Cultural Re-View: Sophia Loren starts a 17 day jail sentence

The idol of the silver screen was jailed near Naples in an incident which caused fans around the world to rally in her support.

Before being sent to prison, Loren, born Sofia Scicolone, explained that her tax specialist had made an error on a tax return which understated her earnings by about 5 million lire (then $7,000 or around €6,500).

She had previously promised to return to Italy from her adopted home of the United States to serve her sentence, saying she would “do my duty and submit to the decision of the judges of my country” but few believed she’d ever fulfil the term.

She kept her word though and was met at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci airport with a crowd of journalists and photographers, as well as police officers who transported her via car to the prison.

One elderly woman who had come to the airport to see the star told assembled press the jailing was "a terrible shame”, adding that most of Italy's tax evaders get away with their crimes.

On entering the prison, Loren said she was being subjected to "an unjust situation due to a little mistake” by the tax ‘expert’.

Loren, who is now 88, started her decades-long film career in 1950, shooting to international fame after acting alongside Cary Grant in the 1958 film ‘Houseboat’. She won an Oscar for her performance in the 1961 movie ‘Two Women’.

The renowned beauty was sentenced for 30 days, but ended up serving just 17. Speaking in 1984 about her ordeal to celebrity interviewer Terry Wogan, she explained that her time in prison was not a positive experience.

When confirming she had been to jail, the talk show audience laughed - and Loren remarked “there’s nothing to laugh about” in response.

She explained to Wogan, “I decided to do that on my own because I thought it was the