She was responsible for one of the most memorable cinematic images in history - the sight of the statuesque evening-dressed Anita Ekberg cavorting in the Fontana di Trevi in Fellini's La Dolce Vita must surely be up there with Orson Welles stepping out of the shadows in The Third Man and Lauren Bacall leaning against that door frame in To Have and Have Not for sheer screen impact - but it is highly unlikely that many people could name another film in which she starred.
At the height of her fame, her lovers were said to include Errol Flynn, Yul Brynner and Frank Sinatra. Yet cinematic longevity eluded her, and she spent the latter years of her life in her adopted Italy.
According to several reports, the actress was almost penniless at the time of her death. However, she leaves one of the greatest legacies of all - that cooler-than-cool image of the unattainable object of desire, which "set the bar" for many a screen ingénue who followed in her wake.
RIP Kerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg (29th September 1931 – 11th January 2015)
Not such a "Sweet Life", after all.
I would just like to add that Anita had a lot of fans - she was stunning in her 50s films like SCREAMING MINI, INTERPOL, ZARAK, WAR AND PEACE, BACK FROM ETERNITY, a Bob Hope comedy PARIS HOLIDAY, two Martin & Lewis films and of course the 2 Fellini's - apart from LA DOLCE VITA she was also in his BOCCACCIO 70. She was certainly the most fascinating and humourous of the 50s glamazons.
ReplyDeleteShe certainly was fascinating, but she was sadly neglected by the movie and TV industries for far too long after that initial success. Unless you count "The Killer Nun", "Cicciabomba" or "Le nain rouge", of course... Jx
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteWe have found you after roaming the corridors of Mistress Maddie and what a delight of a post in honour of Anita Ekberg.
Strange how some people make it whilst others do not. Your images here capture beautifully her sensual good looks. They are not of the traditional Blonde bombshell, but are of an altogether more primal nature. A force to be reckoned with and a face which held attention when on the silver screen.
We shall return for more as your latest followers.
Welcome on board, Jane and Lance! Hope you enjoy exploring my "Museum"...
DeleteYes, Miss Ekberg's looks certainly were striking, right to the end. Such a shame she died relatively forgotten, begging for money from the Fellini Foundation.
Jx
Thank you. In off chance you don't know Fellini's 1987 movie Intervista you're in for an Anita and Marcello treat. It's one of the sweetest movies I know and a wonderful way to remember them. The sequence with Anita starts around 1:14:00. Grab it before YouTube deletes:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEQMqUo7Sv4
I will indeed (hopefully, if it is still there) try and watch this on the weekend...
DeleteThanks! Jx