Here are some lovely archive photos of screen icon Sophia Loren playing boules (or is it petanque?) with Italian film producer husband-to-be Carlo Ponti on holiday in St Tropez on September 2 1958.
Originally born Sofia Villani Scicolone on September 20, 1934, she changed her name to Sofia Lazzaro and then again to Sophia Loren after meeting Carlo Ponti.
It's quite a love story actually...
Ponti and Loren met in 1950 and although Ponti was already married, the pair fell in love and became a couple.
In 1957 Ponti obtained a Mexican divorce from his wife Giuliana and, in turn, a marriage by proxy to Loren. However, due to divorce not being recognised in Italy at that time, the marriage was denounced by the Catholic Church and annulled in 1962.
Ponti, Loren and Ponti's wife Giuliana then moved to France (which *did* allow divorce) and became French citizens. This allowed Giuliana to file for divorce in 1965 which in turn allowed Ponti to marry Loren in a civil wedding in Sevres the following year.
The couple remained together for over 50 years until Ponti's death on 10 January 2007.
Carlo Ponti had over 140 production credits to his name, the most famous being Federico Fellini's La Strada and David Lean's Doctor Zhivago
- Carlo Ponti's obituary (Independent)
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