Introduction
In the golden era of Hollywood, one candid moment captured at a dinner table became legendary. The infamous photo of Sophia Loren side-eyeing Jayne Mansfield in 1957 remains one of the most talked-about images in pop culture. But behind the side-eye and cleavage lies a powerful tale of ambition, rivalry, and legacy in the entertainment industry.
The Iconic Night at Romanoff’s
It was supposed to be Sophia Loren’s official “Welcome to Hollywood” party. The glamorous affair hosted by Paramount Pictures brought together Hollywood royalty at Beverly Hills’ Romanoff’s restaurant. Loren, just 22, had already gained acclaim for her European films and was poised to conquer Hollywood.
Enter Jayne Mansfield, then 24, who arrived last—covered in a fur coat, only to reveal a daring, backless satin gown that left little to the imagination. She sat beside Loren, knowing full well the cameras would flash. In that instant, photographer Joe Shere captured Sophia’s unmistakable expression of side-eye, aimed directly at Mansfield’s revealing neckline.
“Jayne Knew Exactly What She Was Doing”
Author Eve Golden, in her biography Jayne Mansfield: The Girl Couldn’t Help It, emphasized that Mansfield had choreographed her grand entrance. Fresh off the success of The Girl Can’t Help It and Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?, she was determined to outshine everyone—even if only for a moment.
Loren, reflecting on the image years later, told Entertainment Weekly, “I’m staring at her nipples because I am afraid they are about to come onto my plate… I’m so frightened that everything in her dress is going to blow — boom!”
The Rivalry That Never Was
While the media painted a picture of animosity, the reality is more nuanced. The two women only met once. Yet the photo endured, replicated by the likes of Heidi Klum, Anna Nicole Smith, and Sydney Sweeney. It was embraced for its symbolism—Europe versus America, brunette elegance versus blonde bombast, mystery versus exposure.
But it also perpetuated the toxic trope of female rivalry in Hollywood. As The Morning News Informer notes, images like these often obscure the full stories of women reduced to tropes for decades.
Mariska Hargitay Reclaims Her Mother’s Story
Jayne’s daughter, actress Mariska Hargitay, was just three years old when her mother tragically died in a 1967 car accident. In her 2024 documentary My Mom Jayne, she aims to present the woman behind the glam: a multilingual pianist, an actress, and a mother struggling against an industry that didn’t know how to handle her ambition.
“That was a rough one,” Hargitay admitted in an interview with Vanity Fair, referring to the iconic side-eye photo. “To see another woman look at your mom like that was excruciating.”
Legacy of Two Hollywood Icons
- Sophia Loren went on to win an Oscar for Two Women in 1960—the first for a foreign-language performance.
- Mansfield’s career, however, waned after the infamous dinner stunt, eventually leading her to open supermarkets to make ends meet.
But Mansfield’s fearlessness helped pave the way for future stars like Brigitte Bardot and Claudia Cardinale. She lived her stardom publicly, perhaps even inventing the “reality star” persona decades before the term existed.
Conclusion
The image of Jayne Mansfield and Sophia Loren endures not just because of its visual shock, but because it symbolizes so much more: the duality of fame, the harsh expectations on women, and the way legacies are shaped by a single moment.
As Loren continues to decline autograph requests of the photo out of respect, and Hargitay seeks to reclaim her mother’s complex story, we’re reminded that even icons deserve to be understood—not just seen.
Read more on The Morning News Informer for the evolving stories behind Hollywood’s most unforgettable women.
