendonk * '' The Rocket from Calabuch'' (1956) – Eloisa, the Schoolmistress * ''Dimentica il mio passato'' (1957) * ''Kean – Genio e sregolatezza'' (1957) – Fanny (uncredited) * ''Amore a prima vista'' (1958) * ''

Love and Troubles ''Love and Troubles'' ( it, Amore e guai) is a 1958 Italian comedy film directed by Angelo Dorigo. Plot A Don Juan named Roberto woos a young actress of photo novels on the day she is expected to be engaged to the woman he loves, despite the ...

'' (1958) – Marisa * '' Square of Violence'' (1961) – Erica Bernardi * ''

Barabbas Barabbas (; ) was, according to the New Testament, a prisoner who was chosen over Jesus by the crowd in Jerusalem to be pardoned and released by Roman governor Pontius Pilate at the Passover feast. Biblical account According to all four canoni ...

'' (1961) – Julia * ''

Axel Munthe, The Doctor of San Michele ''Axel Munthe, The Doctor of San Michele'' (german: Axel Munthe – Der Arzt von San Michele) is a 1962 biographical drama film directed by Giorgio Capitani, Rudolf Jugert and Georg Marischka. It stars O.W. Fischer in the title role along with Ro ...

'' (1962) – Eleonora Duse * '' The Girl Who Knew Too Much'' (1963) – Laura Craven-Torrani * '' The Visit'' (1964) – Mathilda Miller * '' The Possessed'' (1965) – Irma * ''

Juliet of the Spirits ''Juliet of the Spirits'' ( it, Giulietta degli spiriti) is a 1965 fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Federico Fellini and starring Giulietta Masina, Sandra Milo, Mario Pisu, Valentina Cortese, and Valeska Gert. The film is about the vi ...

'' (1965) – Valentina * ''Soleil noir'' (1966) – Maria * ''

The Legend of Lylah Clare ''The Legend of Lylah Clare'' is a 1968 American drama film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by Robert Aldrich. The film stars Peter Finch, Kim Novak (in multiple roles), Ernest Borgnine, Michael Murphy, and Valentina Cortese. The fi ...

'' (1968) – Countess Bozo Bedoni * '' Listen, Let's Make Love'' (1968) – Lallo's Mother * ''

Oh, Grandmother's Dead ''Oh, Grandmother's Dead'' ( it, Toh, è morta la nonna!) is a 1969 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Monicelli and starring Sergio Tofano. Cast * Sirena Adgemova as Sparta * Carole André as Claretta * Wanda Capodaglio as Adelaide Ghia, ...

'' (1968) – Ornella * ''

The Secret of Santa Vittoria ''The Secret of Santa Vittoria'' is a 1969 American war film distributed by United Artists. It was produced and directed by Stanley Kramer and co-produced by George Glass from a screenplay by Ben Maddow and William Rose. It was based on the be ...

'' (1969) – Gabriella (uncredited) * ''Give Her the Moon'' (1970) – Madeleine de Lépine * ''

'' (1970) – Mother * ''

The Love Mates ''The Love Mates'' (french: Madly) is a 1970 French romance film starring Alain Delon and Mireille Darc. The film was a financial disappointment, with admissions of 508,452 in France.The Boat on the Grass ''The Boat on the Grass'' (french: Le Bateau sur l'herbe) is a 1971 French film directed by Gérard Brach. It was entered into the 1971 Cannes Film Festival. Cast * Claude Jade - Eleonore * Jean-Pierre Cassel - David * John McEnery - Oliver * Va ...

'' (1971) – Christine * '' The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire'' (1971) – Mrs. Sobiesky * '' Chronicle of a Homicide'' (1972) – Luisa Sola * ''

'' (1972) – Pica Di Bernardone * ''

The Assassination of Trotsky ''The Assassination of Trotsky'' is a 1972 British historical drama film, directed by Joseph Losey with a screenplay by Nicholas Mosley. It stars Richard Burton as Leon Trotsky, as well as Romy Schneider and Alain Delon. Plot Exiled from the ...

'' (1972) – Natalia Sedowa Trotsky * ''

'' (1973) – Séverine * ''

Appassionata Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 (colloquially known as the ''Appassionata'', meaning "passionate" in Italian) is among the three famous piano sonatas of his middle period (the others being the ''Waldstein'', Op. 53 ...

'' (1974) – Elisa Rutelli * ''Tendre Dracula'' (1974) – (uncredited) * '' The Kiss of Death'' (1974) – Elizabeth Blixen * ''Amore mio non farmi male'' (1974) – Sabina Foschini * ''

Dracula in the Provinces ''Dracula in the Provinces'' ( it, Il cav. Costante Nicosia demoniaco ovvero: Dracula in Brianza, lit. The Noble devilish Costante Nicose or: Dracula in Brianza) is a 1975 Italian horror comedy film directed by Lucio Fulci and starring Lando Buzz ...

'' (1975) – Olghina Franchetti * ''

Kidnap Syndicate ''Kidnap Syndicate'' ( it, La città sconvolta: caccia spietata ai rapitori, lit=The City is Shaken: Ruthless Pursuit of the Kidnappers) is a 1975 Italian ''poliziottesco'' film directed by Fernando Di Leo. Even being a minor work in the Di Leo's ...

'' (1975) – Grazia Filippini * ''Son tornate a fiorire le rose'' (1975) – Sabina Foschini * ''

Nick the Sting ''Nick the Sting'' ( it, Gli amici di Nick Hezard) is a 1976 Italian film directed by Fernando Di Leo. It stars actor Gabriele Ferzetti. Cast * Luc Merenda as Nick Hezard *Lee J. Cobb as Robert Clark *Gabriele Ferzetti as Maurice *Luciana Paluzzi ...

'' (1976) – Regina – Nick's Mother * '' The Big Operator'' (1976) – The Widow * '' Jesus of Nazareth'' (1977, TV Mini-Series) – Herodias * ''Nido de viudas'' (1977) – Dolores * ''Tanto va la gatta al lardo...'' (1978) – Vilma / Leonilde Bosco Casagrande * ''Un'ombra nell'ombra'' (1979) – Elena Merrill * ''

'' (1980) – Rose Valdez * ''La ferdinanda: Sonate für eine Medici-Villa'' (1982) – Caterina de Dominicis * ''Via Montenapoleone'' (1987) – Madre di Guido * ''Tango blu'' (1987) – Rachele Cigno * ''

Young Toscanini ''Young Toscanini'' (original title: ''Il giovane Toscanini'') is a 1988 Italian-French biographical drama film directed by Franco Zeffirelli and starring C. Thomas Howell and Elizabeth Taylor. Premise The film charts the early career and rom ...

'' (1988) – Comparsa (uncredited) * ''

'' (1988) – Queen Ariadne / Violet * ''

Buster's Bedroom ''Buster's Bedroom'' is a 1990 independent German comedy film directed by Rebecca Horn. The film follows a young woman with an infatuation for Buster Keaton. The film was shown at the Marché du Film of the Cannes Film Festival in May 1990. Later ...

'' (1991) – Serafina Tannenbaum * '' Sparrow'' (1993) – Mother Superior (final film role)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cortese, Valentina 1923 births 2019 deaths Italian film actresses Italian television actresses Actresses from Milan Best Supporting Actress BAFTA Award winners Nastro d'Argento winners 20th-century Italian actresses