Sophia Loren Spills the Nipples.... er, Beans about Famous Pic

LOS ANGELES—Sophia Loren, one of the most beautiful and enigmatic actresses to ever bestow her ample talents upon mere mortals, has finally put into words exactly what she thinking when a quick-fingered photographer snapped the infamous photo showing the Italian movie star give Jayne Mansfield's incredible breasts perhaps the most famous "side eye" in history. Now living in Switzerland, and celebrating the release of her memoir, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: My Life, as well as a tribute from AFI Fest, the 80-year-old star described to Entertainment Weekly what was going through her mind that evening 57 years ago with a potent sense of humor. In response to questions from EW's Joe McGovern, Loren replied, "Yes, 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," continued Loren. "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." It's as if it were happening right now. A class act to the core, Loren also told McGovern that she is regularly presented with the iconic photo by fans seeking an autograph, but has never complied, explaining, "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." What is also refreshing about Loren's perspective of a photo that, let's face it, has framed her as the world's most famous "ogler," is her absolute embrace of the image. As she put it when asked about other photos from the same moment that show her laughing and light-hearted, she replies, "No, no. Well, there may be other photos, but this is the picture. This is the one that shows how it was. This is the only picture." Loren's just published memoir also contains a section describing the famous Mansfield moment with more delicious detail: "At that moment, Jayne Mansfield arrived. The crowd of guests parted to let her through as she headed straight for my table. 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 ... 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." No, they don't make them like Sophia Loren anymore.