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Another beauty, from my youth, has passed away aged 95.
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If somebody asks the question over the other side, the answer is nascimbene's Solomon n Sheba.
And probably Buona Sera mrs Campbell
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I can't say I'm familiar with her movies. The thing that always struck me about Gina Lollobrigida was the fabulous, musical quality of her name. Also, along with Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot, and Raquel Welch, for a long time her name was up there in cultural cliché territory as a widely recognized sex symbol. Sometimes a comedy writer would drop her name into a one-liner. Everybody knew what it stood for: smokin' hot show business beauty.
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Posted: |
Jan 18, 2023 - 1:55 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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After appearing in about two dozen films in Italy and elsewhere in Europe, Gina Lollobrigida made her first big American film appearance in Humphrey Bogart’s 1953 comic action adventure BEAT THE DEVIL. In the film, Bogart plays American “Billy Dannreuther,” who represents four men in a scheme to acquire uranium-rich land in British East Africa. They are “Petersen” (Robert Morley), “Julius O’Hara” (Peter Lorre), “Maj. Jack Ross” (Ivor Barnard), and “Ravello” (Marco Tulli). Gina Lollobrigida plays Billy’s Italian wife “Maria.”
Director John Huston was the one who convinced Bogart to buy the film rights to James Helvick’s novel. The production was chaotic. After the first screenplay was rejected, Truman Capote was brought in to rewrite the script, and he and Huston frequently wrote scenes just hours before they were to be shot. In addition, filming in Italy entailed problems in working in a town with only one phone line. Bogart mentioned the difficulties of communicating with Italian-speaking actors and a predominantly Italian crew. He also described co-star Gina Lollobrigida as "the most woman I've seen for a long time--makes Marilyn Monroe look like Shirley Temple."
Gina Lollobrigida in BEAT THE DEVIL
John Huston initially suggested to Bogart that Lauren Bacall might play his wife. "I read your insidious and immoral proposals to my wife," Bogie wrote to Huston in mock anger. "I have instructed Miss Bacall to disregard your blandishment . . . ." Franco Mannino’s score has only been released as an isolated score track on the 2019 Twilight Time Blu-ray release of the film.
BEAT THE DEVIL wasn’t released in the U.S. until 1954, during which it grossed $3 million at the box office. Although it was not successful on its initial release, the film has subsequently acquired a cult status for its sardonic humor, most of which was supplied by Capote. United Artists, the original distributor, relinquished its rights to Bogart's Santana company in 1957. Subsequently, Columbia bought out the late actor's interest and redistributed the film through their art-house subsidiary, Royal Films, in 1964. Columbia later failed to renew its copyright on the film, and it went into the public domain.
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Posted: |
Jan 19, 2023 - 1:23 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Errol Flynn, whose career in the States was on the skids, went to Italy to film the costume picture CROSSED SWORDS with co-star Gina Lollobrigida. Set in Medieval Italy, the film finds rakes “Renzo” (Flynn) and “Raniero” (Cesare Danova), the son of the Duke of Sidona, on their way back to Sidona after an absence of two years, during which they have pursued numerous ladies. Upon their arrival, they find that “Pavoncello” (Roldano Lupi), the Duke’s counselor, has proposed a new law whereby, in order to guarantee future manpower to defend the duchy, all men under twenty must marry and produce children or face imprisonment. “Francesca” (Lollobrigida), the duke’s daughter, and her friends worry about the proposed law frightening prospective suitors away.
CROSSED SWORDS was shot on location in the eleventh-century village of Lauro, about fifty miles from Naples, Italy. Interiors were shot at Cinecittà Studios, Rome. The film was screenwriter Milton Krims's first and only film as a director. The film was also the first feature film production of J. Barrett Mahon (1921--1999), who later was known as Barry Mahon. Mahon also produced Flynn's final film, the 1960 release CUBAN REBEL GIRLS, as well as producing, directing, and writing dozens of 1960s exploitation films.
CROSSED SWORDS was photographed by noted cinematographer Jack Cardiff (WAR AND PEACE, THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK). In the documentary “CAMERAMAN - The Life & Work of Jack Cardiff,” Mr. Cardiff mentions that Sophia Loren auditioned for himself and Errol Flynn. Flynn saw the test and said -"I don’t see anything in this girl at all" and passed on the chance to work with the soon to be world-famous Loren.
The film was scored by Alessandro Cicognini, but the score has never had a release. Soundtrack Collector doesn’t even list the film among Cicognini’s credits. The film opened in the U.S. in San Francisco on 26 August 1954 and earned a low $1.8 million in the States, which Flynn blamed on poor marketing by United Artists.
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Posted: |
Jan 19, 2023 - 2:59 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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In the French-Italian production BEAUTIFUL BUT DANGEROUS, Gina Lollobrigida’s America co-star was Robert Alda. Set in 1905 Rome, the film follows “Lina Cavalieri” (Lollobrigida), a real-life music hall singer turned soprano opera star, who has fallen in love with “Sergei” (Vittorio Gassman), a Russian prince. “Maestro Doria” (Alda), who gives her voice lessons and who hopes to make Lina his mistress, takes her to Paris where she becomes the star of the "Folies-Plastiques". Sergei finds Lina back in the French capital and, as a ploy and game, makes her his mistress. When she understands the truth, Lina runs away with tenor “Silvani” (Gino Sinimberghi), which leads to tragedy.
