This article originally appeared on CinemaRetro
By Mark Cerulli
On Wednesday night, Hollywood took a step back in time and it was a beautiful thing. Italy’s most glamorous export, the lovely Sophia Loren, made a rare visit to screen two of her films to an adoring crowd at the Dolby Theater. The movie legend was greeted with a standing ovation when she walked out in a shimmering gown, escorted by director Rob Marshall who was clearly in awe of the star he cast in Nine, her last Hollywood film. Settling into two plush seats separated by a mountain of roses, Marshall introduced her as “A woman with a heart as big as all of Italy.” Loren opened up about her life, career and leading men in a 45 minute Q&A, punctuated by frequent laughter and some poignant moments when she remembered how movies offered an escape from the misery of post-WWII Italy.
Loren came across as the most humble of stars – illustrated the moment she stepped onstage when a fan approached from the audience and began speaking directly to her! Loren told the audience she felt she “owed” her fans so much and that she never forgot where she came from, “… Naples and the war and terrible things.” Marshall deftly got the program back on track and Loren was off, talking about starting off as an extra in Quo Vadis, connecting with director Vittorio De Sica who cast her in a number of films which made her a huge star in Italy – attracting the attention of Hollywood (and a 1962 Best Actress Oscar for her role in Two Women, making her the first actress to win for a foreign language performance).
At age 80, Loren showed the style, charm and humor that captivated audiences for over five decades. When Marshall queried her about her leading men, she remembered Cary Grant (her Houseboat co-star) as being “a special person” and Daniel Day Lewis, who worked with her on Nine, as “one of the best alive”. Marlon Brando’s name elicited a dramatic pause – which had the audience laughing. She related how Brando pulled a diva move on the first day of production of A Countess From Hong Kong, showing up hours late to the set. The film’s writer/director, the legendary Charlie Chaplin had some strong words with Brando and from that point on he behaved. She also enjoyed making It Started In Naples with Clark Gable, but remembered he had a watch that would ring at exactly 5 PM every day and then he’d leave. Done. No late hours for him!
Thankfully, Marshall also brought up the world-famous photo of Loren ogling Jayne Mansfield’s generous cleavage. Loren’s rationale? “I thought everything was gonna fall out.”
One of Loren’s two sons, Edoardo Ponti, came out to introduce The Human Voice, a 26-minute short he directed and co-wrote, based on the 1930 Jean Cocteau play. Ponti’s version features his mother in virtually every scene, delivering a rambling, heartfelt monologue to an unseen lover about to marry another woman. This tour de force would be daunting for a young star, but for a woman on the cusp of 80? Loren crushed it, as they say, exhibiting a wide range of emotion from desperation to giddy delight, proving her acting chops are still gloriously intact. Ponti noted that, “In an age when we idolize the wrong person, tonight it’s the right person.” The crowd agreed.
The short was followed by a restored print of Loren’s 1964 film, Marriage Italian Style, directed by fellow Napolitano, Vittorio De Sica. Loren’s performance earned her a 1965 Oscar nomination for Best Actress. The film was also nominated for an Academy Award as Best Foreign Language Film in 1966.
After more than three hours of film and conversation, Ms. Loren wisely skipped the after-party, no doubt preferring to get her beauty sleep. Who can blame her? Molte Grazie!
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