The feud between Marlon Brando and Sophia Loren ignited during the filming of “A Countess from Hong Kong” in 1967.
Brando, a Hollywood legend, sparked a lifelong rift with the stunning actress by criticizing her breath, claiming it smelled ‘worse than a dinosaur' due to her love for Italian food.
Their animosity is revealed in two recently published books marking the tenth anniversary of Brando's passing at 80 on July 1, 2004.
In the biography “Sophia Loren: A Biography” penned by Warren G. Harris, it is recounted how Brando offended Loren during their initial encounter.
Upon entering her dressing room at the Paramount lot, Brando glanced at her artwork and callously remarked, ‘You're unwell.
Emotionally disturbed.
You should seek psychiatric help.'
During a pivotal on-screen kiss, Loren abruptly pulled away from Brando's embrace and disclosed to the film crew that he had commented on her nose hair.
This incident set the tone for their turbulent relationship throughout the film production.
Director Charlie Chaplin intervened to calm Loren's outrage, coaxing her into two more takes of the scene.
However, tensions escalated as Brando bit Loren's lip until it bled in the third take.
According to Chaplin, their subsequent love scenes were characterized by an intense embrace akin to 'embracing a werewolf.'
In the biography “Brando's Smile,” it is detailed how Brando, known for his romantic liaisons with Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich, Grace Kelly, and Jackie Kennedy, was described as an ‘epic womanizer.'
The author Susan Mizruchi portrays Brando as consumed by his addiction to s=x, which led him to seek love yet ultimately break hearts due to his inability to remain faithful.
The clash between Brando and Loren during the filming of “A Countess from Hong Kong” not only highlighted their on-set differences but also underscored the personal complexities and conflicts that defined their interactions.
Brando's provocative remarks and erratic behavior towards Loren exemplify the challenging dynamics that unfolded between these two iconic figures in the realm of cinema and celebrity culture.
