Death of an actress

ACTRESS Alida Valli, the remaining survivor of my all-time favourite movie, The Third Man, has been finally edited out of life by that great director in the sky.

The 84-year-old died alone of undisclosed causes in a Roman state-provided apartment for financially-stricken artists, according to reports.

Her personal life and career in general could never (and didn’t) match her celluloid charisma and integrity in Carol Reed’s 1949 moody masterpiece.

But I prefer to remember her by that powerful, sad performance as Anna up there on the screen in the God-like company of Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten and Trevor Howard.

Oliver McGrane

32 Marley Ave

Rathfarnham

Dublin 16