Anita Ekberg

 

Kerstin Aita Marianne (Swedish pronunciation (listen), 29/09/1931 11/01/2015) was an Swedish actress well-known for her stunning beauty and striking silhouette. Her performance as Sylvia in Federico Federlini's film La Dolce Vita (1960) became well-known. Ekberg was born in Sweden on 29 September 1931. She was the sixth child of eight. As a teenager, Anita worked as a fashion model. In response to the wishes by her mother, Ekberg participated in Miss Malmo in 1950. She won the Miss Sweden contest. Despite her inability to speak English She travelled to the United States to compete to get the Miss Universe title for 1951. While it was a non-formal pageant that was later made an official pageant, it was official in 1952. Ekberg was not crowned the Miss Universe pageant. However she was among six finalist. Universal Studios offered her an opportunity to be a starlet. As an actress at Universal she was given lessons in elocution, drama, dancing, horseback riding and fencing. The film she appeared in was The Mississippi Gambler (1953), Abbott and Costello (as an actress in Venus), Take Me to Town (1853), and The Golden Blade (1953).