Fifty-seven years after the release of the infamous photo of Sophia Loren's sharp side-eye glance to Jayne Mansfield, Loren finally broke her silence and revealed her side of the story. The 80-year-old Italian actress told Entertainment Weekly during the promotion of her memoir.
The iconic picture was taken at an A-list Beverly Hills party in 1957. The Huffington Post said it showed Sophia Loren giving Jayne Mansfield, who was in a revealing dress, some peculiar side-eye glance. During the promotion of her memoir "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: My Life," Loren revealed what was going through her mind at that exact moment.
"Paramount had organized a party for me. All of cinema was there, it was incredible. And then comes in Jayne Mansfield, the last one to come. For me, that was when it got amazing." Loren explained.
"She came right for my table. She knew everyone was watching. She sat down. And now, she was barely..." she continued. "Listen. Look at the picture. Where are my eyes? I'm staring at her nipples because I am afraid they are about to come onto my plate. In my face you can see the fear. I'm so frightened that everything in her dress is going to blow - BOOM! - and spill all over the table."
Sophia Loren, now 80 and with over 90 film glories to her name, also clarified that she was just concerned for Jayne Mansfield cleavage, ending speculations of a "bad blood" between the two iconic stars after 57 years.
Despite the popularity of the image, ABC News reported Sophia Loren elucidated why she won't ever autograph the said picture.
"Many, many times I am given this photo to autograph it. And I never do," Sophia Loren said. "I don't want to have anything to do with that. And also out of respect for Jayne Mansfield because she's not with us anymore."
Sophia Loren released her memoir on Tuesday. The book narrated her journey through a career that spans for more than six decades before the camera. In the book, Loren also discussed the party.
"At that moment, Jayne Mansfield arrived. The crowd of guests parted to let her through as she headed straight for my table," Sophia Loren wrote. "She moved forward, swaying on her heels, perhaps not completely sober, with something grand and imperious about each step she took. She knew everyone had their eyes on her, and how could anyone not gape at her neckline, which was more than generous. It was as if she were saying: "Here comes Jayne Mansfield. The Blond Bombshell!" She sat next to me at the table and started talking -- it was like a volcano erupting."
"As she got more and more worked up, suddenly I found one of her breasts on my plate. I looked up at her, terrified..." she continued. "One especially quick reporter took a picture of the scene, and the image went around the world. I refused to autograph it. Hidden behind Hollywood's enchanted kingdom were some coarse and grotesque sides, which I refused to have anything to do with."
Over the years, the story behind the infamous image of Sophia Loren's reaction to Jayne Mansfield's low-cut dress had remained a mystery. But after 57 years, Loren finally clarified that her sharp side-eye glance was just because of pure, unadulterated fear.
Meanwhile, the American Film Institute will honor Sophia Loren at Hollywood's AFI Fest on Nov. 12. Because of her revelations, the enigmatic photo has now been cleared. And while Jayne Mansfield have died in car crash more than 4 decades ago, Loren still remained fabulous even at 80.
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