RALLI, GIOVANNA

(1935-)

Actress. Ralli began acting in films from a very young age, one of her earliest appearances being a walk-on part inVittorio De Sica'sI bambini ci guardano(The Children Are Watching Us, 1943). After the war she became popular playing roles such as Marcella, the daughter, inAldo Fabrizi'sLa famiglia Passaguai(The Passaguai Family, 1951) and the daughter inMario Monicelli'sUn eroe dei nostri tempi(A Hero of Our Times, 1955).

Ralli was one of the girls inValerio Zurlini'sLe ragazze di San Frediano(The Girls of San Frediano, 1955) and then appeared in several films byRoberto Rossellini: as Valeria inIl Generale della Rovere(General della Rovere, 1959), Esperia inEra notte a Roma(Escape by Night, 1960), and Rosa inViva l'ltalia(Garibaldi, 1961).After taking the lead role inCarmine Gallone's modern adaptation of the Bizet opera,Carmen di Trastevere(Carmen in Trastevere, 1963), she received aNastro d'argentofor her interpretation of Piera in Paolo Spinola'sLa fuga(The Escape, 1964). She played Anna, a left-wing journalist, inCarlo Lizzani'sLa vita agra(The Bitter Life, 1966) and was in a number of police thrillers before appearing in a key supporting role inEttore Scola'sC'eravamo tanto amati(We All Loved Each Other So Much, 1974), which earned her another Nastro d'argento. In the late 1970s she tended to appear in light comedies such asLanguidi baci, perfide carezze(Languid Kisses, Wet Caresses, 1976). After a fallow period in the 1980s she returned to the big screen inFrancesca Archibugi'sVerso sera(Towards Evening, 1990). In the late 1990s she appeared in a number of popular television series before giving a credible performance as an aging Roman matriarch inCarlo Vanzina'sIlpranzo della domenica(Sunday Lunch, 2003).