Molnar is one of the greatest comic/romantic playwrights Hungary ever produced - and that is no mean feat since that is that nation's specialty. For generations, people have loved Carousel (made from Molnar's play "Liliom"), loved Grace Kelly's last film "The Swan" (from Molnar's play of that name), loved "The Guardsman" made famous by Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne and many others. I myself delighted in Maggie Smith and Christopher Plummer in Lily in Love, from yet another Molnar play.
The story has been described on this site as frothy - but in fact so are most of the great romantic comedies - so are Bringing Up Baby, so is Roman Holiday, so is Noises Off and My Man Godfrey and The Philadelphia Story and Libeled Lady and the exquisite Midnight and Nothing Sacred and all the Doris Day comedies and .... If a comedy is NOT frothy, there are problems.
Although this movie is as lavish as any you'll ever see - absolutely beautiful, with spectacular scenery and sets, stunning costumes, and a top notch cast -- including a stupendous Sophia Loren matched by a very handsome John Gavin - with Isabel Jeans and Maurice Chevalier and Angela Lansbury largely repeating their wonderful persona from Gigi and The Reluctant Debutante -- and even has a delightful song (sung by Maurice Chevalier) and an appealing story -- it's flat.
I have to suspect that part of the reason may sadly be the age of those who created and directed it. The great director Michael Curtiz (himself Hungarian - and famous for Casablanca and many other great films, beloved in Hollywood - e.g., read David Niven's book "Bring on Empty Horses", quoting Curtiz's charming and curious English) -- -- was 76 when he directed this -- and the play was translated by one of the century's top American playwrights, Sidney Howard, but he was then 69. And I suspect that they were both sadly past their primes.
This is one of the few movies I've ever seen, where I actually thought, "oh no, the direction is sinking this".
The cast is top of the line, but somewhat mistaken. First (and not fatal), Sophia Loren (just eye-popping in this film) simply does not look at ALL as if she could be the daughter of Isabel Jeans and Maurice Chevalier. A combination of accent, complexion, stature, just causes any viewer to think she must be the product of some liaison by Jeans with an Italian - yet we are in fact told that her parents have never strayed. Either Loren should have had Italian actors as parents or Chevalier and Jeans should have been given a French or English actress to play their daughter.
The bigger problem (as others have mentioned) is the pairing of John Gavin and Sophia Loren. John Gavin is one of the most intelligent, handsome and personally charming men in Hollywood - extraordinarily talented, he has served as the American Ambassador to Mexico (Latin American studies was his major at Villanova University), and has been quite wonderful in movies such as Psycho, Midnight Lace, Spartacus and many others.
Unfortunately, in this film, Gavin is stiff - for which I must blame the direction. Gavin's forthright, quite understated, honorable, appeal don't work for this film where his character comically goes through periods of wild lust, despair, anger, frustration with the encrusted ways of the Empire (much of the play seems clearly to have been political comment on the Empire's fussy ways) - and Gavin appears somewhat interested/somewhat annoyed throughout. Offhand, I can't think of another Gavin attempt at comedy. Gavin seems to be in an a drama while everyone else is playing comedy.
Gene Kelly was made for this picture - notwithstanding the age difference with Loren (less of a difference than most at the time - e.g., Cooper-Hepburn in Love in the Afternoon, Stewart-Novak in BVertigo or Bell Book and Candle, etc.) -- in fact Gene Kelly's even FROM Pittsburgh like the character!). Kelly is pushy, certain of his charm (and usually right), lusty, slightly overstated - all perfect for this character. Rock Hudson would also have been fine (one can easily imagine his playing it perfectly from his Doris Day comedies). But not stoic heroic John Gavin.
The movie has its quite funny lines of dialogue, but they're rushed or said under the breath. Again, the direction is the problem.
Another problem is that the DVD does not synchronize the voices and lips very well - so there is a distancing effect throughout the movie.
Sadly (given the result), no expense has been spared - spectacular palaces, amazing public squares, beautiful cabarets, a dizzying array of stunning costumes - this is one of the most beautiful movies you'll ever see.
This movie should have been another Gigi - it had all the trappings - Angela Lansbury is wonderful, Chevalier is his strikingly charming self, Isabel Jeans voice and manner are pitch perfect, and Loren is, well, almost unimaginably voluptuous and a wonderful comic actress.
I enjoyed it, but you'll find yourself thinking "what's the missing ingredient here?" and I think it's the direction. A pity when so much was so clearly committed by the studio, actors (obviously on location for a long time), and crew.
