Sophia Loren Archives - Chronicles 1963

1963

No matter what the law says we are married... it's a feeling, and I feel married." – Sophia Loren

Alessandra's christening / Maria
Rome
Photo: Pierluigi Praturlon
12/01/63

Recording studio
Paris
Photo: Pierluigi Praturlon
02/63

Five Miles to Midnight
American poster

Ieri oggi domani
Anna
Photo: Pierluigi Praturlon
10/63

Sophia's Birthday
Ieri oggi domani set
Photo: Pierluigi Praturlon
20/09/63

Movieland Wax Museum
Buena Park, CA
09/04/63

Moai Award
Fall of the Roman Empire set
04/63

Alessandra's Birth
Rome
Photo: Pierluigi Praturlon
11/01/63

Recording Studio
Rome
Photo: Pierluigi Praturlon
02/63

Photo session
Paris
Photo: Burt Glinn
02/63

Dior Collection
Paris
04/02/63

Ieri, oggi, domani
Mara
Photo: Pierluigi Praturlon
07/63

Cosmopolitan (USA)
Cover: Arthur Zinn
11/63

Movieland Wax Musueum
Buena Park, CA
09/04/63

The Fall of the Roman Empire
Offstage
03/63

Sirena Award
Sorrento

FILMS AND FILMING

The Fall of the Roman Empire
Spain, Italy, February - June

Ieri, oggi, domani
Rome, Naples, Milan, July - October

FILM PROJECTS

Four for Texas
Sophia turns down the offer - $1 million for 4 weeks' work - in a film directed by Robert Aldrich which would have included Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin as co-stars.

A Shot in the Dark
The Pink Panther film originally had Anatole Litvak as director and Sophia as the leading lady opposite Peter Sellers. Sophia steps out when she has a miscarriage and is replaced by Romy Schneider and then by Elke Sommer.

Say It with Music
Project of a MGM musical by songwriter Irving Berlin featuring Sophia singing several songs along with Julie Andrews and Ann Margret is announced in November.

MOVIE PREMIERES

USA
Five Miles to Midnight
New York City astor March 20
Madame Sans-Gêne
Canoga Park valley west March 20 (Madame)
Un giorno in pretura
New York City embassy & trans-lux May 10 (A Day in Court)
The Condemned of Altona
New York City astor October 30

ITALY
Ieri, oggi, domani
Rome, December 19

WEST GERMANY
The Condemned of Altona
Hamburg, September 6 (Die Eigeschlossenen)

FRANCE
The Condemned of Altona
Paris, November 13 (Les séquestrés d'Altona)

SPAIN
Five Miles to Midnight
Madrid capitol March 7 (Un abismo entre los dos)

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

Moai Award (Chile)
Sophia is presented the award by Chilean magazine Ecran
on the set of The Fall of the Roman Empire - April

Bambi Award (West Germany)
Most Popular Foreign Actress, Karlsruhe, April 28
Handed to Sophia on The Fall of the Roman Empire set by Liselotte Pulver.

Bravo Otto (West Germany)
Golden Award for most popular actress - April

Sirena Award (Italy)
Awarded in Sorrento.

France's Favorite (France)
In a poll of French exhibitors, Sophia replaces Brigitte Bardot as the
country's most popular female star (the second place Bardot
is followed by Jeanne Moreau and Michele Morgan).

PUBLICITY

Lux

PUBLIC APPEARANCES

Maria's Christening - January 12
Christening of Maria's daughter, Alessandra with Sophia
acting as godmother. She is denunciated by a prominent Milan theologian, Giovanni-Battista Guzzetti, in the next day's L'Italia edition as a public sinner who "should have stayed in the shadows instead of participating in a religious ceremony". Another denunciation follows from the Vicariat of Rome who qualifies Sophia's role as a violation to the Roman Catholic canon law. Father Virgiolio Rotondi, who officiated at the christening, is also criticized for his participation in an open letter from Guzzetti in a Milan newspaper.

Fashion Show in Rome - January 18
Sophia attends a fashion show in Rome.

Shopping Spree in Paris - February 4
Sophia stops at Dior's for a private presentation of the Spring-Summer collection designed by Marc Bohan followed by a visit at Jean Barthet's boutique to select new hats.

Madrid Press Conference - February 15
Sophia leaves from Orly Airport bound for Madrid on February 13 where she is greeted by a tremendous crowd despite the wretched rain. Two days later she gives a press conference for The Fall of the Roman Empire in a Madrid restaurant. Dressed in form-fitting black Dior dress, and wearing diamond and ruby jewelry, Sophia finally appears in a room packed with journalists and photographers. The heat from the lights and the crowd turn the room into a Turkish bath, but Sophia remains cool, calm and collected in the company of director Anthony Mann and producer Samuel Bronston.

Trip to New York City - April 6
Sophia takes a break from The Fall of the Roman Empire and flies with Carlo from Rome to New York before reaching their final destination in Los Angeles. They stay at the historic Plaza Hotel where in the evening they attend in the Persian Room Eartha Kitt's new act. Sophia later visits Eartha's suite with producer Joe Levine and they pose for pictures.

