- Gina Lollobrigida
-
Gina Lollobrigida 
Born Luigina Lollobrigida
4 July 1927
Subiaco, ItalyOccupation Actress, photojournalist, sculptress Years active 1946–1997 Spouse Mirko Skofic (1949–1971) (divorced) 1 child Gina Lollobrigida (Italian pronunciation: [ˈdʒiːna lɔlloˈbriːdʒida]; born 4 July 1927) is an Italian actress, photojournalist and sculptress. She was one of the most popular European actresses of the 1950s and early 1960s. She was also an iconic sex symbol of the 1950s. Today, she remains an active supporter of Italian and Italian American causes, particularly the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF). In 2008, she received the NIAF Lifetime Achievement Award at the Foundation's Anniversary Gala.
Contents
Youth
Born Luigina Lollobrigida in Subiaco, Italy, she was one of four daughters of a furniture manufacturer (her sisters are Giuliana, Maria and Fernanda). She spent her youth in a picturesque mountain village. In her youth, Gina did some modelling, and from there she went to participate successfully in several beauty contests. At around this time, she began appearing in Italian language films. In 1945, she played a part in the comedy Santarellina by Eduardo Scarpetta at the Teatro della Concordia of Monte Castello di Vibio.[1] In 1947, Gina entered the Miss Italia pageant and came in 3rd place. The contest was won by Lucia Bosé and second place was Gianna Maria Canale – they would both go on to be actresses, though neither would come near Lollobrigida's success.
Career
Films
In 1950 Howard Hughes invited Lollobrigida to make Hollywood films, but she refused, preferring to work in Europe. Despite this, her appearance in Italian films like Bread, Love and Dreams (for which she received a BAFTA nomination and won a Nastro d'Argento award) and Woman of Rome, and in French films like Fanfan la Tulipe and Beauties of the Night, brought her to the attention of Hollywood. She made her first American film, Beat the Devil, in 1953 with Humphrey Bogart and Jennifer Jones, directed by John Huston.
In 1955 Lollobrigida appeared in The World's Most Beautiful Woman, for which she received the first David di Donatello for Best Actress award. She appeared in the circus drama Trapeze directed by Carol Reed with Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis in 1956 and starred in The Hunchback of Notre Dame directed by Jean Delannoy with Anthony Quinn the same year. In 1959 she co-starred with Frank Sinatra in Never So Few and with Yul Brynner in Solomon and Sheba. The latter was notable for having Brynner replace Tyrone Power, who died during filming; for being the last film directed by King Vidor; and for an orgy scene unusual in Hollywood motion pictures of that era.
Gina Lollobrigida in Solomon and Sheba
In 1961 she appeared in the romantic comedy Come September, with Rock Hudson, Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin, for which she won a Golden Globe award. The same year she appeared alongside Ernest Borgnine and Anthony Franciosa in the drama Go Naked in the World. In 1962 she was directed again by Jean Delannoy in Venere Imperiale and received a Nastro d'Argento and a David di Donatello award. In 1964 she co-starred with Sean Connery in the thriller Woman of Straw. She co-starred with Rock Hudson again in 1965's Strange Bedfellows and appeared alongside Alec Guinness in 1966's Hotel Paradiso. In 1968 she starred in Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell with Shelley Winters, Phil Silvers, and Telly Savalas, the plot of which is the basis for the stage musical Mamma Mia! For this role she was nominated for a Golden Globe and won a third David di Donatello award. Lollobrigida co-starred with Bob Hope in the comedy The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell and also accompanied Hope on his visits to military troops overseas.
Gina Lollobrigida in 1991 at Cannes Film FestivalBy the 1970s her film career had slowed down. She appeared in only a few poorly received productions in the early part of the decade. In the mid 1980s, she starred in the television series Falcon Crest as Francesca Gioberti, a role originally written for Sophia Loren, who turned it down. For that role she received a third Golden Globe nomination. She also had a supporting role in the 1985 TV mini series Deceptions, co-starring with Stephanie Powers. In 1986, she was the head of the jury at the 36th Berlin International Film Festival, which awarded the Golden Bear to Reinhard Hauff's film Stammheim, although she distanced herself publicly from the decision, claiming the decision had been made for political reasons.[2]
In the 1990s she made a few minor French film appearances and continued to visit international film festivals.
