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Born Inees Isabella Sampietro. After working as a model she trained for the stage at the Milan Academy. In her early 20s she entered Italian films as an extra and bit player. Director Max Ophuls selected her to play the lead in La Signora di Tutti (1934), launching her into a career as a leading lady; besides many Italian films, she also appeared in German, French, British, and American productions. In 1939-40 she was in Hollywood, hyped as the "new Dietrich," but American audiences were unimpressed and she returned to Europe. For her work in Au-dela des Grilles/The Walls of Malapaga (1949) she won the Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award. She also acted in many stage and TV productions and was a respected poet, novelist, and painter. She was married to film producer Alfredo Guarini.