Dolce vita confidential : Fellini, Loren, Pucci, paparazzi, and the swinging high life of 1950s Rome

A Romp Through The Worlds Of Fashion, Film, And Titillating Journalism That Made 1950s Rome The Sexiest Capital On The Planet. In The 1950s, Rome Rose From The Ashes Of World War Ii To Become A Movable Feast For Film, Fashion, Creative Energy, Tabloid Media, And Bold-faced Libertinism That Made 'italian' A Global Synonym For Taste, Style, And Flair. Old Money, New Stars, Fast Cars, Wanton Libidos, And Brazen News Photographers Created A Way Of Life Captured And Exposed In Fellini's La Dolce Vita. Rome Was A Playground For Film Stars (marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg, Ava Gardner, Sophia Loren), Fashionistas, Exiles, Moguls, And Martyrs, All Of Whom Wanted A Chance To Experience And Indulge In The Sweet Life. It Became One Of The Great Cultural Capitals Of The World--with More Than Just A Trace Of The City Of The Caesars Or The Borgias. Dolce Vita Confidential Re-creates Rome's Stunning Ascent With Vivid And Compelling Tales Of Its Glitterati And Artists, Down To Every Last Outrageous Detail Of The City's Magnificent Transformation-- Buzzing Through Ruins -- An Old River Among The Great Hotels -- Made In Italy -- The Three-sided Mirror -- Paris Didn't Move Us Like This -- Motion Pictures Are The Most Powerful Weapon -- Hollywood On The Tiber -- Scattini And Fumetti -- A Girl On A Beach -- A Nose For The Shot -- The Curvy Girls -- She Will Be A Sensation -- She's Impossible To Photograph -- I'm A Peasant -- Signor Sigarone -- Sit Down, If You Dare -- Florence Is A Lost Cause -- A Fine Race Horse And A Goat -- A Charnel House Under A Green Marquee -- Poor Starving Devils -- We Take Their Pictures And They Beat Us Up -- The Most Sinful, Transgressive Thing -- Babylon, 2000 Years After Christ -- Poor You -- I Am Not A Sexy Pot -- You've Done It, You've Won -- A Ravenous Wolf Pack -- Everybody Becomes A Roman Within Three Days -- There's No Erotic Charge In Me -- We Are On Stage All The Time -- Please Stop Crying. Shawn Levy. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. A romp through the worlds of film, fashion, and titillating journalism that made 1950s Rome the sexiest city on the planet. From the ashes of World War II, Rome was reborn as the epicenter of film, fashion, creative energy, tabloid media, and bold-faced libertinism that made "Italian" a global synonym for taste, style, and flair. A confluence of cultural contributions created a bright, burning moment in history: it was the heyday of fashion icons such as Pucci, whose use of color, line, and superb craftsmanship set the standard for women's clothing for decades, and Brioni, whose confident and classy creations for men inspired the contemporary American suit. Rome's huge movie studio, Cinecitta, also known as "Hollywood-on-the Tiber," attracted a dizzying array of stars from Charleton Heston, Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Ava Gardner, and Frank Sinatra to that stunning and combustible couple, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, who began their extramarital affair during... “A brisk, frothy narrative . . . informative and fun.” —The Wall Street JournalIn the dizzying wake of World War II, Rome skyrocketed to prominence as an epicenter of film, fashion, photography, & boldfaced libertinism. Artists, exiles, & a dazzling array of movie talent rushed to Rome for a chance to thrive in this hotbed of excitement. From the photographers who tailed the stars to the legends who secured their place in cinematic fame, Dolce Vita Confidential resurrects the drama that permeated the streets & screens of Rome. Shawn Levy is a former film critic for The Oregonian& the best-selling author of Rat Pack Confidential& Paul Newman: A Life. He reviews movies for KGW-TV& lives in Portland, Oregon. A brisk, frothy narrative . . . informative and fun. The Wall Street Journal In the dizzying wake of World War II, Rome skyrocketed to prominence as an epicenter of film, fashion, photography, and boldfaced libertinism. Artists, exiles, and a dazzling array of movie talent rushed to Rome for a chance to thrive in this hotbed of excitement. From the photographers who tailed the stars to the legends who secured their place in cinematic fame, Dolce Vita Confidential resurrects the drama that permeated the streets and screens of Rome. 8 pages of photographs An exuberant history of postwar Rome, as seen through the lenses of its burgeoning filmmakers and paparazzi.