John Wayne was incredibly kind to Sophia Loren, who turns 90 today, on the set of Legend of the Lost where she almost died nearly 70 years ago.
Movie fans around the world celebrate Sophia Loren’s 90th birthday today and it’s incredible to think of the Hollywood Golden Age stars she acted opposite.
The Italian sex symbol co-starred with Charlie Chaplin, Gregory Peck, Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Charlton Heston, Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Peter Sellers, Anthony Quinn, Paul Newman, Richard Burton and John Wayne.
Loren was just 22 when she played Dita, the love interest of the 49-year-old Duke in 1957’s Legend of the Lost.
The treasure-hunting desert adventure was shot in Rome and Libya with Wayne’s regular collaborator Henry Hathaway in the director’s chair and celebrated British cinematographer Jack Cardiff as the DP.
The movie was the leading lady’s first English-speaking role, which was a challenge for her and one that would be mocked on set.
Speaking previously with Fox News, Loren highlighted Duke’s kindness to her on the Legend of the Lost saying: “My English was not great, the crew would sometimes make fun of me, but John Wayne always would stick up for me.
Meanwhile, in her memoir Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: My Life, she described the Hollywood star as a “simple man with a great heart”, noting his warmth and kindness to her on set.
She said that he was a natural gentleman who was protective of her and made sure that she was comfortable on set.
Meanwhile, both had accidents on location, with Wayne breaking his leg causing a three-week delay in production and Loren almost losing her life.
Speaking previously with ABC News, Loren shared that her near-death experience came when staying in a small hotel on the Legend of the Lost shoot that had a gas stove. Waking in the night to a bad headache, the actress was dazed and confused, thinking she was going to faint.
At the time she didn’t realise that she was actually asphyxiating from the stove’s fumes. She recalled: “I managed to crawl on my knees to the door and open it, but then I collapsed.”
Lucky for her, Italian co-star Rossano Brazzi was in the hall and saved her life.