I’ve long been of the opinion that when Sophia Loren smiles on camera she discharges enough positive energy to light up a large room. Especially my movie room here at Mike’s Take that I generally refer to as the vault. On the flip side, if she cries on camera I’m sunk. She’ll melt my supposedly hardened heart. Me the one who proclaims to be a fan of the Charles Bronson school of film.

My first Sophia film seen as a youngster? Sad to report I can’t recall but I’m guessing it would have been something like Legend of the Lost, The Black Orchid or A Countess from Hong Kong. Of course at the time I didn’t tune in because of Miss Loren, it was the Duke, Quinn and Brando that I wanted to see as a kid who had begun to identify who his movie heroes were.

It’s when I began to read about film history that the story of Sophia’s rise to fame began to capture my attention and of course her astounding beauty. A few years back while watching Boy On a Dolphin I paused the DVD and called Number 1 and Number 2 sons into the movie room and explained to them the scene I was about to show them had a profound effect on young males in 1957. I then proceeded to play Sophia’s rise from the waters into her boat and into movie history.

Did Alan Ladd really have to stand on a box to play opposite Sophia? If it’s true he may not have liked it but here we are years later and I’m pretty sure most of us guys who love classic cinema would have been only too happy to serve as his stand in on that stool. Then again most photos I come across have them seated around the water front or on set.

Boy On a Dolphin represented Sophia’s introduction to the North American movie goers.

From Ladd to the Duke, the leading men began to line up.

William Holden joins the group of “A” list actors to costar opposite Miss Sophia.

Her appearance opposite Cary Grant proved a more suitable topic than their first go around in 57’s The Pride and The Passion.

Not just the movie poster, Sophia blesses the lobby card.

And then she appeared opposite The King and I don’t mean Elvis.

Proving she was more than the just eye candy for the male movie going population, Sophia scored an Oscar for Two Women.

Then along came Heston.

A selection of Sophia and Marcello duets.

 

 

Add Greg Peck to the list of iconic costars.

Here’s one I’ve yet to see but I love the artwork on this classic half sheet.

As much as I love James Coburn I’ve always been sorry Charlie Bronson backed out of this chance to star opposite Sophia.

As is my custom whenever possible, it’s time to dig into the vault for an original one sheet from my private collection. This time it’s a recently acquired copy of the 1965 war time thriller that cast Sophia opposite George Peppard.

Got photo bombed on this one. Brando wanted to get a look at La Loren to see what all the excitement was about when I told the boys I was unveiling this one on Mike’s Take.