Sophia Loren

By Edward Quinn

It is difficult to believe that when she was a teenager, Sophia Loren was so skinny people called her “stechetto” – the stick. But Sophia once described herself as a “scarecrow of a girl buried in poverty”.

However, when she was sixteen, wearing a dress made by her mother from pink window curtains, she won a prize in the “Miss Rome” beauty contest. The producer Carlo Ponti was one of the judges. Ponti gave Sophia a small part in a film and then took her career in hand. He helped her to get the starring role in his production of a semi-documentary, Africa under the Sea.

When I met Sophia Loren for the first time, she was not yet a star; she was just a very sexy, attractive young girl with a bosom which drew attention wherever she went. Sophia was still at the stage of her career when a camera meant publicity, and she intended to get as much as she could. She had come to the Cannes Film Festival chaperoned by her mother, who had hoped to become a film star herself when she was young. Her mother’s only success was second place in a contest to find a double for Greta Garbo. She then decided that she would help her daughter to become a star.

I had decided to do a story on Sophia Loren for Paris Match. Encouraged by her mother, Sophia willingly posed for me in all kinds of exciting situations. She writhed and wriggled and even agreed to lie down in her splendid white evening dress and frilly underskirts, so that I could get an unusual picture.

Sophia Loren wearing an evening gown designed by Emilio Schuberth. Cannes 1955.
Sophia Loren wearing an evening gown designed by Emilio Schuberth. Cannes 1955.

A few years later I photographed Sophia again in Cannes. She was a star by then, acclaimed not only for her physical appearance, but also for her acting. She had won an Oscar for her performance in Two Women and had been presented to Queen Elizabeth at the Royal Performance.

Sophia was now married to Carlo Ponti. They were staying at the Hotel Carlton. Sophia got the big Hollywood star treatment; she was the centre of all the action. A cohort of photographers always swarmed around her, preventing anyone from getting a good picture. When I went to a press conference in Sophia’s room, I was not satisfied to get exactly the same photo as everybody else, so I locked myself in the bathroom and came out when all was quiet. After a moment of surprise and hesitation, Sophia graciously agreed to let me take my exclusive pictures.

Photos of Sophia Loren