It’s Sunday and that means it’s time for “Classic Hollywood Photos”.
When I was 19-years-old, I purchased and acquired hundreds of classic Hollywood photos from a retailer who wanted to pass his photo collection before he passed. For several decades, friends and classic cinema fans have asked me to share my collection and I decided for the purpose of identification, I’m going to start sharing photos in my collection.
Another photo I have in my collection is the Marx Bros. for “A Day at the Races”. The film was released in theaters back in 1937 and starred Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx and Chico Marx . I’m not sure if this is actually a still or promotional shot from that film but a friend was able to see the picture and quickly identified it. If that is the case, the other two are Maureen O’Sullivan and Allan Jones.
Back in 1937-1938, MGM did many horse racing films and this was one of them.
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!
Tom Mix is an American actor who was a star in many early Western movies. He made 336 films between 1910 and 1935, with the majority of all films being silent films. He is known for being Hollywood’s first Western star and opening the gates for other cowboy actors and is known as “The King of Cowboys”.
Tom died on October 12, 1940 when he was driving his 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton on Arizona State Route 79 (back then known as US Highway 80). While driving, he came upon a construction barrier on a bridge (18 miles southwest of Florence, Arizona) which was washed away by a flash flood and work crew watched as Mix was unable to brake in time and swerved and overturned into a gully. According to reports, a large aluminum case he had in the car flew out and hit him behind the head, shattering his skull and also breaking his neck. He was killed instantly.
If one was to go through Arizona State Route 79, in the area near Florence, they can find a memorial for Tom Mix with a plaque with the following inscription: “In memory of Tom Mix, whose spirit left his body on this spot and whose characterization and portrayals in life served to better fix memories of the old West in the minds of living men.”
I have the following photo of Tom Mix but have been unable to identify what date the photo was taken and where.
If anyone knows, please contact me. Thank you!
