Hi everyone and thank you for tuning in to episode 59 of awards chatter the

Hollywood Reporters Awards Podcast.

I'm the host Scott Feinberg, and this is a very special episode in which our guest is not an

Oscar, Emmy, or Tony contender, but rather a living legend, Gina Lola Bridgeta.

In her youth Lola Bridgeta was one of the biggest and most beautiful movie stars in the world.

Lolo, as she was nicknamed, was born in Rome, and was a product of Americans post-World War II interest in all things international,

including the more sexy and naturalistic films coming out of Europe generally and Italy specifically.

A contract with Howard Hughes who unsuccessfully courted her, kept her from working in Hollywood for a while,

but Hollywood quite happily came to her when quotas and tax laws resulted in a surge of American Italian co-productions.

Lola Bridgeta eventually did come to Hollywood though and made a major impression. Humphrey Bogart, her co-star in 1953's Beat the Devil, said she quote,

made Marilyn Monroe look like Shirley Temple close quote and

Monroe told her directly quote here they call me the American Lola Brigida close quote

Her films which included 1953's Bread, Love and Dreams,

1956's Trapeze, 1959's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and 1961's come

September, are less remembered than she is for her stunning looks, her forceful personality, and her resilience.

Now 87, she was making a rare trip from Rome to LA to attend the TCM Classic Film Festival

when I corralled her for an interview in the penthouse of the

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. As you'll hear for yourself, she remains as sharp as attack and as

spirited as ever, discussing her dark youth, her rise to fame, her 60-year feud with Sophia Loren, how

the Anuk-Amay part in La Dauchevita got away from her

film in

and her outlook today.

...