Incidentally, it's interesting that only one person posted a review on this site before 2005 - I suspect that few saw this movie on its release and so far as I know, it was not released in videocassette before its release in DVD. The DVD is beautiful - but as I mention, the lip-synching is slightly off.
The story has been described on this site as frothy - but in fact so are most of the great romantic comedies - so are Bringing Up Baby, so is Roman Holiday, so is Noises Off and My Man Godfrey and The Philadelphia Story and Libeled Lady and the exquisite Midnight and Nothing Sacred and all the Doris Day comedies and .... If a comedy is NOT frothy, there are problems.
Although this movie is as lavish as any you'll ever see - absolutely beautiful, with spectacular scenery and sets, stunning costumes, and a top notch cast -- including a stupendous Sophia Loren matched by a very handsome John Gavin - with Isabel Jeans and Maurice Chevalier and Angela Lansbury largely repeating their wonderful persona from Gigi and The Reluctant Debutante -- and even has a delightful song (sung by Maurice Chevalier) and an appealing story -- it's flat.
I have to suspect that part of the reason may sadly be the age of those who created and directed it. The great director Michael Curtiz (himself Hungarian - and famous for Casablanca and many other great films, beloved in Hollywood - e.g., read David Niven's book "Bring on Empty Horses", quoting Curtiz's charming and curious English) -- -- was 76 when he directed this -- and the play was translated by one of the century's top American playwrights, Sidney Howard, but he was then 69. And I suspect that they were both sadly past their primes.
This is one of the few movies I've ever seen, where I actually thought, "oh no, the direction is sinking this".
The cast is top of the line, but somewhat mistaken. First (and not fatal), Sophia Loren (just eye-popping in this film) simply does not look at ALL as if she could be the daughter of Isabel Jeans and Maurice Chevalier. A combination of accent, complexion, stature, just causes any viewer to think she must be the product of some liaison by Jeans with an Italian - yet we are in fact told that her parents have never strayed. Either Loren should have had Italian actors as parents or Chevalier and Jeans should have been given a French or English actress to play their daughter.
The bigger problem (as others have mentioned) is the pairing of John Gavin and Sophia Loren. John Gavin is one of the most intelligent, handsome and personally charming men in Hollywood - extraordinarily talented, he has served as the American Ambassador to Mexico (Latin American studies was his major at Villanova University), and has been quite wonderful in movies such as Psycho, Midnight Lace, Spartacus and many others.
Unfortunately, in this film, Gavin is stiff - for which I must blame the direction. Gavin's forthright, quite understated, honorable, appeal don't work for this film where his character comically goes through periods of wild lust, despair, anger, frustration with the encrusted ways of the Empire (much of the play seems clearly to have been political comment on the Empire's fussy ways) - and Gavin appears somewhat interested/somewhat annoyed throughout. Offhand, I can't think of another Gavin attempt at comedy. Gavin seems to be in an a drama while everyone else is playing comedy.
Gene Kelly was made for this picture - notwithstanding the age difference with Loren (less of a difference than most at the time - e.g., Cooper-Hepburn in Love in the Afternoon, Stewart-Novak in BVertigo or Bell Book and Candle, etc.) -- in fact Gene Kelly's even FROM Pittsburgh like the character!). Kelly is pushy, certain of his charm (and usually right), lusty, slightly overstated - all perfect for this character. Rock Hudson would also have been fine (one can easily imagine his playing it perfectly from his Doris Day comedies). But not stoic heroic John Gavin.
The movie has its quite funny lines of dialogue, but they're rushed or said under the breath. Again, the direction is the problem.
Another problem is that the DVD does not synchronize the voices and lips very well - so there is a distancing effect throughout the movie.
Sadly (given the result), no expense has been spared - spectacular palaces, amazing public squares, beautiful cabarets, a dizzying array of stunning costumes - this is one of the most beautiful movies you'll ever see.
This movie should have been another Gigi - it had all the trappings - Angela Lansbury is wonderful, Chevalier is his strikingly charming self, Isabel Jeans voice and manner are pitch perfect, and Loren is, well, almost unimaginably voluptuous and a wonderful comic actress.
I enjoyed it, but you'll find yourself thinking "what's the missing ingredient here?" and I think it's the direction. A pity when so much was so clearly committed by the studio, actors (obviously on location for a long time), and crew.
Incidentally, it's interesting that only one person posted a review on this site before 2005 - I suspect that few saw this movie on its release and so far as I know, it was not released in videocassette before its release in DVD. The DVD is beautiful - but as I mention, the lip-synching is slightly off.