Always the epitome of elegance, Liana Del Balzo was an actress and generica active in Italian films from at least the 1930's until the end of the 70's.
According to her biography in the "Dizionario del cinema italiano: Le attrici" book, she was born on March 4th 1899 in Buenos Aires, Argentina and died on March 26th 1982 in Rome, aged 83, and was married to Guido Agnoletti, a well-known opera singer in the 1920's and 30's. Due to various spellings in credits it is unclear if Liana was an abbreviation of Eliana or Giuliana.
Her known film acting career began in 1939, with one role to be confirmed from 1935, but she was active in theatre since at least as early as 1923, so it's quite possible she started appearing in films before this, maybe even during the silent era and also maybe in South America. She generally played uncredited bit parts, with or without dialogue, but from time to time she would get cast in larger character roles. Even from her earliest known roles she almost always got cast in mature roles such as noblewomen, mothers or governesses.
I think it is highly likely that there will be additional roles to be found.
Filmography
- Ballo al castello .... Gossiping noblewoman (role unconfirmed - credited?)
- Finisce sempre così .... Hotel maid (uncredited)
- Torna, caro ideal! .... Madame de Villet (uncredited)
1940 - Centomila dollari .... Miss Vernon (credited as "L. Del Balzo")
1941 - È caduta una donna .... Neighbour (uncredited)
- I mariti .... Guest at the ball
- Il re si diverte .... Marquise (uncredited)
- Tosca .... Lady-in-waiting to the Marquise (uncredited)
1942 - 7 Jahre Glück .... Singer riding on the truck (uncredited)
- La mecca dei desideri (Short) .... The sculptor's wife (credited)
- Sancta Maria .... Cruise ship passenger (credited?)
- Una signora dell'Ovest .... Audience member at Arianna's performance (uncredited)
1943 - Apparizione .... Susanna (uncredited)
- Sempre più difficile .... Directress of the Swiss college (credited)
1944 - Il diavolo va in collegio .... Signora Testones (credited)
1949 - I pirati di Capri .... Lady at the Queen's feast (uncredited)
- Totò cerca casa .... The countess (uncredited)
1950 - Il ladro di Venezia .... The chaperone (credited)
1951 - Amore e sangue .... role? (uncredited)
- Quo Vadis .... Woman preparing Lygia for the arena (uncredited)
- Sette ore di guai .... Woman at the baptism (uncredited)
- Una bruna indiavolata! .... Giulio's mother (credited)
1952 - Altri tempi .... Spectator in courtroom (uncredited)
- Il romanzo della mia vita .... Woman in the trattoria (uncredited)
- Moglie per una notte .... role? (uncredited)
1953 - Giuseppe Verdi .... Party guest (uncredited)
1954 - Casta diva .... Fiorillo's mother (uncredited)
- Tradita .... Chief seamstress (uncredited)
1955 - Bravissimo .... Patroness observing the auditions (uncredited)
- La donna più bella del mondo .... Noblewoman watching the duel (uncredited)
1956 - Noi siamo le colonne .... Sofia's mother (uncredited)
1958 - Aprite: Polizia! (TV series) - ep. 6: "La trappola" .... Old woman at the fairground (credited)
1959 - Il moralista .... The baroness (uncredited)
- Ottocento (TV mini-series) - ep. 1 .... Party guest (uncredited)
1960 - Apocalisse sul fiume giallo .... Gambler (uncredited)
- I cosacchi .... Grand duchess Impacienza (uncredited)
- It started in Naples .... Nightclub customer (uncredited)
- L'ultimo zar .... Gossiping woman in the street (uncredited)
- Totò, Fabrizi e i giovani d'oggi .... Gabrielle's aunt (credited)
- Tre giorni a Roma .... Dina (credited)
1961 - Come September .... Mother Superior (uncredited)
- Five Golden Hours .... Woman at the funeral (uncredited)
- I masnadieri .... Acilia (uncredited)
1962 - Alta Pressione (TV show) .... Countess (credited)
- Escapade in Florence .... Contessa Della Scala (uncredited)
- Sodoma e Gomorra .... Hebrew woman (credited)
- Venere imperiale .... Princess Borghese (credited)
1963 - I mostri .... Woman at dinner (uncredited)
- La donna degli altri è sempre più bella .... Woman on the beach (uncredited)
1964 - I gemelli del Texas .... Mother of Malanza (credited)
- I miserabili (TV mini-series) - ep. 4: "Cosetta" .... A sister (credited)
- Il disco volante .... Mother of Dolores (credited)
1966 - After the Fox / Caccia alla volpe .... Cinema audience member (uncredited)
- Scusi, lei è favorevole o contrario? .... Party guest (uncredited)
- Tecnica di una spia .... Hotel guest (uncredited)
