Sophia Loren Archives - Chronicles 1999

"Being a diva is a job like any other; when you go home it's like leaving it at the office" – Sophia Loren

Barnes & Noble
New York City
Photo: Joshua Bucklan
28/01/99
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Mediterranean Film Festival
Valencia
Photo: Manuel Bruque
14/10/99

Opera Ball
Frankfurt
Photo: Katja Lenz
13/02/99

IPO Anniversary
Tel Aviv
Photo: Miki Kratsman
20/11/99

David di Donatello
Cinecittà, Rome
Photo: Claudio Onorati
02/06/99

Grease musical
Munich
Photo: Ursula Dueren
20/09/99

Harrod's
London
Photo: Richard Kille
07/07/99

Lufthansa publicity
09/99

Photo Session
Los Angeles
Photo: Timothy White
05/04/99

The Venetian Christening
Las Vegas
Photo: Aaron Mayes
03/05/99

Alitalia Non-Stop Flight
San Francisco airport
Photo: Terry Schmitt
03/06/99

Barthet Exhibit / Edoardo
Paris
Photo: Alain Benainous
07/12/99

Publicist Luncheon
Beverly Hills
Photo: Steve Granitz
19/03/99

Culture Award
Rome
20/04/99

QVC Studios
West Chester PA
Photo: Alan Brian Nilsen
09/02/99

Bloomberg Studios / Charlie Rose
New York City
01/99

Las Vegan (USA)
06/99

FILMS AND FILMING

FILM PROJECTS

La Saga dei Rizzo - Sepember
Series in six episodes to be produced by Martin Scorsese depicting the great saga of Italian immigration to America. Shooting was originally set to start in June 2000 at Rome's Cinecittà.

Destinazione Verna
Set to begin on June 8, 1999, the film, which would have also been co-directed by Sophia's son Edoardo, is never made due to health conditions of Antonioni and casting difficulties. The official announcement is made by Sophia at the Mediterranean Film Festival.

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

Playboy's Sexiest Stars of the Century
Sophia ranks #6 in Playboy's hot list.

1998 Culture Award (Italy)

National Museum's Palazzo Altemps, Rome, April 20

News magazine's Sexiest Woman of the Century
According to poll by Austrian weekly magazine, May

Lifetime of Style Award (USA)
Council of Fashion Designers of America, Lexington Avenue Armory,
New York City, June 2

David di Donatello (Italy)

Sophia receives from actor and friend Alberto Sordi a Lifetime Achievement David at Rome's Cinecittà on June 16.

American Film Institute (USA)
The American Film Institute ranks Sopha 21st among the Greatest American Female Screen Legends. June 16

Art Film Festival (Slovakia)
Actor's Mission Award, Trenčianske Teplice Art Film Festival, June 26

PeopleWeekly's Best Dressed (USA)
People Weekly plublishes in May its annual list of best-dressed people and qualifies Sophia as "one of the world's most striking and age resistant women."

Beautiko / Which magazine (UK)
Sophia is voted the Most Beautiful Woman in the World in a poll carried out by by UK beauty company Beautiko and published in Which magazine in November. The question asked was: "Which living female in the public eye deserves the title The Most Beautiful Woman in the World?"

ENDORSEMENTS

Desserts by David Glass Inc.

Lufthansa
Publicity promotion German airline's first class on
"Sueddeutsche Zeitun".

Zyloware
Zyloware's latest addition to its Sophia Loren line features an upswept oval. T-704 is a titanium frame with slender temples ornamented.
November 1999

GiftCertificates.com
Sophia signs an agreement with American firm GiftCertificates.com in exchange for an equity stake in the company and takes the lead role in a broad marketing campaign designed to build awareness for the new gift certificate e-commerce.

PUBLIC APPEARANCES

American Youth Symphony - January 29
The whole Ponti family is reunited after Carlo Jr. conducts the American Youth Symphony at UCLA Royce Hall in Los Angeles.

Cook Book Promotion in America
New York City, Barnes & Noble - January 28
Toronto, Chapters - February 2
New York City, Armani store - February 3
West Chester, PA, QVC Studios - February 9
Chapters, Toronto - April 27

Recipes and Memories at Armani - February 3
Launch of 'Recipes and Memories' at Armani's store on Madison Avenue in New York followed bya party for 100 guests at trendy downtown restaurant Da Silvano. Martin Scorsese, Ellen Morris, Lauren Hutton, Mel Gibson and Joaquin Cortes are among the guests.

Frankfurt Opera Ball - February 13
Some 2,500 stars and guests of the show business world, economy and politics, take part in the glittering gala called 'A Touch of Carnival'.

Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon - March 8
Sophia attends the annual publicist luncheon at Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.

Academy Awards - March 21
Clad in black Armani, Sophia steals the show as she presents the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film to her countryman Roberto Benigni for his film “La vita è bella”. That same night, Tom Hanks is quoted as saying to Sophia, "Miss Loren, you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

1998 Culture Award - April 20
Sophia is at the National Museum's Palazzo Altemps, in Rome, where she receives from Premier Massimo D'Alema a government award for cultural achievement. "I am a true admirer of yours", he says to Sophia, "Thank you for the emotions you know how to give us."

The Venetian Opening in Las Vegas - May 3
Sophia is in Las Vegas to christen, in company of resort chairman Sheldon G. Adelson, The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino on the first day of opening activities. The casino resort is unfinished for opening-night gala and Sophia - just like many other guests - has to stay at the Caesars Palace across the street due to lack of finished suites at the Venetian.

Black & White Ball - June 3
Sophia flies Magnifica class on the inaugural Alitalia nonstop flight from Milan to San Francisco in order to attend charity event Black & White Ball at Civic Center.

