Sophia Loren Archives - Chronicles 1976

"Motherhood is the most complete feeling for a woman." – Sophia Loren

The Cassandra Crossing
Offstage

Photo: Tazio Secchiaroli
02/76

La pupa del gangster
French poster

Cannes Film Festival
28/05/76

People Weekly (USA)
Photo: Alfred Eisenstaedt
02/02/76

Una giornata particolare / Mastroianni
Photo: Tazio Secchiaroli
12/76

The Cassandra Crossing
Photo: Tazio Secchiaroli
01/76

The Cassandra Crossing
Rome premiere
18/12/76

Stop (Italy)
18/09/76

Women's Weekly (Australia)
Cover: Reginald Davis
07/07/76

The Pontis
Paris
05/76

Christian Dior Collection
Paris
28/09/76

FILMS AND FILMING

The Cassandra Crossing
Italy, France, January - March

Angela
Canada, October - December

Una giornata particolare
Italy, December 1976 - February 1977

FILM PROJECTS

Family
Film is never made because Sophia's co-star, Jack Matthau refused the scripts despite the 2 million dollars he was offered.

Mon ami Onassis
Film based on Jacques Harvey's biography of Aristotle Onassis and his relationship with Jackie Kennedy, who is to be played by Sophia under the direction of Richard Balducci. Carlo is against the project and Sophia's co-star, again, Anthony Quinn.

MOVIE PREMIERES

ITALY
The Cassandra Crossing
Rome (Teatro dell'Opera), December 18 (Cassandra Crossing)

FRANCE
La pupa del gangster
Paris, June 2 (La pépée du gangster)

PUBLIC APPEARANCES

Nureyev's Sleeping Beauty - January 19
Sophia attends Russian dancer and choregrapher Rudolf Nureyev's production of Tchaikovsky's The Sleeping Beauty at the Palais des Sports in Paris. She meets the dancer after the show and they have a late dinner together.

Daniel Varsano Concert - February
Sophia attends the young pianist's concert in Paris and meets afterwards with him backstage.

Night Out in Paris - March 15
Sophia and her son Carlo attend a Tom Jones concert at the Palais des Congrès in Paris.

Cannes Film Festival - May
Sophia attends with Carlo the Cannes Film Festival where she meets director Ettore Scola (Brutti, sporchi e cattivi) who will direct her a few months later in Una giornata particolare. Festival dates: May 13 through May 28.

Meeting with Ella Fitzgerald - May 20
Sophia meets with her American song idol, Ella Fitzgerlad, following a concert at Palais des Congrès in Paris.

Night Out in Paris - June 9
Sophia and hat designer Jean Barthet attend the opening of Shirley MacLaine's show at the Palais des Congrès in Paris.

Dior Fashion Show - September 28
Sophia is seen next to Mexican actress Maria Felix at a Dior fashion show in Paris.

The Cassandra Crossing Premiere - December 18
Sophia flies from Canada to Italy, after completing her final scenes of Angela, and attends with Carlo at Rome's Opera House the world premiere of The Cassandra Crossing.

MAGAZINE COVERS

Italy
Epoca, Eva Express, Grand Hotel, Oggi, Stop
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West Germany
Bunte, Frau im Spiegel, Das Goldene Blatt, Neue Post
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France
L'Officiel
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Spain
Tele Radio
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UK
TV Times, Weekend
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USA
Ladies' Home Journal, National Enquirer, People Weekly
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Australia
Pix People, Woman's Day, Women's Weekly

TV SHOWS

The Film Programme - June
Guest star on British TV show with host Barry Norman.

EDITOR'S NOTES

Sophia under High Surveillance - January

Sophia is under police surveillance while she is shooting Cassandra Crossing at Cinecittà and living at her villa in Marino, because the insurance company fears Sophia might be kidnapped and won't allow the shooting unless these precautions are taken.

Maria divorces Mussolini - March 16

Maria finally divorces from husband Romano Mussolini after 14 years of tempestuous married years. The couple had separated in 1967, but divorce was not made legal in Italy until 1970.

Taxman's Black List - March

Italy's Finance Ministery announces that Sophia and Carlo officially are on its black list for tax invasion and could face prison charges. First mention that the couple could lose their villa in Marino.

The Ten Men Sophia Loved - May
In an interview with Henry Gris, titled The Superstars Who Fell in Love with Me and published in the Daily Mirror, Sophia's comments on the ten men she loved besides her husband, Carlo Ponti. They are: Frank Sinatra, Omar Sharif, Cary Grant, Peter Sellers, Clark Gable, John Wayne, Richard Burton, Paul Newman, Marlon Brando, and Peter O'Toole.

Advice on Pregnancy to Princess Anne - May
Sophia gives Britain's Princess Anne a call at the Oak Grove House to give her advice and hope on how she can get pregnant by relating her story and recommending Dr. de Watteville who made Sophia's dream come true.

Sophia Is Italian Again - July
Folllowing a change in Italian laws, Sophia becomes Italian again, more than ten years after she had given it up in order to become French and marry Carlo Ponti in April 1966.

Family Holidays in Tunisia - July
Sophia, Carlo and their two sons travel to heavenly Tunisian resort Hammamet following an invitation by French champagne king Nicolas Feuillatte. A dinner is also given in their honor by Secretary of State Dris Guiga, which is attended by many international political personalities.

"Elective" Surgery - August
Newspapers report that Sophia will undergo minor surgery. According to Bob Gray, the production manager, "the surgery is elective and not serious". The shooting of Angela, orginally called Jocasta, is delayed until late October.

Riccardo Scicolone's Death - September 4
Sophia's father becomes severely ill after fighting a liver cancer and dies at San Raffaele hospital, near Rome, a week after a deathbed meeting with Sophia. "I knelt by his body, and as I knelt there, somehow I could understand and easily forgive so many things about him." Romilda does not attend the funeral on September 7, but Sophia does, accompanied by her sister Maria, as she is stalked by paparazzi in cars, motor bikes and helicopters. Sophia and Maria see their half brothers at the Church of Santa Maria della Perseverenza but don't go to the cemetery where Scicolone's burial site has been devastated by vandals.

Private Luncheon at Canadian Embassy - November 21
Sophia is invited by Italian ambassador to Canada, Giorgia Smoquina, to a private luncheon given for Italian artists at the Italian Embassy in Ottawa and invites Prime Minister Trudeau's wife, Margaret, to come to the shooting of Angela for a day, which she does on December 1st.