MovieChat Forums > Operation Crossbow (1965) Discussion > Sophia Loren

Sophia Loren

posted 16 years ago by mp99
3 replies | jump to latest

More than a few people have remarked it odd that Sophia Loren gets top billing but is in the film rather briefly. The reason for this is that the film was rather expensive to produce and although the cast was very solid, none of them, not even leading man George Peppard, was a box-office champ in the same league with Sophia Loren, who just happened to be the wife of the producer, Carlo Ponti (by now, even the Italian courts said so). So he persuaded her to take a small role in the film and gave her top billing to beef up the box-office potential.

[–] Xcalat3 15 years ago

interesting, I was wondering why she got top billing while she has so little screen time

When there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] AndersonWhitbeck 11 years ago

Sopia Loren did this film due to the fact Carlo Ponti was preoducing the film and was her husband. I recall Sophia being announced and then dropped out but then was coaxed back. Sophia Loren's role is basically a cameo but MGM needed Sophia Loren as box office insurance. The real star is George Peppard who was himself a big star due to his hits in How The West Was Won, Breakfast At Tiffany's and The Carpetbaggers. After The Carpetaggers Peppard tried to break his MGM contrct but that studio insisted on his making this movie. It turns out it is a great action movie with superior production values with fine performances by Loren, Peppard and a great cast headed by Richard Johnson, Lilli Palmer etc.