Gina Lollobrigida in BEAUTIFUL BUT DANGEROUS
Robert Z. Leonard directed the 1955 film, which was due for release in Boston in early 1957 but was denied a Production Code seal until a love scene was trimmed. Eventually, the edited film was distributed in the U.S. in 1958 by Twentieth Century Fox. Lollobrigida won a Bambi Award as Best Actress-International for her performance in the film. The Bambi is a German award presented annually by Hubert Burda Media to recognize excellence in international media and television to personalities in the media, arts, culture, sports, and other fields. She also won the Italian equivalent of an Oscar, a David di Donatello Award—the first one ever given—as Best Actress.
Renzo Rossellini scored the film. This is the film in which Gina Lollobrigida sings an excerpt from “Tosca,” as mentioned by Rozsaphile in an above post. A 5-track EP album was released of music from the film by Vogue Records in France.
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Posted: |
Jan 19, 2023 - 9:04 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Set in Paris, TRAPEZE finds brash young American “Tino Orsini” (Tony Curtis) seeking out once-famous trapeze performer “Mike Ribble” (Burt Lancaster) at the Bouglione Circus. Although impressed by Tino’s youth and genuine skills, Mike nevertheless refuses to consider Tino’s request to train him to perform the triple. When circus owner “Bouglione” (Thomas Gomez) assures Tino that he would be interested in an act featuring him and Mike, Tino finally convinces Mike to work with him. Meanwhile, Bouglione continues auditioning various acts to build his show for the coming season, but refuses to sign Italian trampolinist “Lola” (Gina Lollobrigida) and her three acrobat partners. Watching Mike and Tino proceed to successful double flips and one failed attempt at the triple, Lola realizes they will be the new stars of the circus and convinces Bouglione that she can become part of their routine.
Gina Lollobrigida in TRAPEZE
Carol Reed directed the 1956 film, his first American co-production, although it was filmed completely in France. In 1950 Howard Hughes had signed Lollobrigida to a preliminary seven-year contract to make three pictures a year. She refused the final terms of the contract, preferring to remain in Europe, and Hughes suspended her. Despite selling RKO Pictures in 1955, Hughes retained Lollobrigida's contract. The dispute prevented her from working in American movies filmed in the U.S. until 1959, but allowed for American productions shot in Europe, although Hughes often threatened legal action against the producers.
The stuntwoman for Gina Lollobrigida died after suffering a broken back from a forty-foot fall during the film's production. TRAPEZE was the sixth-highest grossing film of the year, with a U.S. take of $20.8 million.
Malcolm Arnold provided the score for the film, which was conducted by Muir Mathieson. The Columbia Records soundtrack LP was a combination of score and source music tracks. It has received “gray market” CD releases (LP rips) from Sepia and Filmophone.
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Posted: |
Jan 20, 2023 - 11:00 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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The 1956 French-U.S. production of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE-DAME told the timeless Victor Hugo story of the seductive gypsy “Esmeralda” (Gina Lollobrigida) and the tortured hunchback “Quasimodo” (Anthony Quinn). RKO still owned the rights to the title “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” based on their 1939 film production with Charles Laughton in the title role. So, producers Robert and Raymond Hakim originally called their film first “The Hunchback” and then “Notre Dame of Paris.” By June 1956, however, the brothers were able to change the title to “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.” Although all other contemporary sources, including the film’s advertising, refer to the film without a hyphen in the title, on-screen the title is shown as "Notre-Dame."
Gina Lollobrigida in THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE-DAME
Jean Delannoy directed the film, which was shot on location in and around Paris. Notre Dame itself was not used, however, as it was too fragile to sustain the production. Instead, a replica of Notre Dame cathedral was built in a Paris studio for the film's production.
Although Gina Lollobrigida was announced for the role of Esmeralda as early as March 1955—prior to Anthony Quinn's being confirmed for the title role—the Parisian press would report in the spring of 1956, virtually on the eve of the film's shoot, that Esmeralda would in fact be played by veteran, and arguably faded, screen "Love Goddess" Rita Hayworth, who was at the time romantically involved with "Hunchback..."'s producer Raymond Hakim. At age 38 Hayworth was nine years older than Lollobrigida.
Contrary to other films she did in France before this one, where she was dubbed (by Claire Guibert), this was the first time Gina Lollobrigida spoke her lines in French (with a strong Italian accent). Lollobrigida won her second Bambi Award as Best Actress-International for her performance in the film.
Twenty-three minutes of Georges Auric’s score was re-recorded for the 1998 Marco Polo CD “The Classic Film Music Of Georges Auric 3.” The film was brought in for a mere $1 million and grossed $6.4 million in the U.S. alone.
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