Remembering Isa Miranda

Isa Isabella Miranda was born in Bergamo, Italy on July 5, 1905. She worked as a typist while attending the drama academy in Milan and training to become a stage actress. She went on to Rome and appeared in several films until she became a star in the 1934 film “La signora di tutti”. She then accepted a Hollywood contract from Paramount where she was billed as “The Italian Marlene Dietrich”. She appeared in such films as “Hotel Imperial (1939) and “Adventure in Diamonds” (1940). She returned to Rome shortly after the outbreak of World War II and continued to appear in films and on stage. She appeared in René Clément's “The Walls of Malapaga” which won the Academy Award for most outstanding foreign film of 1950 and for Miranda the Palm d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for best actress. She would make films in Germany, France and England where she appeared in “The Avengers” TV series. Films in the 1960s included “The Yellow Rolls Royce” (1964), and “Shoes of the Fisherman” (1968). She appeared in her only Euro-western “Roy Colt and Winchester Jack” in 1970 as Mama Lizzy. Miranda was married to director Alfred Guarini until his death in 1981. Isa died on July 8, 1978. Today we remember Isa Miranda on what would have been her 105th birthday.