Trivia / La Dolce Vita

• The Danza: Marcello Mastroianni as Marcello Rubini, Riccardo Garrone as Riccardo, Nadia Gray as Nadia.
• Fake Nationality: The film was a French co-production, so several of the actors (Anouk Aimée, Yvonne Furneaux, Magali Noël, Alain Cuny, Jacques Sernas, Nadia Gray) are French-playing-Italians.
• Late Export for You: The film wasn't released in Spain until 1981 because of moral censorship.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Dino De Laurentiis wanted Paul Newman for Marcello Rubini, but Federico Fellini wouldn't hear of it. Fellini did consider Burt Lancaster.
  • De Laurentiis wanted Barbara Stanwyck for Nadia.
  • Fellini originally wanted Henry Fonda for Steiner.
  • A scene was mooted that involved Marcello's relationship with an older writer, Dolores, to be played by Oscar winning actress Luise Rainer. After much protracted discussions and difficulties, due to Luise Rainer's wish to rewrite her role somewhat, Federico Fellini cancelled the scene altogether. The actress was furious, reportedly saying, "I have spoiled a priceless piece of cloth on this character that will never be!"
• Write Who You Know: Steiner was based on the Italian author and intellectual Cesare Pavese whom one of the screenwriters went to school with and who equally committed suicide.

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