Ep #29 - Sophia Loren in the 60s

We maybe got, uh, too ambitious when we set out to watch every single Sophia Loren film from the 1960s. But how could we not? Loren was a 1960s superstar and for good reason, she starred in a whopping twenty films during the decade. The inconsistent quality of these films is a little puzzling considering the majority were produced by her career-shaping husband Carlo Ponti. However they can perhaps be partly explained by a passionate love of her craft, bolstered by a strong work ethic, which helped to pull her up from poverty. This decade in film tells the tale of two Sophias–the magnetically charming goofball lead and the super serious big-budget dramatic actress. To Loren’s credit, she manages to switch between these two types seamlessly, using her charm and grace to elevate every role she’s cast in–no matter how disappointing the script may be.

In this double-sized episode, Bart and Jenna divide and conquer Loren’s filmography in all of its rambling, globe-trotting glory. They come together to discuss four of these films in depth: her star making performance in Two Women, her relatively muted role in the blockbuster El Cid, arguably her best of the decade Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, and the baffling A Countess From Hong Kong, Charlie Chaplin’s final directorial effort.

The following films are discussed:

• Heller in Pink Tights (1960)
Directed by George Cukor
Starring Sophia Loren, Anthony Quinn, Margaret O'Brien

•It Started in Naples (1960)
Directed by Melville Shavelson
Starring Sophia Loren, Clark Gable, Vittorio De Sica

• The Millionairess (1960)
Directed by Anthony Asquith
Starring Sophia Loren, Peter Sellers, Vittorio De Sica

•A Breath of Scandal (1960)
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Starring Sophia Loren, Maurice Chevalier, John Gavin

•Two Women (1960)
La ciociara
Directed by Vittorio De Sica
Starring Sophia Loren, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Eleonora Brown

•El Cid (1961)
Directed by Anthony Mann
Starring Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren, Raf Vallone

•Madame (1961)
Madame Sans Gêne
Directed by Christian-Jaque
Starring Sophia Loren, Robert Hossein, Renaud Mary

•Boccaccio '70 (1962)
Directed by Mario Monicelli, Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti, Vittorio De Sica
Starring Sophia Loren, Anita Ekberg, Romy Schneider

•The Condemned of Altona (1962)
I sequestrati di Altona
Directed by Vittorio De Sica
Starring Sophia Loren, Maximilian Schell, Fredric March

•Five Miles to Midnight (1962)
Directed by Anatole Litvak
Starring Sophia Loren, Anthony Perkins, Gig Young

•Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963)
Ieri oggi domani
Directed by Vittorio De Sica
Starring Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, Aldo Giuffrè,

•The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964)
Directed by Anthony Mann
Starring Sophia Loren, Stephen Boyd, Alec Guinness

•Marriage Italian Style (1964)
Matrimonio all'italiana
Directed by Vittorio De Sica
Starring Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, Aldo Puglisi

• Operation Crossbow (1965)
Directed by Michael Anderson
Starring Sophia Loren, George Peppard, Trevor Howard

•Lady L (1965)
Directed by Peter Ustinov
Starring Sophia Loren, Paul Newman, David Niven

• Judith (1966)
Directed by Daniel Mann
Starring Sophia Loren, Peter Finch, Jack Hawkins

•Arabesque (1966)
Directed by Stanley Donen
Starring Gregory Peck, Sophia Loren, Alan Badel

•A Countess from Hong Kong (1967)
Directed by Charles Chaplin
Starring Sophia Loren, Marlon Brando, Sydney Chaplin

•More Than a Miracle (1967)
C'era una volta
Directed by Francesco Rosi
Starring Sophia Loren, Omar Sharif, Georges Wilson

•Ghosts, Italian Style (1968)
Questi fantasmi
Directed by Renato Castellani
Starring Sophia Loren, Vittorio Gassman, Mario Adorf