Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Actress who played Rand dies in Rome.


In 1942 Italian actress Alida Valli played Kira in the film version of Ayn Rand's We the Living. The original Italian version was four hours and broken into to two separate films, Addio Kira and Noi Vivi but when originals of the film were rediscovered and brought to the United States it was edited into one three hour presentation with the direct involvment of Rand herself. In reality the Kira character was based on Rand herself.

Valli, a famed beauty and prolific actress, was born Alida Maria Laura von Altenburger, baroness of Marckenstein and Freuenberg. She appeared in over 100 films and died April 22 in Rome.