and
Elizabeth Taylor in
Cleopatra by
Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1963) Although American companies had shot in Italy before (such as
Fox's 1922 silent
Nero and
MGM's 1925
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ), the scale of the post-war investment was unprecedented. Many of the films were
sword and sandal epics, often set in
Ancient Rome which required large
film sets and
location filming. Other films included contemporary-set romances
Roman Holiday (1953) and
Three Coins in the Fountain (1954). The companies hired actors from Britain and the United States, and elsewhere, who appeared alongside Italians who generally played smaller, supporting roles or
extras.
Sophia Loren was one Italian star with sufficient international appeal to be cast in a
leading role. In 1962, the lengthy and troubled production of
Cleopatra brought further media attention to the city. The delays led to a spiraling budget, making it the most expensive film ever made at the time. Far from leading to a decline in Italian cinema, the native industry boomed during the era. In 1960, Italian films outperformed American imports to Italy for the first time since 1946. However, there was a growing influence of Hollywood-style productions, as popular Italian genres such as the
Sword-and-sandal and
Spaghetti Western attempted to imitate successful Hollywood productions. Italian actors and directors often adopted
English-sounding names. ==Later years==