Felix In Hollywood

A Blog for the Smart Set

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Uh-Oh, Here We Go Again.



Sophia Loren plays peasants.  I play ladies.
-Gina Lollobrigida



Who?  I never criticize my elders.
-Sophia Loren on Gina Lollobrigida


5 comments:

TJB said...

Gina also has had a hysterically funny feud with Anita Ekberg, which rivals the Zsa Zsa vs. Elke Sommer feud for sheer silliness. As per the New York Times:

Miss Ekberg has lived in Italy for the better part of three decades, but her feud with the Italian sex symbol Gina Lollobrigida, is only a few years old. They met for the first time, she said, at a black-tie party given by a neighbor.

''I remember it so well. I had on an emerald green chiffon long evening gown,'' she said. ''In comes Lollobrigida, in August, with a copy Chanel suit. Black. Wool. And boots. In August. And lots of jewels. I always call her a Christmas tree.'' When Miss Ekberg went up to introduce herself, she said, Ms. Lollobrigida cut her off and walked away. She did it again at another party.

Miss Ekberg got her revenge a month later, when both actresses were booked on the same flight to Latin America. In the V.I.P. lounge, Miss Ekberg said, she instructed her secretary to buy some sandwiches -- and to offer to buy Miss Lollobrigida some as well. ''She stood up and took my magazines without even asking, 'May I?' '' Miss Ekberg recalled indignantly. ''They were sealed; she just broke the seals and started to read just like that. And then, when the sandwiches came she didn't even to say to my secretary, 'Grazie,' much less offer to pay for hers.''

On the flight, Miss Ekberg said that she carefully asked her fellow first-class passengers if they minded if she smoked, and recalled that they all eagerly told her to go ahead. As she lighted her cigarette, from three rows away, she said, Miss Lollobrigida bellowed: ''Anita, will you put out that cigarette? It smells like hell!'' Miss Ekberg smiled wickedly and switched to Italian to finish her tale.

''So I just looked at her and I said very loud, 'Oh, Gina, why don't you stop being such a pain.' '' The audience, she said, laughed appreciatively.


P.S. You've inspired me to do cats à deux over at SSUWAT!

Philip Mershon said...

Fabulous! It's about time I returned the favor and offered you a little inspiration.

The story is priceless.

Thombeau said...

Yay! to all of the above.

Thombeau said...

A great response by Sophia to Gina's peasant remark would have been "Well, then we're both acting!". But I love them both.

kabuki zero said...

they kinda remind me of two people very close to us, but kabuki mustn't name names. no no no mustn't name names