One of several earthy Italian beauties to set the film world on fire during the 1950s and 1960s, Gina Lollobrigida was an actress and director whose skill at both drama and light comedy was occasionally overshadowed by her voluptuous figure. Though she never enjoyed the acclaim of contemporaries like Sophia Loren or Anna Magnani, she worked steadily in Hollywood and international features for nearly three decades, eventually claiming a Golden Globe in 1961. As her career wound down in the early 1970s, she enjoyed success in several different artistic endeavors, including photojournalism and
Spotted by directed Mario Costa who put her into films as an extra in her debut, "Elisir d' Amore"
1949
Howard Hughes at RKO saw one of "sexy" photos taken by Lollobrigida's husband; invited her to Hollywood; signed her to seven-year contract but prevented her from filming in Hollywood for years (date approximate)
1951
Won international attention in Christian-Jaque's "Fanfan-la-Tulipe"