David di Donatello Awards - June 16
Sophia is at Cinecittà in Rome to receive a Career Achievement award from Alberto Sordi.

Art Film Festival - June 25-26
Sophia trave1s to the Slovak Republic to accept a Lifetime Achievement Award at the seventh annual Trenčianske Teplice Art Film Festival. As she holds her award in front of thousands of onlookers, she proclaims "This will take a place next to my Oscar."

Harrods of London - July 7
Sophia arrives in a horse-drawn carriage to the opening of the 150th Summer Sale. Sophia is attacked by a flapping parrot in the pets department, falls off a dais and is compelled to stretch out on a bed next to store owner Mohamed Al Fayed before the gaping throngs. She manages to keep her cool and says: "Everything is very, very beautiful. I really enjoyed every moment of it."

Donna sotto le stelle - July 14
As honorary president of the Rome Fashion Agency, Sophia officiates the televised fashion parade called ‘Donna sotto le stelle’ (Woman under the stars) on Rome's Spanish Steps. Wearing a black Armani gown with a plunging neckline discreetly veiled in black tulle, she lauds Italian fashion during the three-hour parade of models.
* * * Watch the video * * *

Sophia Turns 65 - September 20

Sophia celebrates her 65th birthday at the premiere of the stage musical Grease in Munich,

Germany

.

Armani Collection - September 29

Sophia and Tina Turner sit next to the runway at the spring/summer 2000 collection Giorgio Armani Donna Show presented at his new headquarters in Milan - a former Nestle factory - on via Bergognone. The New York Post reports Sophia is collecting $50,000 for her appearance at Armani shows.

Cook Book Promotion in Europe
Hamburg - October 11
Milan, Armani store - November 30

<>Mediterranean Film Festival - October 14
Sophia is the guest star at the opening of the 20th Mediterranean Film Festival held at the Palau de la Música de Valencia, Spain, where a selection of her movies is also showcased.

Ball of the Stars - October 16
During a trip to Germany, Sophia is in Hamburg to promote her cooking book and also attends the Ball of the Stars in Mannheim where she meets ex Germany chancelor Helmut Kohl and his wife who was to commit suicide two years later.

Fund-raising in Canada - November 1
Sophia visits St. Joseph's Hospital in Hamilton on a fund-raising mission followed by fashion show featuring Giorgio's Couture at Carmen's Banquet Centre. The event is sponsored by the Morgan Firestone Foundation and attracts more than 1,000 people at $125 a ticket.

Weems International Artfest - November 4
Sophia is at the preview night of the 17th annual Weems Artfest at the New Mexico State Fairgrounds in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a non-profit organization devoted to the education of the arts. More than 2,000 people attend, each paying $75, raising about $100,000 for the University of New Mexico.

Pirelli Calendar - November 11
Sophia is Pirelli's guest of honor at the unveiling of the 2000 calendar at the Natural History Museum in London. Sophia will appear on the same calendar 7 years later.

Liv British Premiere - November 17
Sophia and Carlo attend their son Edoardo's break into the movies by attending the British premiere of his first film, Liv, at London's Virgin Haymarket cinema in Piccadilly.

Visiting Mehta - November 20
Sophia attends a press conference at Tel Aviv's Hilton just before celebrating the 30th anniversary of Israel's Philharmonic Orchestra and 2000 concerts with Israeli Maestro Zubin Mehta as its musical director.

Jean Barthet's Collection - December 7
Sophia and her son Edoardo attend Jean Barthet's exhibit of paintings at Espace Miromesnil in Paris.

White House - December 31
Guest at White House Millennium Reception in Washington, D.C with husband Carlo and son Edoardo.

MAGAZINE COVERS

Italy
Arte, Sette

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West Germany
Frau im Spiegel, Glück Post, 2 Die Zwei
e

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France
Paris Match
e

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USA
American Lifestyles Magazine, Get Up and Go!, Las Vegan, Millionaire, Modern Maturity, National Enquirer, People Weekly

TV SHOWS

Dateline - January 11
Interview with Stone Phillips from her home is broadcast on NBC's Dateline.

Late Night Show - January 27
Memorable appearance on the David Letterman show in New York City.

Charlie Rose - February 1
A one-hour interview on PBS network show hosted by Charlie Rose.

Bill Boggs Corner - February 9
Interview about food with Sophia on The Food Network.
Watch the video

Gina, Sophia et moi - March 24
A one-hour documentary in which French movie maker Claude Ventura tells the story of his two favorite Italian actresses, Gina Lollobrigida and Sophia Loren. Canal +

Wetten das...? - October 7
Special guest on German TV show hosted by Thomas Gottschalk.

Beckmann - October 11
Guest on German TV show hosted by Reinhold Beckmann.

BOOKS

Recipes and Memories
Sophia's cook book, Ricordi e ricette is published in Italy on September 24 and in France as Recettes et souvenirs in December.

EDITOR'S NOTES

<>Ciao to Zio Mario - January
Mario Villani, Sophia's uncle and secretary for more than 15 years passes away in Pozzuoli.

Letter to Roberto Benigni - March
Sophia writes a letter of support to actor and director Roberto Benigni who is nominated for several Oscars, but she also asks him, as a favor, "not to jump on her or kiss her or treat her like other unfortunate show hosts back hom in Italy".

Pornographic Sites - September 17
Sophia sues, through her legal agent CMG Worldwide, 76 Internet companies whom she claims are using her name and body to attract web surfers to pornographic sites.

Rome Fashion Agency - October 5
Sophia resigns as President of the Rome Fashion Agency after she learns that the Public Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation regarding the compensations received for her appearance at the Donna sotto le stelle event at Rome's Spanish Steps.