Maria Beatrice "Bice" Valori (; 13 May 1927 – 17 March 1980) was an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

actress,

comedian A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertainment, entertain an audience by making them laughter, laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop c ...

and television and radio personality.

Early life and career

Born in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, Valori studied at the Silvio d'Amico Academy of Dramatic Arts, graduating in 1948. The same year, she entered the stage company of the of Rome directed by

Orazio Costa Orazio Costa (6 August 1911 – 14 November 1999) was an Italian theatre pedagogist and director. Born Orazio Costa Giovangigli in Rome, Costa graduated at the Silvio d’Amico Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1937, and after being assistant director ...

. After playing in several classics, Valori specialized as a comedic actress, and had her main successes in the

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...

genre, notably appearing in '' Rugantino'' and . In films, she was a very active

character actress A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014 ...

, mainly cast in humorous roles. Valori appeared often on television, as a comedian, a presenter and an actress in series and TV-movies of some success. She also had a consistent success on radio, in which she created the character of "Sora Bice", a shrewish

RAI (), commercially styled as since 2000 and known until 1954 as (RAI), is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many terrestrial and subscription television channels a ...

telephone operator.

Personal life and death

Valori often shared the scene with her husband, the actor and comedian

Paolo Panelli Paolo Panelli (15 July 1925 – 18 May 1997) was an Italian comedian and film actor. He appeared in 55 films between 1948 and 1996. He was married to Bice Valori. Selected filmography * '' Guarany'' (1948) * ''Arrivederci, papà!'' (1948) * ...

, whom she had married in 1952. Their daughter is also an actress. Valori died in 1980, aged 52, as a result of a tumor.

Partial filmography

* '' His Last Twelve Hours'' (1950) – a witness of the accident * '' Accidents to the Taxes!!'' (1951) – boarding school pupil * ''

Toto the Third Man ''Toto the Third Man'' () is a 1951 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Totò. Plot In a small village Peter and Paul (both played by Toto), twin brothers of opposite characters, Peter, mayor of the town, is gruff, precis ...

'' (1951) – Luisa, Pietro's wife * '' Seven Hours of Trouble'' (1951) – Maddalena, the nursemaid * '' The Steamship Owner'' (1951) – Marga * '' My Heart Sings'' (1951) – Liliana * ''

Deceit Deception is the act of convincing of one or many recipients of untrue information. The person creating the deception knows it to be false while the receiver of the information does not. It is often done for personal gain or advantage. Deceit ...

'' (1952) – Giustina * ''

Good Folk's Sunday ''Good Folk's Sunday'' () is a 1953 Italian comedy film directed by Anton Giulio Majano. Plot Several destinies are displayed as the soccer teams of Rome and Naples meet, with Sophia Loren in one of the episodes. Cast *Maria Fiore: Sandra ...

'' (1953) (uncredited) * (1953) – waitress * ''

Marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

'' (1954) – Anna Snakina, the midwife * (1954) – Gina, the servant * '' The Three Thieves'' (1954) – a friend of Doris' * '' The Belle of Rome'' (1955) – Sister Serafina * (1955) – Giulietta's sister * (1955) – soprano * ''

The Most Wonderful Moment ''The Most Wonderful Moment'' () is a 1957 Italian drama film directed by Luciano Emmer. This drama deals with natural childbirth, and was described as "clinically pure, informative, edifying and, on occasion, tenderly dramatic". Pietro is in ...

'' (1957) – Carla * ''

Susanna Whipped Cream ''Susanna Whipped Cream'' (, ) is a 1957 Italian-Spanish romantic comedy film directed by Steno. Cast * Marisa Allasio: Susanna * Germán Cobos: Alberto *Mario Carotenuto: Alfredo Libotti * Memmo Carotenuto: Scorcelletti the Younger *Nino Man ...

'' (1957) – Rossella * (1957) – Katiuscia * (1957) – Faustina * '' Maid, Thief and Guard'' (1958) – the countess * (1958) – Edna Piselli * (1958) – Gelsomina * (1958) – Francesca * (1959) – Lucienne * (1959) – Irma, La Notte's wife * '' Tough Guys'' (1960) – Genzianetta * (1960) – Nora * (1960) – Giuditta, the nursemaid * (1960) * (1960) – Gladys * (1961) – the director * ''

Hercules in the Valley of Woe ''Hercules in the Vale of Woe'' (/ ''Maciste vs Hercules in the Valley of Woe''), a.k.a. ''Hercules in the Valley of Woe'', is a 1961 Italian Franco and Ciccio comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Kirk Morris as Maciste and Frank ...

'' (1961) * (1961) – Beatrice Garfanò * (1961) * (1963) – the defense attorney * (1963) – Lola Rossi (segment "") * '' Salad by the Roots'' (1964) – aunt Ophélie (uncredited) * (1964) – the housekeeper (segment "") * (1964) * (1964) – Geltrude, the boarding school director * (1965) * '' Rita the Mosquito'' (1966) – Luigina, the school director * ''

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunke ...

'' (1967) – the widow * '' Be Sick... It's Free'' (1968) – Amelia, Dr. Bui's wife * (1969) – Dr. Venanzi * (1969) – Donna Rosa * (1970) – mom Coco Prandi * (1970) – Donna Rosa

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Valori, Bice 1927 births 1980 deaths Actresses from Rome Italian film actresses Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico alumni 20th-century Italian actresses Italian stage actresses Italian television actresses Italian television presenters Italian radio personalities Italian women comedians Deaths from cancer in Lazio 20th-century Italian comedians Italian women television presenters Burials at the Cimitero Flaminio Comedians from Rome People of Tuscan descent