There’s a famous photo from the Golden Age of Hollywood that features actress Sophia Loren giving blonde bombshell Jayne Mansfield’s abundant cleavage some rather disapproving side eyes:
(Image Via Rex Features)
The 1957 photo became a classic because it’s full of attitude and tells a great story about the battle for the spotlight going on between talented actresses and bombshells in Hollywood during the 50s and 60s.
Fans have always assumed that Sophia wore a look of anger or derision, but in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly Sophia reveals she was more scared than angry:
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. . . . 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.
So her stare wasn't purely venomous- she was also concerned for the welfare of the table settings. Can you blame her for feeling a bit overshadowed by Mansfield and her two friends?!
-Via Vanity Fair