Cary, known for his measured composure, was transformed. Crew members noticed how protective he became of her, often standing beside her between takes, shielding her from the chaos of the set. Frank Sinatra, their co-star, reportedly teased Grant for “acting like a schoolboy in love.” But Grant wasn’t playing. He fell deeply, earnestly, completely in love with Sophia Loren. He began writing her letters — long, poetic, heartfelt messages written on hotel stationery. In them, he confessed his feelings, expressing that he believed they were “fated to meet” and “meant to be together.”
Grant’s feelings grew stronger as the production went on, and by the end of filming, he proposed marriage — not once, but twice. He told Loren he would divorce his wife (Betsey Drake) and start a new life with her. But Sophia was torn. Though she loved Grant deeply, she also loved Carlo Ponti, who had believed in her when no one else did. He had molded her career, cared for her family, and promised her a stable future — something Loren, who had grown up in poverty, could not easily abandon. Loren later recalled, “I was deeply in love with Cary, but I also owed everything to Carlo. He had built my life with me. I couldn’t betray him.”
