A former Miss Sweden 1950, the busty Anita Ekberg (29th September 1931), was a sight to behold. She grew up with seven brothers and sisters but her adventure began when she was elected for the title.
She got a modeling contract from the pageant and a contract with Howard Hughes. She had an uncredited roles, first as a maid of honour in Tyrone Power's "
The Mississippi Gambler" and then as a dancehall in the western, "Take Me To Town" (both in 1953 for Universal). She was one of t
he shapely inhabitant of Venus in "Abbott And Costello Go To Mars" (1953). Anita got better notice in Rock Hudson's Bagdad adventure "The Golden Blade" (1953) as a handmaiden.
She got a modeling contract from the pageant and a contract with Howard Hughes. She had an uncredited roles, first as a maid of honour in Tyrone Power's "
The Mississippi Gambler" and then as a dancehall in the western, "Take Me To Town" (both in 1953 for Universal). She was one of t
he shapely inhabitant of Venus in "Abbott And Costello Go To Mars" (1953). Anita got better notice in Rock Hudson's Bagdad adventure "The Golden Blade" (1953) as a handmaiden.She was featured in John Wayne's "Blood Alley" (1955), trying to pass for Chinese and by then, Anita was well-known enough presumably due more to fan magazines than her screen achievements. She played glamour characters named Anita in two of Jerry Lewis Dean Martin musical comedies - "Art
ists And Models"(1955) and "Hollywood Or Bust" (1956).
ists And Models"(1955) and "Hollywood Or Bust" (1956).She played Helene in the all star Leo Tolstoy epic, "War And Peace" (1956) starring Audrey Hepburn, Henry Fonda and Mel F
errer. "Back From Eternity" (1956) about a plane crash, gives her a better role. Her next movie, "Man In The Vault" in the same year, did nothing much for her.
errer. "Back From Eternity" (1956) about a plane crash, gives her a better role. Her next movie, "Man In The Vault" in the same year, did nothing much for her."Paris Holiday" (1958) gives her a name as Bob Hope's co-star although the movie is one of his weakest. She finally got top billing, playing an exotic nightclub dancer under the spell of a psychiatrist in "Screaming Mimi" (1958).
After five years in Hollywood she found herself in Rome, where Federico Fellini's "Dolce vita, La" (1960) meant her breakthrough. She stayed in Italy and made around 20 movies during the next ten years, some roles memorable, some to be forgotten and occasionally come back to Hollywood for some poor movies like - "Call Me Bwana" (1963 with Bob Hope), "4 For Texas" (1963 with Frank Sinantra and Dean Martin. Also U
rsula Andress) and "The Alphabet Murders (1965 with Tony Randall).
rsula Andress) and "The Alphabet Murders (1965 with Tony Randall). Her two marriages gave her a lot of attention from the press. During the 1970s the roles became less frequent, but she made a marvellous comeback with Fellini's "Intervista" (1987). He sex symbol days maybe long gone, but she still has her hearts for her fans. A true lady.
So, to the Swedish Iceberg, Happy Birthday...
(Scanned autographed photo - property of author)
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