Envious Eyes or Pretty Lies
Created by Aliyah Varner on Mon, 04/01/2024 - 20:45
This timeline provides a sociohistorical context for Joe Sheres 1957 Photograph of Sophia Loren and Jayne Mansfield.
Timeline
Chronological table
| Date | Event | Created by | Associated Places | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| circa. Autumn 1940 to circa. Autumn 1945 |
Shere's Life Army Signal Corp The first event, related to to the artist is World War II. Specifically the duties of the U.S Army Signal Corp. Joe Shere was a part of the U.S Army Signal Corp as Chief of Photo Division In Newport News, Virginia. “The Signal Corps was responsible for providing combat photographic service for the Army Ground forces; for producing and distributing military training films, film strips, and orientation films for all agencies of the War Department; for custody of all foreign military and naval motion pictures; and for the development, and repair of all photographic supplies and equipment except for certain activities reserved to the Air Forces.” Photography had an important role in troop training and was often known as their “secret weapon.” Knowing Sheres history, it is safe to say he’s captured a lot of raw images which I think can help explain the image with Sophia Loren and Jayne Mansfield. He’s used to capturing peoples reality. Not so much of posed works. Although the Loren and Mansfield is his most famous work, he’s done a lot with many other Big Hollywood names such as Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. If you look at this image and his other images, he tries to capture how the stars really are in real life as opposed to strictly their beauty. Similar, to how he did in the military. Here, it appears Sophia Loren is looking envious towards Jayne Mansfields chest, as Jayne smiles for the photo. This looks unposed and is a reality in Hollywood or just in everyday life. Everyone wants what they can’t have. US Army TS Signals 2 The Test: Chapter 13: Photo by U.S. Army Signal Corps (January 1942–Mid-1943). http://tothosewhoserved.org/usa/ts/usatss02/chapter13.html. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.
“Joe Shere Moves to Hollywood | COVE.” COVE | COVE Is Collaborative Organization for Virtual Education, a Scholar-Driven Open-Access Publishing Platform., https://editions.covecollective.org/chronologies/joe-shere-moves-hollywood. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024. |
Aliyah Varner | ||
| 1950 to 1960 |
Further Explanation The Reason that I offered the background concerning the three events is because it helps me understand what was going on in the 1950s when Joe Shere created it. Knowing the background of the photo and the time period, it tells me where people stood socially and morally. For example, In the image Sophia was offended that Jayne was the last one to show up to her dinner party and that her outfit was very inappropriate. This caused the iconic photos to be taken by Shere when Sophia was looking at Jaynes chest. This told me about the standards of clothing in the 1950s. Jayne had on a backless dress and a lot of cleavage showing. Back then many would have looked at Jayne as not respectable or “asking for it” as in attention or the eyes of men. In Todays standards, women wear backless dresses and show cleavage all of the time. Especially when it comes to upper class celebrities. Another way The events help me understand the piece was Jaynes history of publicity stunts. As mentioned before there was a time where she was a in a pool and her top just happened to come off in front of many credited journalists at the time. That tells me that Jayne is willing to go the extra mile to gain the attention of others. This is a theory of what she was doing in the image taken. She purposfully showed up late to the party wearing what she did to gain the attention of Sophia and obviously the photographers. |
Aliyah Varner | ||
| 1953 to 1963 |
Jayne and Sophias Careers Sophia and Jayne An Event tied with the subjects is Loren and Mansfield’s Careers. Sophia was and Italian actress who began her career at just 16 in 1950. Some of her early roles were “Two nights with Cleopatra” (1953) and “The Gold of Naples” (1954). However, Loren became an international film star when she got her contract with paramount pictures in 1958. Some of her films at this time included “Desire Under the Elms” played with Anthony Perkins. And “Houseboat”, a romantic comedy with Cary Grant. During this time she starred in films that created a sexual persona and made her a sex symbol Alongside Mansfield. She’s considered one of Italy’s most beautiful women and its most famous movie star. On the other hand Jane Mansfield was an actress, singer nightclub entertainer, and playboy playmate. She She was a major sex symbol during the 1950s and 60s and was named Hollywoods “smartest dumb blonde” despite her short lived acting career. She gained her popularity after playing in Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? As Rita Marlowe. (1955-1956). Later on in 1963, she was the first American Actress to preform a nude scene in a post silent era film. The movie “sex comedy Promises! Promises!” In 1953, She began posing for Playboy Magazine. She appeared as Playboy of the month in February of 1955, and was featured each February in 1958 and in 1960. Only to die about 7 years later from a collision. Unlike Sophia Loren, she was not self made and had more than a 90,000 dollar inheritance from her grandfather which helped jumpstart her career. Never the less, Both of these woman had influential and important careers during the 1950s. “Sophia Loren - Wikipedia.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 15 Mar. 2002, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophia_Loren. |
Aliyah Varner | ||
| 1963 to 1963 |
Jaynes Stunt Jayne The last event that could explain this image is Hollywood publicity stunts. Oftentimes in Hollywood things are done to get a reaction out of people or to gain attention. It’s been going on since the very beginning, not just now. Jayne Mansfield was a women known for her publicity stunts. She once did a stunt where her top came off in a pool in front of many journalists. One theory is that she did what she did at the dinner party on purpose, making a world wide sensation out of one photo. According to Sophia, Jayne was the last person to show up to her dinner party. She was wearing a backless dress without a bra and sat next to her. In the photos you can see a slight bit of her nipple showing. This had to be censored in many cases. This would explain why Loren had the reaction that she did. At the time, this would have been seen as a very rude and sleazy thing to do. For Jayne, it would have captured a lot of the attention she wanted- which it did. This photo was not only captured by Joe Shere but also others like Delmar Watson. This photo will go down in history as one of the most iconic for its time. Contributors to Wikimedia projects. “Jayne Mansfield - Wikipedia.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 21 Dec. 2003, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jayne_Mansfield.
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Aliyah Varner |