Gina Lollobrigida, Movie Star and Sex Symbol, Is Dead at 95 - The New York Times

Gina Lollobrigida, the Italian movie histrion who became 1 of the post-World War II era’s archetypal large European enactment symbols, has died. She was 95.

Gennaro Sangiuliano, Italy’s civilization minister, confirmed Ms. Lollobrigida’s decease connected societal media. He did not accidental wherever oregon erstwhile she died.

Ms. Lollobrigida had already appeared successful much than 2 twelve European films erstwhile she made her archetypal English-language movie: John Huston’s 1953 campy drama, “Beat the Devil,” successful which she played Humphrey Bogart’s woman and spouse successful crime. That film, and the attraction she garnered successful “Fanfan la Tulipe,” an Italian-French play drama released successful the United States the aforesaid year, were capable to enactment her connected the screen of Time mag successful 1954.

She went connected to unqualified American movie stardom, exuding a wholesome lustiness successful a fistful of high-profile films. She starred successful “Trapeze” (1956) with Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis; “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1956), arsenic Esmeralda, Quasimodo’s beloved quality (Anthony Quinn played Quasimodo); “Solomon and Sheba” (1959), a biblical epic with Yul Brynner; “Come September” (1961), a romanticist drama with Rock Hudson; and “Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell” (1968), a drama astir an unwed mother.

Throughout her career, however, she continued to marque galore much European films than American ones. She starred with the continent’s starring men, including Jean-Paul Belmondo, Marcello Mastroianni, Jean-Louis Trintignant and Yves Montand.

The rubric of 1 film, “La Donna Più Bella del Mondo” (1955), provided her with her Hollywood nickname: the astir beauteous pistillate successful the satellite (giving Elizabeth Taylor immoderate competition). That film, released successful the United States arsenic “Beautiful but Dangerous,” besides resulted successful her archetypal large acting award: the David di Donatello, Italy’s equivalent of the Oscar. She won the Donatello doubly more, for “Venere Imperial” (1962), successful a necktie with Silvana Mangano, and for “Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell,” successful a necktie with Monica Vitti.

Ms. Lollobrigida was ever considered much a enactment awesome than a superior histrion — astatine slightest by the American property — but she was besides nominated for a BAFTA grant arsenic champion overseas histrion successful “Pane, Amore e Fantasia” (1953).

After 2 decades successful beforehand of the camera, she embarked connected a multifaceted 2nd vocation arsenic creator and filmmaker. She published her archetypal publication of photographs, “Italia Mia,” successful 1973. “Believe it oregon not, she takes bully pictures and isn’t conscionable trading connected her name,” Gene Thornton of The New York Times wrote.

She wrote, directed and produced “Ritratto di Fidel,” a documentary based connected her exclusive interrogation with Fidel Castro, the Communist person of Cuba, which was shown astatine the 1975 Berlin movie festival. She was besides a sculptor, and an accumulation of 38 of her bronze pieces was presented astatine the Pushkin Museum successful Moscow, among different venues, successful 2003.

Ms. Lollobrigida was awarded the French Legion of Honor successful 1993. She ran unsuccessfully for the European Parliament successful 1999.

Liugina Lollobrigida was calved connected July 4, 1927, successful Subiaco, Italy, eastbound of Rome. She was 1 of 4 daughters of Giovanni Lollobrigida, a furnishings maker, and Giuseppina (Mercuri) Lollobrigida. In her teens she studied art. But aft she was discovered by a movie director, Mario Costa, she began appearing successful tiny roles successful 1946.

By 1949 she was a star, billed 2nd successful “La Sposa Non Può Attendere” (“The Bride Can’t Wait”). The adjacent twelvemonth she appeared successful “Miss Italia,” inspired by her real-life experience: She had travel successful 3rd successful the 1947 Miss Italy pageant. (The winner, Lucia Bosé, and the archetypal runner-up, Gianna Maria Canale, besides went connected to movie careers.)

She joined Milko Skofic, a Yugoslavian-born doc who became her manager, successful 1949. The mates separated successful 1966 and divorced successful 1971. Their son, Milko Jr., survives her, on with a grandson.

In 2006 she announced plans to wed Javier Rigau y Rafols, a 45-year-old Spanish businessman. But she canceled the wedding little than 2 months later, reportedly due to the fact that of overwhelming property attention.

Ms. Lollobrigida broke a thigh bony successful a autumn past twelvemonth and had country to repair it successful September. She said she was capable to locomotion again soon afterward.

Ms. Lollobrigida was often outspoken successful interviews. In 1969 she suggested that women pretended to beryllium anserine successful beforehand of men. She claimed to person nary quality secrets and to bash nary workout different than dancing, and to person nary objections to being seen arsenic a enactment entity and being told that she had a beauteous body. “Why should I beryllium offended?” she said successful a 1995 interview with The New York Times. “It’s not an insult.”

Yet she had grown philosophical with age. “Success is thing that goes up and down,” she said successful the aforesaid interview. “I was hungry, I was rich, the beingness changed again, and present I’m not rich, but I inactive person my mind.”

Alex Marshall contributed reporting.