Boy On A Dolphin (1957)

On the island of Hydra in Greece, a peasant girl (Sophia Loren in her American film debut), who makes her living diving for sponges, discovers an ancient statue of a gold boy riding on a bronze dolphin. An archaeologist (Alan Ladd) and a wealthy art collector (Clifton Webb) race against time in an attempt to obtain the statue, Ladd for the glory of Greece and Webb for his own personal collection. The film is most famous for the indelible image (even if you haven't seen the film, you've seen the photo) of a dripping wet Loren fresh out of the Aegean sea. The film itself is grand entertainment greatly enhanced by the stunning Greek landscapes and islands in CinemaScope shot by Milton Krasner (ALL ABOUT EVE) and the Oscar nominated score by Hugo Friedhofer, one of the most beautiful film scores ever written. Julie London sings the haunting theme song over the opening credits while Sophia Loren sings it, in Greek yet, in the film proper. Directed by Jean Negulesco. With Laurence Naismith, Jorge Mistral, Gertrude Flynn and Alex Minotis.