Sophia Loren's Best Actress Academy Award was the first Oscar ever given for a performance in a "foreign-language" film. Italian censorship visa #33469 delivered on 26 November 1960. It has been said that Anna Magnani was originally cast in the role of Cesira; but when she was unable commit to the film due to illness, it was Magnani herself who suggested Sophia Loren for the role, suggesting to Vittorio de Sica that if Sophia (who was 25 years old at the time) would not mind playi ...[Read Story ]