Hollywood honors screen-legend Sophia Loren

The simple country girl from Napoli who stole the hearts of both men and women with her charm, talent, beauty
and charisma was honored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on May 4, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, to celebrate her cinematic achievements that have spanned more than 50 years.
Her Oscar winning performance in “Two Women” in 1961, was the first time in Academy history that an Oscar was presented to a lead performer in a ‘non-English’ speaking role.

During her long and charismatic career, Ms. Loren starred alongside many of the cinemas great leading men, among them, Cary Grant,Clark Gable, Charlton Heston, Gregory Peck, Marlon Brando, Peter O’ Toole and Richard Burton.

Statuesque, looking like a Roman goddess, Sophia Loren entered the Academy in the true fashion of a Hollywood Icon. Immediately surrounded by friends, family and members of the Hollywood elite, Loren was graceful and dignified as she accepted numerous accolades and best wishes from the invited guests. Pausing to say hello to many of her friends along the route, including John Travolta, Hector Elizondo, Billy Crystal, Eva Mendez, Lorraine Bracco, Christina Ricci, Estelle Harris, Sasha Alexander and Michael Cimino, Ms. Loren rose to the stage as the
Tribute to her began.

Billy Crystal, asked by Ms. Loren to be the Master of Ceremonies for the event, and who from his youth had long admired Sophia Loren, was greatly honored to do so. Crystal spoke of the first time he met Sophia and the way she wooed him with her sultry voice, and of course, her renowned beauty. He had longed dreamed of meeting her, and having done so, now received as his reward the traditional ‘Italian” two kisses on the cheek from the Legend her-self. Crystal was up to his usual high standards and clever high-jinks and did a wonderful job of keeping the Loren Tribute moving along, delivering periodic side-splitting comedy, as well as heart felt emotion during his interview.

Among the Tribute’s presenters were: John Travolta, Rob Marshall, Edoardo Ponti, Christian De Sica and Jo Champa. Tom Hanks, Lina Wertmuller, Giancarlo Giannini, and Roberto Benigni attended via video presentations from far away locations.

Most moving though were the words of her son Edoardo, who broke into tears introducing a clip from “Between Strangers”, the film in which he directed his mother in 2002.

Film clips were shown throughout the evening of Loren's most memorable performances including, “Sunflower”, “A Special Day”, “Yesterday Today & Tomorrow” and “Pret-a-Porter”, the 1994 Robert Altman film that spoofed her infamous striptease in the latter 1963 Oscar-winning Foreign Language Film. Her many English-language films were reppresented by “Desire Under The Elms”, “El Cid”, “Arabesque” and the musical Man Of La Mancha, in which she starred opposite Peter O'Toole.

Leaders of the local Italian-American community were invited to a ‘private Gala recep- tion’ prior to the Tribute and showed their support for the Italian actress. Among those in attendance were Consul General of Italy, Nicola Faganello and his lovely wife, Franzisca, Ms. Marcella Leonetti-Tyler, Commendatore Frank De Santis, the Director of ICE - Los Angeles, Carlo Bocchi, the newly installed Director of the Italian Cultural Institute, Alberto De Mauro, and these writers.

F. J. De Santis Jr. and Paul Romano