Photojournalism
By the end of the 1970s she had embarked on what turned out to be a successful career as a photographic journalist. She photographed, among others, Paul Newman, Salvador Dalí, Henry Kissinger, David Cassidy, Audrey Hepburn, Ella Fitzgerald and the German national football team and scooped the world's press by obtaining an exclusive interview with Fidel Castro. In 1973 a collection of her work was published, Italia Mia.
Other interests
She has focused on other interests such as sculpting and it was 1984 before she returned to American television screens with a part in Falcon Crest. She showed her sculptures in Italy, France, Spain, Russia, United States, Qatar. She was also a corporate executive for fashion and cosmetics companies.
Political activism
In 1999 she ran unsuccessfully for one of Italy's 87 seats in the elections for European Parliament with the center-left party The Democrats.
Personal life
In 1949 she married a Slovenian physician, Mirko Skofic. They had one child, Mirko Skofic, Jr., born in August 1957.[3] They were divorced in 1971. Skofic gave up the practice of medicine to become her manager.[4]
In 1969 she was engaged for a short time to George Kaufman, a New York real estate heir. In the 1960s she also had an affair with heart transplant pioneer Christiaan Barnard.[5]
In October 2006, at age 79, she announced to Spain's ¡Hola! magazine her engagement to a 45-year-old Spanish businessman, Javier Rigau y Rafols, whom she met at a party in Monte Carlo in 1984 and who had been her companion since then.[6] The engagement was called off on 6 December 2006, reportedly as a result of media pressure.[7]
Now virtually retired, Lollobrigida has not made a film since 1997. She told PARADE in April 2000:
“ I studied painting and sculpting at school and became an actress by mistake .... I've had many lovers and still have romances. I am very spoiled. All my life, I've had too many admirers. ” She is of the Roman Catholic faith.[8]
Miscellaneous
- Her full name is used by some music students to correctly render septuplets (seven notes in the duration of four) or to count the 7/8 time signature as it contains 7 evenly-accented syllables. Her last name is used similarly to count quintuplets.
- Mustafa Tlass has claimed that he did not allow attacks on Italian soldiers because of his love for Lollobrigida, among other controversial statements.
- Humphrey Bogart said about her: "for her sex appeal, Gina makes Marilyn Monroe look like Shirley Temple".
- In her career she has received about 6.000 cover pages on magazines in all the world.
Awards and nominations
Lollobrigida has won 6 David di Donatello, 2 Nastro d'Argento, and 6 Bambi Awards; she was nominated three times for the Golden Globe and won one in 1961 as World Film Favourite - Female; she was nominated once for a Bafta.
In 1985 she was nominated as an officier of Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by Jack Lang because of her achievements in sculpture and in photography.
In 1992 she was awarded the Légion d'Honneur by François Mitterrand.
On 16 October 1999, Gina Lollobrigida was nominated Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).[9]
Books by Gina Lollobrigida
- Italia mia, 1973, a collection of photographs across Italy.
- Wonder of Innocence, 1994, a book of photographs.
- Sculptures, 2003.
