Vivien Leigh is an aging beauty living in Italy in "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone," based on a novel by Tennessee Williams. Director Jose Quintero took on the job of directing and he does a fine job with quite a cast, which includes Warren Beatty, Lotte Lenya, Coral Browne, Jill St. John, and Cleo Laine.
Leigh plays Karen Stone, an actress pushing 50 who travels to Rome with her elderly husband. Her husband has a fatal heart attack on the plane, and Karen doesn't return to the states. Instead, she stays in Rome and leases a gorgeous apartment. She is visited by Contessa Magda Terribili-Gonzales (Lotte Lenya) who, for a cut, pimps out gigolos to older women. Karen is hooked up with Paolo (Warren Beatty) and soon finds herself falling for him.
Vivien Leigh looks beautiful, but haunted, and she's perfect for this role, which dovetails her own life, as she Olivier told the manic-depressive actress that he was going to marry Joan Plowright around the time of the filming.
Warren Beatty doesn't have much of an Italian accent or, in my own opinion, much presence. He looks good, which is most important.
A very good, haunting movie.
Leigh plays Karen Stone, an actress pushing 50 who travels to Rome with her elderly husband. Her husband has a fatal heart attack on the plane, and Karen doesn't return to the states. Instead, she stays in Rome and leases a gorgeous apartment. She is visited by Contessa Magda Terribili-Gonzales (Lotte Lenya) who, for a cut, pimps out gigolos to older women. Karen is hooked up with Paolo (Warren Beatty) and soon finds herself falling for him.
Vivien Leigh looks beautiful, but haunted, and she's perfect for this role, which dovetails her own life, as she Olivier told the manic-depressive actress that he was going to marry Joan Plowright around the time of the filming.
Warren Beatty doesn't have much of an Italian accent or, in my own opinion, much presence. He looks good, which is most important.
A very good, haunting movie.