It is the most famous side-eye in history. You’ve seen it on greeting cards, Pinterest boards, and Twitter threads about "vintage shade." In the black-and-white frame, a poised, elegant Sophia Loren sits at a dinner table, her eyes darting sideways with an expression that looks like a mix of judgment, horror, and sheer disbelief. Next to her, Jayne Mansfield is leaning in, beaming at the cameras, her famously low-cut dress doing a lot of heavy lifting.
Honestly, it looks like a classic "mean girl" moment from 1957. But the real story is way more practical—and a lot more stressful for the Italian icon—than most people realize.
The Night Hollywood Tried to Welcome a Queen
The setting was Romanoff’s, the legendary Beverly Hills hotspot where the A-list went to see and be seen. The date was April 12, 1957. Paramount Pictures had put together this massive, glittering bash to officially welcome Sophia Loren to Hollywood. She was already a massive star in Europe, but this was her big American debut.
Imagine the pressure. Loren was 22, still getting her bearings in the studio system, and surrounded by legends like Clifton Webb and Gary Cooper. This was her night. Everything was supposed to be sophisticated and controlled.
Then Jayne Mansfield walked in.
A "Blonde Bombshell" Crashes the Party
Mansfield wasn't just a guest; she was a marketing machine. 20th Century Fox was positioning her as the next Marilyn Monroe, and Jayne knew exactly how to play the game. She was the last person to arrive, ensuring every flashbulb in the room was ready for her entrance.
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She didn't just walk in; she headed straight for Loren’s table. She sat down right between Sophia and Clifton Webb. Mansfield was wearing a pink satin dress that was, by 1957 standards, basically a legal hazard. It was backless, strapless, and featured a neckline so deep it defied physics.
Fear, Not Just Shade
For decades, people assumed Loren was just being "catty." We love a good celebrity feud, right? But in a 2014 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Sophia finally set the record straight. She wasn't judging Jayne’s morals; she was terrified of a wardrobe malfunction.
"She came right for my table. She knew everyone was watching... 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."
Basically, it wasn't "Who does she think she is?" It was more like, "Is that about to fall into my lasagna?"
The Photographers Who Caught the Moment
While there were dozens of photographers in the room, two men—Joe Shere and Delmar Watson—caught the specific "look" that went viral before the internet existed. Most of the other shots from that night show the two women smiling, chatting, and looking like perfectly friendly colleagues.
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Shere, however, waited for the split second when Mansfield leaned over. He knew that the contrast between Loren’s polished Italian dignity and Mansfield’s chaotic American "bombshell" energy was gold.
The photo was so scandalous at the time that many newspapers had to censor it or crop it heavily. In Italy, some editors flat-out refused to run it, fearing it would offend the public.
Why Sophia Still Won’t Sign It
If you ever meet Sophia Loren and happen to have a print of this photo, don't ask her to sign it. She won't.
She has been very vocal about the fact that she refuses to autograph copies of the "side-eye" picture. Part of it is because she wants to be remembered for her work—her Oscar for Two Women, her decades of cinematic excellence—not a single frame of accidental comedy. But there’s a more somber reason, too.
Mansfield died tragically in a car accident in 1967 at just 34 years old. Loren has said that, out of respect for Jayne and her family (including her daughter, Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay), she doesn't want to keep profiting from or celebrating a moment that makes Mansfield look like a punchline.
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The Cultural Legacy of a Glance
The image has been parodied by everyone from the cast of Modern Family to Sydney Sweeney. It’s become a universal shorthand for "What is happening right now?"
But looking back at the full sequence of photos from that night at Romanoff's, you see a different story. You see two women who were both products of a studio system that obsessed over their bodies. Mansfield used her "blonde bombshell" persona as a weapon for publicity, while Loren used her "European elegance" as a shield.
They were two sides of the same fame coin, caught in a moment of high-tension fashion that accidentally became the most relatable meme of the 20th century.
What to Keep in Mind Next Time You See the Meme
- Context is everything: This wasn't a random encounter; it was a high-stakes industry event meant to launch Loren’s US career.
- The "Fear" Factor: Take Sophia at her word—the expression isn't hate; it’s the look of someone watching a train wreck in slow motion.
- Respect the History: While the photo is funny, remember that both women were incredibly intelligent. Mansfield spoke five languages and had a reported high IQ, and Loren went on to become one of the most respected actors in history.
*If you want to dive deeper into the Golden Age of Hollywood, your best next step is to watch Loren's 1960 performance in Two Women (La Ciociara).* It's the role that proved she was far more than just a beautiful face at a dinner table—it made her the first actor to win an Academy Award for a non-English language performance.