This beautiful and talented lady departed this life today at the age of 78.
Virna was born Virna Pieralisi in Ancona, on the Adriatic coast of Italy on 8 November 1936. She may have been best known in the USA for her role in the film comedy about a successful cartoonist, How to Murder Your Wife. She left Hollywood to return to her native Italy and act in film more to her liking.
This was a 1965 comedy about a cartoonist rich enough to employ a butler.
I can assure you that very few successful cartoonists in that year were close to being that well off.
Carl Fischer Virna Lisi, Rome, 1964
Virna made a much bigger impression as the model for this Esquire magazine for March 1965. The irascible and very talented art director was George Lois, who designed many of the best covers Esquire ever published. Some of them can be found at this link.
Carl Fischer, Esquire cover, George Lois, art director, who probably added the thumb
(it's the kind of thing ADs do all the time).
Virna Lisi, photographer unknown, circa 1960s
Virna Lisi, photographer unknown, circa 1960s
Virna Lisi, photographer unknown, circa 1960s