Anita Ekberg

Pretty much everyone has seen director Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita.

It's the 1960 film with Anita Ekberg and Marcello Mastroianni.

Now, is there another more famous and memorable scene from Italian cinema than that Trevi Fountain midnight romp? I mean, who can visit or even think about this iconic Roman fountain without conjuring up that scene, even if you haven't seen the full three-hour movie? While the fountain scene lasts only about two minutes in the film, it took a week of filming in early March of 1959 under chilly Roman skies.

Ekberg, the consummate Swede, had no problem frolicking in freezing waters in her skimpy dress for hours without complaining, but Mastroianni was less accustomed to icy water.

But, but here it's more like the Americanization of a Catholic culture.

How are we gonna deal with this Americanization of a Catholic culture? And so it has, it brings in, uh, Anita Ekberg, the blonde from, from Sweden, Cla- it's like she's really Jayne Mansfield-

[laughs]

... you know, who was over there in Rome working at Cinecitta.

Uh, and it comes out in, in, uh, La Dolce Vita, where Marcello Mastroianni is the main character.

He's a reporter.

So Anita Ekberg, the kind of Jayne Mansfield, Marilyn Monroe figure shows up, and he's completely in love, falls completely in love with this, uh, idol.

And he's on the phone with his girlfriend, and he's looking at Anita Ekberg, and there, there, or reporters are there, "So, uh, so Sylvia, how did you get this film? How did you get this role in this film?" And she says, "Uh, because I have a big talent."

But, but here it's more like the Americanization of a Catholic culture.

How are we gonna deal with this Americanization of a Catholic culture? And so it has, it brings in, uh, Anita Ekberg, the blonde from, from Sweden, Cl- it's like she's really Jayne Mansfield-

[laughs]

... you know, who was over there in Rome working at Cinecitta.

Uh, and it comes out in, in, uh, La Dolce Vita, where Marcello Mastroianni is the main character.

He's a reporter.

So Anita Ekberg, the kind of Jayne Mansfield, Marilyn Monroe figure shows up, and he's completely in love, falls completely in love with this, uh, idol.

And he's on the phone with his girlfriend, and he's looking at Anita Ekberg, and there, there, or reporters are there, "So, so Sylvia, how did you get this film? How did you get this role in this film?" And she says, "Uh, because I have a big talent."

They tease her with catcalls.

She's a combination of Anita Ekberg, Mamie Van Doren.

Dagmar, a high school confidential.

A high school, a high school confidential.