Sophia Loren and Jane Mansfield (1957)

            For over two decades, I have had this 8×11 B&W photo (taken by Delmar Watson) of Sophia Loren and Jane Mansfield among my collection of classic Hollywood photographs. Two popular and beautiful actresses together in a photo which I really never knew the story behind it.

The image features Sophia Loren glaring at the cleavage of Jane Mansfield but in truth the story behind the photo is featured in Jane Mansfield’s Wikipedia profile:

In April 1957, her bosom was the feature of a notorious publicity stunt intended to deflect attention from Sophia Loren during a dinner party in the Italian star’s honor. Photographs of the encounter were published around the world. The most famous image showed Loren raising an eyebrow at the American actress who, sitting between Loren and her dinner companion, Clifton Webb, had leaned over the table, allowing her breasts to spill over her low neckline and exposing one nipple.

The world media was quick to condemn Mansfield’s stunts, and one editorial columnist wrote, “We are amused when Miss Mansfield strains to pull in her stomach to fill out her bikini better. But we get angry when career-seeking women, shady ladies, and certain starlets and actresses … use every opportunity to display their anatomy unasked.

Loren was interviewed by Entertainment Weekly in 2014, and she said about the photo, "She came right for my table. She knew everyone was watching. She sat down. And now, she was barely… 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."

But don't go to Sophia Loren to have her sign this photo, because she won't.  Loren said, "Actually, many, many times I am given this photo to autograph it. And I never do. 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."

Nevertheless, I still enjoy this photo!

Some rights reserved

Taken on: June 30, 2018

Tags:

Classic

Hollywood

Sets appears in: • Classic Hollywood

Groups appears in: • Old Hollywood • Celebrity Memoribilia

Stats: 34,721 views / 3 comments

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