The Eye of INA: Gina Lollobrigida, star between glory and tragedy

In the mid-1950s, Gina Lollobrigida became one of the most famous actresses in the world.

It owes this status to France, and recognized it in an interview conducted in 1965 by François Chalais, for the program “Reflets de Cannes”.

The role of Adeline La Franchise in

, alongside Gérard Philipe, and especially that of Esmeralda in

, by Jean Delannoy are at the origin of her legend.

Proposed by Madelen in homage to the deceased actress, this interview allows us to discover her, or to rediscover her, at the height of glory in a universe far removed from her childhood dreams.

Passionate about sculpture, she began by taking courses at the Beaux-Arts in Rome, under the watchful eye of professors who predicted a fine career for her in this universe.

In the aftermath of the war, in order to earn some money, she poses for a photo novel.

Directors, seduced by her physique and her charm, then offered her small roles which she accepted, after a moment of hesitation.

She knows nothing about a world of cinema which, nevertheless, fascinates her.

Hollywood stars have indeed marked his adolescence.

In Subiaco, near Rome, where she grew up in a family of workers, she spent her Sundays in the projection booth of the city cinema, alongside the service technician.

Having become a moral godfather, he regularly offered her pieces of film reels that he

was about to destroy.

She stuck them together and produced, for fun, series of disparate images.

Read alsoGina Lollobrigida, her eternal rivalry with Sophia Loren, an Italian bellissima duel

On the other side of the camera, she immediately looked much more professional.

In the 1950s, she was divided between France, Italy and Hollywood, where she toured under the direction of René Clair, Luigi Comencini, John Huston and a few others.

She gives the reply to Vittorio de Sica, Humphrey Bogart, Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Anthony Quinn, Yul Brynner, Frank Sinatra and Steve MacQueen.

It could hardly be more prestigious.

This decade is also marked by a rivalry with Sophia Loren, who will delight a press that is not yet called people.

In 1954, on the strength of their budding legend, the two actresses were the guests of honor at a week of Italian cinema, chaired in London by Queen Elizabeth II in person.

Gina enters, dressed in a traditional black dress, followed by Sophia in an outfit whose neckline immediately makes photographers happy.

The two young women pose tight against each other, displaying a smile masking a hatred that has become visceral.

Each regularly takes advantage of an interview to launch a few scratches on the physique of her rival.

It's who will steal a role from the other!

Thereby,

and

, Sophia agrees without hesitation to reprise her role in

.

A year later, the tension finally subsided.

In the 1960s, Gina remained at the top of the bill, thanks to roles carefully chosen by her impresario, Milko Skofic, who was also her husband.

Their divorce in 1968 put an end to this status.

The films she made turn out, for the most part, to be financial failures.

Aware that her star was fading, Gina Lollobrigida decided in 1973 to move away from the sets to devote herself to another of her passions: photography.

In the 90s, she appeared on television, in particular in the

series , chaired several prestigious festivals, participated in jet-set parties, and found herself, named by the UN, Goodwill Ambassador for the food and agriculture.

The last fifteen years of his life will be marked by tumultuous adventures that newspapers around the world will widely discuss.

In October 2006, she announced her engagement to Javier Rigau y Rafols, a businessman 34 years her junior.

She broke up a few months later and discovered, in 2010, that he had organized a fake ceremony in Barcelona with a surrogate bride, with the intention of seizing his inheritance.

She sue him, which she wins eight long years later.

In the meantime, she was seduced by Andrea Piazzola, introduced as her personal assistant.

He manages to embezzle large sums before the appointment of a guardian.

At the request of Milko Skofic Jr, his son, justice, following a psychiatric examination, act that the

actress had become morally incapable of managing her estate.

His disappearance did not put an end to the fight that his son decided to lead against Andrea Piazzola, suspected of abuse of weakness.

The court has yet to rule on this charge.

A scenario which, fortunately, the cinema has never taken hold of.