His highlights
The guests of the king of the box: Lugner had them all
For many years, Lugner accompanied almost 40 stars and starlets to "his" beloved Opera Ball: from panic over cadaver attacks to Bond girl sex escapades and major disappointments, it was all there. And as you can imagine, we know a lot about it ...
From Belafonte to Lollobrigida to the hotel heiress Hilton - they all visited the famous state prison. In contrast to the other celebrities who walked the red carpet here in their finest gowns, they did so at the invitation of a very special regular guest: from 1992 until his death, Richard Lugner provided plenty of entertainment at the Ball of Balls by personally selecting a star guest at the beginning and later his daughter Jacqueline and bringing them to Vienna (often for six-figure sums). However, a brief dance on the dance floor remained his prerogative - insofar as it was granted to him ...
Harry Belafonte - second choice and first hit
"A Libra man like me loves beauty, and alongside women, the Opera Ball has always fascinated me," recalled "Mörtel" in his biography. However, as Opernball boss Lotte Tobisch canceled the event in 1991 due to the Gulf War, his first guest rendezvous did not come to fruition and he would have to wait a few more years before he could ask his childhood idol - Italian film diva Gina Lollobrigida - to dance.
No less famous, however, was his actual first guest the following year: he marched up next to Harry Belafonte, overjoyed - even if the latter quickly fled to his Viennese flame ... Nevertheless, a guest followed just a few years later, whom he repeatedly described as one of his favorite companions to the end. "She not only looked like a goddess, she acted like one too!" - Who did he mean by that?
Beautiful women, one after the other
You can't even hold such effusive words against the builder when it comes to Italian actress Sophia Loren 's glittering golden appearance. And a soft spot for the southern screen beauties is slowly emerging ...
She was to be followed by Bond girl Grace Jones, who drove her host and patron crazy: "First she had to wear make-up all the time, then she wanted sex all the time," complained "Mörtel". Perhaps this unbridled passion from the lively Jamaican woman annoyed him, as "the lucky one" in this case was her young lover and not Lugner himself. Later on the dance floor, however, she was able to convince him of her qualities.
Years later, however, another eye-catcher, probably the most famous lifeguard in the world, caused a lot of whispering! Pamela Anderson was to be a guest in Richard Lugner's box in 2003.
"I would say she is number two - after Paris Hilton - as far as the media frenzy is concerned. Because her PR work was also perfect. Bämäla' managed to get articles in all the important magazines four weeks before the ball and her films were shown on television. That was no coincidence," he once explained to journalist and companion Andrea Buday.
Little enthusiasm for the male companions
She had PETA Vice President Dan Mathews in tow - or so it was announced. After he had already thrown rabbit carcasses at fur-wearing ladies in Milan, "Mörtel" feared a major disaster: "He suddenly wanted 20 tickets, no doubt to smuggle people in so that they could throw dead animals around". Worries that turned out to be unnecessary in the end.
In the end, the US series star preferred to appear with her spouse and later husband Kid Rock, who immediately gave away his top hat to a debutant (hard to believe, it was "Krone" editor Kalman Gergely at the time) and then concentrated fully on the beer.
"Even popes have mistresses"
Lugner's guest in 2011 also caused an international sensation: he took Berlusconi's playmate Karima el-Mahroug, aka Ruby Rubacuori, from Genoa to Vienna on a private jet. ADABEI on board? Krone Society boss Norman Schenz, of course.
And contrary to many media reports, the master builder and ladies' man was downright delighted with the young Moroccan woman, who even gave him a little dance. "Even popes have mistresses," Lugner was delighted to say at the time.
In 2013, the time had finally come and a long-awaited dream came true for Richard Lugner: alongside Oscar winner Mira Sorvino , Italian film diva Gina Lollobrigida also accompanied the master builder as he moved into the State Opera.
As his childhood idol, the latter had long been at the top of the guest wish list. On the red carpet, however, the two were rather taciturn, which is why they were not too popular, at least among the press representatives on site
For them, the visit from bum poser Kim Kardashian was definitely more interesting: She hit the State Opera just two years later - complete with matriarch Kris Jenner.
In retrospect, she described the entire event as a "real nightmare" and also criticized the questionable face painting of presenter Chris Stephan - which had left her traumatized.
At the penultimate state waltz during Lugner's lifetime, his guest Jane Fonda was not in a dancing mood: "I have an artificial shoulder, two artificial hips, two artificial knees, I'm in danger of falling apart," she argued.
But at least he was granted one last waltz, with none other than Priscilla Presley!
Not only the guesswork in advance will be missing. Without Mörtel, without his guests, without his charm and humor, the Opera Ball will no longer be the same.
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
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