Filmography
Cinema
Year Film Role Notes 1946 Lucia di Lammermoor 1946 This Wine of Love 1946 Return of the Black Eagle 1947 When Love Calls 1947 Pagliacci Nedda 1947 Flesh Will Surrender 1947 Vendetta nel sole young girl 1948 Mad About Opera Dora 1949 Campane a martello Agostina 1949 The Bride Can't Wait 1949 The White Line Donata Sebastian 1950 A Dog's Life Rita Buton 1950 Miss Italy Lisetta Minneci 1950 Children of Chance 1950 Alina Alina 1951 A Tale of Five Cities Maria Severini 1951 The Young Caruso 1951 Four Ways Out 1951 Love I Haven't... But... But 1951 Attention! Bandits! Anna 1952 Wife for a Night Ottavia 1952 Times Gone By Mariantonia Desiderio 1952 Fanfan la Tulipe Adeline La Franchise 1952 Beauties of the Night Leila, Cashier 1953 The Wayward Wife Gemma Vagnuzzi 1953 Bread, Love and Dreams Maria De Ritis Nominated - BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress
Nastro d'Argento Best Actress1953 Le infedeli Lulla Possenti 1953 Beat the Devil Maria Dannreuther 1954 Woman of Rome Adriana 1954 Bread, Love and Jealousy Maria De Ritis 1954 A Day in Court 1954 Crossed Swords 1954 Le Grand Jeu Sylvia Sorrego, Helena Ricci 1955 The World's Most Beautiful Woman Lina Cavalieri David di Donatello for Best Actress 1956 Trapeze Lola 1956 The Hunchback of Notre Dame Esmeralda 1958 Anna of Brooklyn Anna 1959 The Law Marietta 1959 Never So Few Carla Vesari 1959 Solomon and Sheba Queen of Sheba 1961 Go Naked in the World Giulietta Cameron 1961 Come September Lisa Helena Fellini Golden Globe Henrietta Award, World Film Favorite – Female 1962 Lykke og krone (documentary) 1962 La bellezza di Ippolita Ippolita 1963 Venere Imperiale Paulette Bonaparte David di Donatello for Best Actress
Nastro d'Argento Best Actress1963 Mad Sea Margherita 1964 Woman of Straw Maria Marcello 1965 Me, Me, Me... and the Others Titta 1965 Le Bambole (The Dolls) Beatrice 1965 Strange Bedfellows Toni Vincente 1966 Pleasant Nights Domicilla 1966 The Sultans Liza Bortoli 1966 Hotel Paradiso Marcelle Cotte 1967 Cervantes Giulia Toffolo 1968 Stuntman Evelyne Lake 1968 La morte ha fatto l'uovo Anna 1968 A Curious Way to Love 1968 The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell Maria 1968 Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell Carla Campbell Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
David di Donatello for Best Actress1969 That Splendid November Cettina 1971 Bad Man's River Alicia 1972 King, Queen, Knave Martha Dreyer 1973 No encontre rosas para mi madre 1983 Wandering Stars (documentary) 1995 Les cent et une nuits de Simon Cinéma L'épouse médium du professeur Bébel 1997 XXL Gaby 2011 Box office 3d herself (cameo appearance) Television
Year Film Role Notes 1972 Le avventure di Pinocchio The Fairy with Turquoise Hair 1984 Falcon Crest Francesca Gioberti Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film 1985 Deceptions 1988 Woman of Rome Adriana's mother television remake 1996 Una donna in fuga References
- ^ Storie, vicende e protagonisti / Stories, events and protagonists. History of the Teatro della Concordia on the theatre’s official website, 2011.
- ^ "36th Berlin International Film Festival". berlinale.de. http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1986/01_jahresblatt_1986/01_Jahresblatt_1986.html. Retrieved 2011-01-13.
- ^ "People, Aug. 12, 1957". Time. 12 August 1957. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,825269,00.html.
- ^ Four ways out by Gina Lollobrigida
- ^ Logan, Chris (2004). Celebrity Surgeon: Christiaan Barnard – A Life. Jonathan Ball Publishers. ISBN 1868421635.
- ^ Lollobrigida to marry younger man, BBC News, 20 October 2006
- ^ La Lollo's wedding called off, News 24, 7 December 2006
- ^ http://www.lucywho.com/tpx_14649/gina-lollobrigida/
- ^ "Gina Lollobrigida". Food and Agriculture Organization. http://www.fao.org/getinvolved/ambassadors/ambassadors/ambassadors-ginalollobrigida/en/. Retrieved 16 September 2009.
External links
Categories:- People from the Province of Rome
- Italian actor–politicians
- Italian film actors
- Italian television actors
- Légion d'honneur recipients
- Italian photographers
- 1927 births
- Living people
- Italian Roman Catholics
- Italian activists
- 20th-century actors
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