La Dolce Muerte

Anita Ekberg, the best looking person in Abbott and Costello Go to Mars, has died at the age of 83. Perfectly cast as a Venusian given how little English she spoke, Ekberg was enjoying the largesse of the 1951 Miss Universe pageant, where the big Swede’s top 6 finish got her a contract with Universal Studios. Fully aware of what got her to Hollywood, Ekberg spent more time pursuing romances with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Tyrone Power, Yul Brynner, Rod Taylor and Errol Flynn than in her drama classes. She lost the role of proto-Bond Girl Honey Ryder in Dr. No to Ursula Andress and her career amounted to a number of forgettable roles in forgettable films, though her cleavage made a memorable appearance in La Dolce Vita.