Actress. A pretty brunette, she is remembered for her performances in several ‘neorealist’ Italian films of the early 1950s, over her short career working with most of the leading cinematic personalities of her day. Raised in Rome, not much is recorded of her early years save that she had little or no formal training. Elena made her 1950 silver screen bow in Renato Castellani’s “It’s Forever Springtime” and that same year followed with a well-received performance in Pietro Germi’s “The Path of Hope”. Having worked with noted actor Raf Vallone, she married him in 1952 but continued working until leaving the screen to raise her eventual three children following her turn in 1954’s “Siluri umani”. Elena and her husband made a final joint appearance in the 1999 “Toni”; she lived out her days in the Rome suburbs, participated in a 2009 Germi documentary, and died of heart disease. A few of her movies are preserved on DVD. (bio by: Bob Hufford)  Family links:  Spouse:  Raf Vallone (1916 – 2002)