1967 - Caravaggio (TV mini-series) - ep. 1 .... Woman at the dinner (credited as "Liliana Del Balzo")
- The Taming of the Shrew .... Wedding guest (uncredited)
1968 - E per tetto un cielo di stelle .... Mourner (uncredited)
- Fenomenal e il tesoro di Tutankamen .... Party guest (uncredited)
- Il figlio di Aquila Nera .... Woman at the ball (re-used footage - uncredited)
- La pecora nera .... Party guest (uncredited)
1969 - I fratelli Karamazov (TV mini-series) - ep. 6, 7 .... Spectator at the trial (credited as "Eliana Del Balzo")
- Infanzia, vocazione e prime esperienze di Giacomo Casanova veneziano .... Woman at the 2nd sermon (uncredited)
- Jekyll (TV mini-series) - ep. 2 .... Mr. Hyde's landlady (credited)
- La monaca di Monza .... Nun (uncredited)
- Zorro alla corte d'Inghilterra .... Party guest (uncredited)
1970 - L'inafferrabile invincibile Mr. Invisibile .... Madame Claire (credited)
- Shango, la pistola infallibile .... Taña (credited)
1971 - Tre donne - 1943: Un incontro .... Woman listening to Royalist speech (uncredited)
- Un omicidio perfetto a termine di legge .... Mrs. Foschi (credited)
1972 - Colpo grosso... grossissimo... anzi probabile .... Countess (credited)
- La prima notte di quiete .... Woman at the funeral (uncredited)
1973 - Il gatto di Brooklyn aspirante detective .... Adelina Bacherozza De Porcaris (credited as "Giuliana Del Balzo")
1975 - Profondo rosso .... Elvira (credited)
1976 - Cassandra Crossing .... Train passenger (uncredited)
1978 - Il vizietto .... Madame Charrier (credited)
1979 - Luna .... Maestro's sister (uncredited)
Loadsa Liana!
There are plenty more titles where Liana is rumoured to appear that I have been unable to find copies of, particularly titles from earlier in her career, so if anybody has any of the titles below you know what to do...
- Casta diva (1935) IMDb. I have looked through the pretty awful quality copy on You Tube with no luck. Since she does appear in a 1954 film of the same title I wouldn't rule out the possibility that her appearance here may have been confused with that film.
- Le educande di Saint-Cyr (1939) - ANICA as Insegnante di musica
- Eravamo sette vedove (1939) - ANICA as Passeggera pettegola
- Una moglie in pericolo (1939) - ANICA as Invitata alla festa di nozze
- Il sogno di Butterfly (1939) - ANICA
- La canzone rubata (1940) - ANICA as Portinaia
- La fanciulla di Portici (1940) - ANICA as Duchessa Carafa
- Kean (1940) - ANICA as Invitata al ballo del principe
- Scandalo per bene (1940) - ANICA
- Caravaggio, il pittore maledetto (1941) - ANICA
- Idillio a Budapest (1941) - ANICA
- L'orizzonte dipinto (1941) - ANICA
- La danza del fuoco (1942) - ANICA
- La donna del peccato (1942) - ANICA
- Miliardi che follia! (1942) - ANICA as Invitata alla festa
- La principessa del sogno (1942) - ANICA as Amica della cantante lirica
- La signorina (1942) - ANICA
- Sette anni di felicità (1942) (Italian-language version of 7 Jahre Glück) - ANICA as Cantante sul camion
- Soltanto un bacio (1942) - ANICA as Invitata alla festa di fidanzamento
- La storia di una capinera (1945) - ANICA
- Eugenia Grandet (1946) - ANICA as Dama amica signora D'Aubrion. I've been through this film and didn't recognise her anywhere.
- L'Apocalisse (1947) ANICA
- Il fiacre N. 13 (1948) IMDb in segment "Il castigo"
- Romanzo d'amore (1950) - ANICA as Ospite dei Contini
- Santo disonore (1950) - IMDb
- Core 'ngrato (1951) - ANICA
- Strano appuntamento (1951) - ANICA
- Don Lorenzo (1952) - ANICA
- Una donna prega (1953) - ANICA as Una vicina curiosa
- Fanciulle di lusso (1953) - ANICA as Signora Wilson
- I cavalieri della regina (1954) - ANICA
- Valeria, ragazza poco seria (1958) - ANICA
- Le cameriere (1959) - ANICA as Principessa
- L'étrange monsieur Duvallier (TV series, 1979) - season 1, ep. 3: "Bing-Banque" - IMDb as La vieille femme
Lost Liana!
As always seems to be the case with little-known actors with large online filmographies, there are titles where she is credited somewhere online, but either does not appear or else I was unable to find her for some reason.
- Carosello napoletano (1954) - ANICA and IMDb as "bit part", searched for but not found
- Ben-Hur (1959) - IMDb as Guest at banquet. I have been through the film now specifically looking for Liana with no luck, and there is no banquet scene in the film, so the role description is unreliable, however with thousands of extras, many who can't be seen too clearly, it is still quite possible that she may appear.