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| Italians got a break from a steady stream of
bad news about terrorism and taxes September 20, 2004 to be reminded
that screen siren Sophia Loren had turned 70.
(Reuters) |
Italians got a break from a steady stream of bad
news about terrorism and taxes, to be reminded that screen siren
Sophia Loren had turned 70.
That's right, 70!
The diva who started life as an illegitimate child in southern Italy
went on to win an Oscar and became a living legend and a symbol of
post-war Italy. She is believed to be celebrating the birthday quietly
with her family.
But Italians will get to see her acting talents on Monday night with
the screening of a made-for-television film about an immigrant family set
in Umbria and Canada. Corriere della Sera newspaper put the birthday on
its front page, as if to remind Italians that some of the Dolce Vita, or
sweet life, was left in a world dominated by bad news.
Italy's largest mainstream newspaper said it all:
"Happy Birthday, Sophia - legend for a generation." In fact, for Italians,
Loren's birthday is not just an ordinary anniversary or commemoration but
a bittersweet
reminder that the post-war boom times she epitomised at the height of her
fame no longer exist.
The fact that Corriere used only her first name
was not casual. She is the only woman in Italy who is universally known by
her first name. When someone says Sophia on television, it can only mean
"La Loren." Loren has outlived
many of her film contemporaries from the days when Rome was known as the
Hollywood on the Tiber because it was a major production centre and magnet for the jet set
.
(Agencies) | 
Updated: 2004-09-23 10:50