Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida has died at the age of 95. Her acting career began in the 1940s with episodic roles, and her main role in the film “Fanfan-Tulip”, which she played in 1952, brought her worldwide fame. The heyday of her acting career came in the 1950s and 1960s. The actress starred with European and American directors, in 1954 she received the Silver Ribbon Italian Film Critics Award, in 1956 she received the David di Donatello Award in the nomination for Best Actress. Since the 1970s, she Gina she has given up acting and has devoted herself to photojournalism, sculpture and charitable works. We chose five images of the actress, from which it is worth starting to get acquainted with her cinematography.
“FANFAN-TULIPE” / FANFAN LA TULIPE (1952)
A French cloak and dagger film, which brought Gina worldwide fame and director Christine-Jacques the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Director and the Berlin Film Festival Award. According to the plot, the handsome young man Fanfan (played by Gerard Philip) joins the army in order to avoid a forced marriage and fulfill the prediction of a gypsy woman who predicted to him the glory of a warrior and a bride of royal blood. The gypsy Adeline was played by Lollobrigida. In fact, the charming fortune teller turns out to be the daughter of an officer who recruits peasants for the army. Learning about this trick, Fanfan does not give up his dream and, full of hope for the fulfillment of the false gypsy’s predictions, stands under the royal flags.
NOTRE DAME OF PARIS (1956)
The film based on the plot of the great novel by Victor Hugo earned Gina the Bambi Awards in the Best Actress nomination, her Esmeralda is still considered the best in cinema history to this day. The classic film adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel is distinguished mainly by the scenery and the meticulous recreation of the time of the reign of Louis XI, the magnificent costumes and a moving game of Gina at the height of her beauty and glory, Anthony Quinn as Quasimodo and Alain Cuny as Claude Frollo, in love with Esmeralda with a mad and desperate love. The production of this large-scale project was led by director Jean Delannoy, winner of the Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix.
“THE BEAUTY OF THE NIGHT” / LES BELLES DE NUIT (1952)
The young composer Claude (Gerard Philip) barely survives in one of the slums of a provincial town. He moonlights as a singing teacher at school and escapes the depressing reality in his dreams, which take him to different times. There he is a famous composer, a brave officer, a socialite and at the same time a revolutionary, a musketeer and a womanizer. All the hero’s dreams are painted with the romantic moire of the women he met in everyday life. In life, those who pay no attention to him in his dreams turn into exotic beauties, going mad with love for him. One of these beauties was played by Gina.
STRAW WOMAN (1964)
The Straw Widow is based on the novel La Femme de Paille by Catherine Arley. This is the story of a rich old man’s nurse who is persuaded by the rich man’s nephew to marry his patient, take possession of her wealth, and after the old man’s death, enjoy his money together. The nurse gradually begins to love the sick rich man, however, when he suddenly dies, she is accused of murder. Gina Lollobrigida, who played the nurse, took an active part in the script work, giving the director instructions on how to shoot a particular scene.
“COME IN SEPTEMBER” / COME IN SEPTEMBER (1961)
The romantic comedy directed by Robert Mulligan is also known as When September Comes. Every September, New York businessman Robert Talbot (Rock Hudson) visits his villa in Italy to relax and spend time with his Roman girlfriend (Gina Lollobrigida). But one day in July, when he shows up unannounced, he is in for a big surprise: during his absence, a luxurious villa has been converted into a hotel. By the way, the main theme of the film Come September was performed by the famous American singer and actor Bobby Darin.
