Sophia Loren's hometown honors 'Neapolitan' stark

Sophia Loren's hometown honors 'Neapolitan' stark
POZZUOLI, Italy -- There's no place like home for Sophia Loren, who has received the honorary citizenship of her hometown in southern Italy. Dressed in an elegant all-white outfit with a scarf, the 70-year-old actress was presented with a blue band representing honorary citizenship of the seaside town of Pozzuoli. She broke into tears during the ceremony. "Thank you, thank you, I don't know if I deserve it," the ANSA news agency quoted Loren as saying during Wednesday's event. Loren grew up in Pozzuoli, visiting its single theater regularly to catch Hollywood movies. During World War II, her family was forced to flee to nearby Naples, returning when the conflict ended. She won an Oscar in 1962 for Vittorio De Sica's "La Ciociara." Her screen credits also include "The Black Orchid," "El Cid" and "Pret-a-Porter." Antonio Bassolino, governor of the region around Naples, compared the actress to Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe. He said Loren has kept her feet on the ground because she grew up with "strong values." "She's Neapolitan, she's never given up her family and her contact with daily life," ANSA quoted him as saying.
Hilton pet bites producer
NEW YORK-- You just knew that Paris Hilton's dog would be a spoiled, mean, tiny, biting thing, didn't you? So it was not surprising that Hilton's Chihuahua Tinkerbell -- what, you thought she'd name the dog after a character from "The Iliad"? -- ripped a chunk out of a "Today" show producer's hand the other day, as the New York Post reports. Paris herself wasn't there. Her mom, Kathy Hilton, had brought the dog while promoting her new and brilliant show, "I Want to Be a Hilton." The producer made the mistake of putting her hand in the dog's Louis Vuitton carrying case. Then, chomp!
Scary Spice resists Live 8 reunion with former band
LONDON --There's a reason they call her Scary. Mel B, given name Melanie Brown, otherwise known as Scary Spice, is the lone holdout preventing a Live 8 London reunion of the entire menu of Spice Girls -- Scary, Posh, Baby, Sporty and Ginger. That's what Live 8 organizer Sir Bob Geldof said Monday on British TV show "Richard and Judy" (think "Regis and Kelly" with classier accents). Geldof said he's working to enlist Scary in his fight to end poverty in the developing world, but the singer's not keen on "going back to something she did in the past." It had been rumored that the knighted ex-Boomtown Rat nixed the Spice Girls from the outset on grounds they're not political enough. Geldof told the television hosts that what he's opposed to is a partial reunion. "It's got to be all or nothing," he said.
Mel Gibson's stalker sent to spend 3 years in prison
LOS ANGELES -- An Idaho drifter convicted of stalking Mel Gibson was sentenced Wednesday to three years in state prison. Zack Sinclair, who had confronted Gibson after the release of the actor-director's film "The Passion of the Christ," was convicted in March of one felony count of stalking. Sinclair was arrested in September 2004. Prosecutors said he went to the gate of Gibson's Malibu estate repeatedly that month after evading neighborhood security and asked to pray with the star. The 35-year-old Sinclair, dressed in a yellow and blue jail jumpsuit, acted as his own lawyer. He declined to speak during the brief sentencing hearing in Superior Court. He has remained in custody and will immediately begin serving the sentence. Gibson, 49, wasn't in court for the sentencing. His spokesman said the actor was vacationing with his family and could not immediately be reached for comment. During the trial, Gibson testified that he was attending church services in September when he got up briefly and returned to find Sinclair sitting in his seat. Sinclair moved within a few inches of his face, Gibson said, telling him, "Hi, I'm here to pray with you." Gibson said Sinclair wasn't "overtly threatening," but he worried about his family's safety. "My wife was upset and worried. She didn't want to find him in the living room drinking tea," Gibson said.
Today's birthdays
Movie director Sidney Lumet is 81. Actress June Lockhart is 80. Rhythm-and-blues singer Eddie Floyd is 70. Actress Barbara Montgomery is 66. Basketball Hall-of-Famer Willis Reed is 63. Singer Carly Simon is 60. Rock musician Allen Lanier (Blue Oyster Cult) is 59. Rock musician Ian McDonald (Foreigner; King Crimson) is 59. Actor-comedian Jimmie Walker is 58. Actor-director Michael Lembeck is 57. TV personality Phyllis George is 56. Rock singer Tim Finn is 53. Rock musician David Paich (Toto) is 51. Rock singer George Michael is 42. Rapper-producer Richie Rich is 38. Rapper Candyman is 37. Musician Sean Kelly is 34. Rock musician Mario Calire is 31. Actress Linda Cardellini is 30.