Academy Awards - April 8

Sophia is greeted with flowers on her arrival at Los Angeles Airport by Motion Picture Academy officer McDonald Carey. The next day she is at Oscar night held at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium to present Best Actor Oscar to Gregory Peck for his performance in To Kill a Mockingbird. Peck will share the screen with Sophia in 1966's Arabesque.

Movieland Wax Statue - April 9
Sophia is at the Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park, outside Los Angeles, to unveil her life-size wax figure from La Ciociara. The scene is invaded by a mob of fans and around 50 news photographers and TV cameramen all desperate after Sophia arrives 45 minutes late. Later on during the day, Sophia visits Disneyland in Anaheim. Sophia is back in Madrid on the set of The Fall of the Roman Empire on the 14.

Close Encounter at Rome Airport - May 26
Sophia and Gina Lollobrigida happen to land almost simultaneously at Fiumicino airport and hardly give each other a glance. Gina is arriving from Iran where she was with shah's sister, Princess Ashraf while Sophia is coming from Spain after finishing the shooting of The Fall of the Roman Empire. Welcoming admirers hand red roses to Gina and white carnations to Sophia.

Sirena Award - June
Accompanied by Carlo and Vittorio De Sica, Sophia receives the Sirena Award in Sorrento.

Titina De Filippo Funeral - December 28
Sophia and Vittorio De Sica attend legendary actress Titina De Filippo's funeral in Rome. One of her best remembered performances on both stage (1946) and screen (1951) was Filumena Marturano, written for her by her actor-playwright brother, Edoardo. Sophia will play the same role in 1964 under the direction of De Sica in Matrimonio all'italiana which is dedicated to Titina De Filippo.

New Year Party - December 31
Sophia holds a party at her home for newsmen and photographers to wish them a Happy New Year.

MAGAZINE COVERS

Italy
ABC, Bolero Film, Cine Successo, Epoca, L'Europeo, La Fiera del Cinema, Gente, Incom, Oggi, Le Ore, Quattroruote, Settimana Radio TV, Settimo Giorno, Sorrisi e Canzoni TV, Specchio, Tempo, Vie Nuove, Vitalità
e

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West Germany
Bravo, Bunte Illustrierte, Film Revue, Frau im Spiegel, Freundin, Neue Illustrierte, Revue, Stern
e

e
France
Cinémonde, La Discographie Française, Ici Paris, Jeunesse Cinéma, Lectures d'aujourd'hui, Paris Match

Spain
Blanco y Negro, Cine Mundo, Diez Minutos, Film Ideal, Fotogramas, Gaceta Ilustrada, Garbo, Hola, Lecturas, Mujer, Mundo Hispánico, Sábado Gráfico, Triunfo
e

e
UK
Cinema Today, Film Show, The Great Ones, Today, Weekend
e

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USA
Cosmopoiltan, Films in Review, Motion Picture, The National Police Gazette, The Rochester Visitor, This Week in Richmond
e

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Latin America
Cinelândia, Clarín, Ecran, Manchete, Mi Vida,
Primera Plana, Radiolandia

TV SHOWS

Monsieur tout le monde - February 13
Section filmed at Orly airport featuring Sophia, along Eddie Barclay and host Guy Lux, singing one of the songs she just recorded.

SONGS & LP'S

Poesie di Salvatore di Giacomo
Recorded in a Roman studio in February with Vittorio De Sica as artistic consultant, the album is released under C.A.M. label.

Pourquoi partir
(Plante, Wood, Eaton, Wagner - directed by A. Trovajoli)
Je ne t'aime plus
(Dimey, Jarre - directed by A. Trovajoli)
Plus jamais
(Blackwell, Salvet, Carriere - directed by A. Trovajoli)
Donne-moi ma chance
(Salvet, David, Macharach - directed by A. Trovajoli)
Doucement
(Blackwell, Salvet, Carriere - directed by A. Trovajoli)
De jour en jour
(Trovajoli, Fornai - directed by A. Trovajoli)
Soldi, Soldi, Soldi
(Garinei, Giovannini, Kramer - directed by A. Trovajoli)

EDITOR'S NOTES

Fallas de Valencia - March
Sophia acts as "fallera" during the Valencia's festivities in Spain while she is shooting The Fall of the Roman Empire. She accepts the appointment but never wears the typical costume.

Bigamy Charges Postponed - March 21
A Roman criminal court accepts the request of Sophia and Carlo's lawyers that their hearing be delayed until a civil court can rule on whether they are married.

Birthday Party - September 20

Sophia celebrates her 29th birthday on the set of Ieri, oggi, domani with all the crew, drinking champagne and exclaiming "it's great to be a woman" as she sports a new emerald ring the size of a lima bean offered to her by Carlo.

Second Miscarriage - October 18
Sophia realizes she is pregnant ant starts to feel pain and experiences morning sickness as she is shooting Ieri oggi domani in Milan. She is hospitalized on October 18 and released four days later. The official reason for the hospitalization published in newspapers is a throat infection.

Sophia's Yearly Income - December

Sophia's income for 1963 is assessed at $560,000 according to income tax estimates published at the end of December in Italy.