[ecrea] Call for Papers "Bianco e Nero" 3/2016 "Alida Valli"

Call for Papers "Bianco e Nero" 3/2016

"Alida Valli"

edited by Mariapia Comand and Stephen Gundle

Exactly eighty years ago, in 1936, Alida Valli made her official debut 
with the film I due sergenti (by Enrico Guazzoni). That year Alida Valli 
was only fifteen and she had also enrolled at the Centro Sperimentale di 
Cinematografia.

The “Luigi Chiarini” Library of the Centro Sperimentale di 
Cinematografia itself has recently acquired Alida Valli’s personal 
archives that include the actress’s correspondence, her fan mail, 
documents regarding her working activities, her press reviews and press 
books: an impressive collection covering the actress’s entire career 
(from the 1930s until the early-2000s) now available to scholars who 
wish to explore her extraordinarily interesting and long-lived presence 
in the world of cinema – in addition to being a landmark in the history 
of film, society and culture.

Alida Valli was depicted by Alberto Arbasino as the brightest of pre-war 
“all-round stars” (Aprà, Pistagnesi, 1979:10); ordained an actress 
thanks to Soldati’s Piccolo mondo antico (1941); defined the new “Garbo” 
during her post-war Hollywood period; during the 1950s she was involved 
in the Montesi Affair, had the leading role in Visconti’s Senso (1954), 
Antonioni’s Il grido (1957) and the experimental television film I figli 
di Medea by A.G. Majano (1959); she had also embarked upon a successful 
career in France; and over the following decades she was engaged in 
roles (at times secondary ones) with film directors such as Pasolini, 
Bertolucci, Zurlini, Argento, Chabrol, von Trotta (just to mention a few).

These are the milestones in the artistic career of Alida Valli, 
according to her biographers. Yet today the material belonging to the 
Alida Valli Fund – and/or new keys to understanding – may suggest 
additional research paths. Amongst these, the following are noteworthy:

- how she felt about being a celebrity, her relationship with fans;
- Alida Valli and her stage costumes, fashion, style, publicity, trends 
(particularly during the pre-war period);
- Alida Valli and the collective imagination of the 1930s;
- Alida Valli and Neorealism;
- the relation between cinema and tabloids, between cinema and politics 
during the Montesi Affair;
- Alida Valli, a Central European actress between Italy, Hollywood, 
South America and France (transnational scenarios and models);
- Alida Valli and her movie directors;
- Alida Valli and her partners on the screen;
- Alida Valli and television (collaborations with Majano, Bolchi and 
Nocita).


Bibliography

- Nicola Falcinella, Alida Valli. Gli occhi, il grido, Le mani, Recco 2011
- Stephen Gundle, Mussolini’s Dream Factory: Film Stardom in Fascist 
Italy, Berghahn, New York–Oxford, 2013
- Stephen Gundle, Figure del desiderio. Storia della bellezza femminile 
italiana, Laterza, Rome–Bari 2009 (or. Bellissima. Feminine Beauty and 
the Idea of Italy, Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 2007)
- Ernesto G. Laura, Maurizio Porro, Alida Valli, Gremese, Rome 1996
- Meris Nicoletto, Donne nel cinema di regime fra tradizione e 
modernità, Falsopiano, Alessandria 2014
- Nunzia Messina, Le donne del fascismo. Massaie rurali e dive del 
cinema nel ventennio, Ellemme, Rome 1987
- Lorenzo Pellizzari, Claudio M. Valentinetti, Il romanzo di Alida 
Valli, Garzanti, Milan 1995
- Massimo Scaglione, Le Dive del Ventennio: ingenue, maliziose, fatali o 
popolane ma soprattutto...italiane, Lindau, Turin 2003

Proposals, containing abstract (max. 200 words), 5 key-words and a short 
biography of the author, must be submitted by June 25th, 2016 to 
(biancoenero /at/ fondazionecsc.it), (redazioneben /at/ gmail.com) and to 
(mariapia.comand /at/ uniud.it) and (S.Gundle /at/ warwick.ac.uk) (please mention in 
the subject: Proposta Valli). Priority will be given to the proposals 
involving research activities in the Alida Valli Fund. Once the proposal 
has been accepted, full essay should be submitted by September 20th, 
2016. The issue will be published in December 2016. All essays will be 
subjected to double blind peer review procedures.


ALIDA VALLI FUND. SUMMARY LIST OF AVAILABLE MATERIAL:

“Press reviews”, 15 files (1937–2006);
“Working activities, contracts”, 6 files (1941–1969; 1970–1979; 
1980–1989 1990–1992; 1993–1999; 2000–2001);
“Fan mail”, 12 files (1937–2006);
“Outgoing correspondence”, 1 file (1936–2002);
“Incoming correspondence, 12 files (1930–2006).

Some documents constitute a sub-category as they contain continuing 
correspondence or for other reasons, in particular:

“Incoming correspondence”, 1 file, Giuseppe Perrone 1972–2000 (agent);
“Incoming correspondence”, 1 file, Olga Horstig Primuz 1972–2000 (agent);
“Incoming correspondence”, 1 file, awards;
“Incoming correspondence”, 1 file, Mario Gasperin;
“Incoming correspondence”, 1 file, Jess Hoaglin
“Incoming correspondence”, 1 file, Plino Mariani.

Finally, two sub-categories regard:

Giuseppina (Bibi) Campanella
“Incoming correspondence”, 1 file (1956–1988):
“Outgoing correspondence”, 1 file ( 1950–1981).

Giancarlo Zagni
“Incoming correspondence”, 1 file, Giancarlo Zagni (1951–1968):
“Outgoing correspondence”, 1 file, Giancarlo Zagni (1959–1961).

Alida Valli Fund, CSC Foundation:
http://www.fondazionecsc.it/context.jsp?ID_LINK=131&area=29


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