|
The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone Posters
Photos Art
Search for Posters Art Prints, photos and get
results from all the many categories from Amazon including
books, videos, dvds, toys, video games, and more.
|
|
|
Posters Art
Prints Photos collectables |
|
|
|
|
|
|
If for some reason you can't find what the
poster or art print your looking for try using the search boxes
below
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Rating:  -
The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone is a film about need and seduction and the fear of being all-alone in the world. Legendary New York stage actress Karen Stone (the legendary Vivian Leigh) is unhappy with her latest performance, and is even more distraught when the play turns out to be a flop. She decides to retire from acting, telling everyone she needs a holiday to take care of her ailing husband.
However, when he dies on board a jetliner on the way to Rome, she decides to stay in the City and book herself into a lavish rooftop apartment. She wonders the streets, drifting in a haze of expensive loneliness, wondering what to do with her life now that acting is over for her. She soon falls in with the Contessa (Lotte Lenya), a female pimp, and a sharp procuress of handsome young men for forlorn wealthy old widows.
The Contessa hooks her up with the young Paolo di Leo (Warren Beatty). The sexy Paolo thinks nothing of acquiring money out of rich, older women, and with the Contessa's encouragement, he wines and dines Karen. Karen, however, isn't your typical widow. At around fifty, she's is still very beautiful, although she worries about getting older, she's obviously enamored of Paolo and she's desperate for affection, but she's determined that Paolo's need for money will not triumph her need for love.
They eventually become lovers. Karen showers gifts upon Paolo and they take a trip to Tangier. The Contessa becomes furious that Paolo isn't "cutting her fifty-fifty on the deal." Karen also doesn't heed the warnings of her friend, journalist Meg (Coral Browne) that she has "a disease" that can't be fulfilled. When Paolo begins to make the movies on younger starlet Barbara Bingham (Jill St. John), Karen begins to see Paolo for what he really is.
Based in Tennessee Williams novella, Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone is full of his trademark themes of desperation and isolation of fearful people aching to connect. There's no doubt that Paolo is an attractive man, but he's also selfish, spoilt and petulant and he thinks nothing of two-timing Karen. Karen is an intelligent and intuitive woman, and she's well aware of Paolo's agenda, but it's as though she's observing life through a looking glass, and is ultimately seduced by the gigolo lifestyle.
Director Jos? Quintero bathes the movie soft hews of gold and orange and he makes the most of Rome's stunning surrounds. Vivien Leigh remains a rather downcast presence - she's plays Karen with a fascinating mixture of neurosis and foreboding, she knows the relationship with Paolo will probably lead nowhere but she just can't help herself.
When their romance starts to sour, she and her young and deceitful companion trade sharp words but there no extravagant theatrical exchanges. Likewise Beatty plays down the truculent Paolo - much has been made of his Italian accent, but I found it perfectly suitable, and he's totally convincing as a manipulative pretty-boy Italian gigolo.
The Romance of Mrs. Stone was probably pretty sensational when it was released in 1961; and it's moral ambiguities - paying for sex and high-class prostitution, quite shocking to some. The film as aged well, although it dances around the more intimate aspects of the relationship - there's only one short love scene, which fades to black - the film certainly does a good job of highlighting the trials and tribulations of poor lonely women with bags of money who find themselves at a loss, living in exotic places and desiring to connect with someone. Mike Leonard May 06.
Rating:  -
This film is worth seeing because of the talents involved. Vivien Leigh continues her fictional autobiography on film, Scarlett in desperation became Blanche but found a rich husband who dies and she ends as the despondent Mrs. Stone, which somewhat mirrored Leigh's own troubled life, at least in trajectory. Leigh's mental problems and nymphomania bleed through brief moments in the performance and make it uncomfortable if real. Warren Beatty is physically blessed for the role of gigilo supreme (his own personal qualities bleed through as well) but his inability to play an Italian is so obvious the part should have been rewritten into Paul the American ex-pat. Lotte Lenya in her first screen role since Pabst's "Threepenny" in the early 30s is perfection as the Countess pimp. Her relationship with her pet is the most powerful in the film. She's worth having it for alone. Williams script is flawed by the pervasive Death Wish theme, there is no where to go with the story, it becomes a very intimate flat scandalous tabloid story (very much kin to "The Misfits"). Quintero, one of the great theater talents (personally responsible for the revival of Eugene O'Neill from oblivion), does not know how to shape a film and in particular the end, which should have power, hardly registers. When such great talents work together, it is worth seeing even if only to see where even they went wrong. If the others had worked with the focus and force of Lenya, this film would have been something much greater than it is.
Rating: -
This is the only picture directed by the renowned stagedirector Jose Quintero. And the reason is obvious. It has striking moments, but fails as a whole. VIVIEN LEIGH in her next to last role, shines in her undrplaying and is strongly supported by Warren Beatty(called Warren Beauty by Arlene Dahl), Lotte Lenya, Jill St. John and Ernst Thesiger(who appeared with Vivien in CAEASAR AND CLEOPATRA).
The film is routine, but the story and performances save the day.
Rating:  -
Another Tennesse Williams piece of work for the divine AND talented Vivien Leigh to take on. It's too sad to know it was her second last film of her career/life. We all know how superb she was in Streetcar as Blanche du Bois and she gives just another wonderful performance here as the depressingly lonely Karen Stone, an American actress past her prime who settles in Rome after the death of her older husband. Shades of Blanche did shine here and there throughout the film. Warren Beatty is pretty (ahem, "pretty") good as her handsome and cocky boy-toy, and as mentioned in numerous previous reviews, his accent is, unfortunately, quite laughable at times.
I don't have anything decent to say about Jill St John's performance (I cringed or laughed whenever she was on screen) but Lotte Lenya was incredibly good as the Contessa, the "female pimp" who procures males for the lonely ladies of Rome. ***Spoilers****.....My main gripe is the so-called stalker (sorry, I have not read the novella), like how many chances did Karen Stone have to confront him, to tell him to bugger off, and report him to the police!!! That part didn't seem realistic that she would let him stalk her over and over. But then again, I guess he ties in with the tragic ending.
Watch it for the setting, beautiful clothes, and of course, a sensitive and touching performance by the lengendary Vivien Leigh, not many actresses at that time looked so beautiful in their late 40's and can act.
Rating: -
Vivian Leigh (Gone With The Wind [1939]) plays a Broadway star, Mrs. Karen Stone. She is 48 years of age. Her husband suddenly dies on an airplane trip. She retreats to Rome. She is mouring, miserable and lonely. She meets a Contessa (Lotte Lenya) who arranges a young french man, Paolo (Warren Beatty) to be "company" to her. Paolo is an "escort", a "gigolo" if you will. Mrs. Stone and Paolo begin to date on a professional level. It is nothing but cordial. After weeks of courting and Mrs. Stone keeping this "arrangement" at a discreet level, she finally relaxes with Paolo and recites the memorable line, "When the time comes when nobody desires me for myself, I'd rather not be desired at all." Mrs. Stone awaits in the bed. Paolo catches the hint and takes the lead and they make love for the first time. A wild romance begins. It is love springs eternal for mrs. Stone. But can this may-December romance last? The very surprise end of this film will have your mouth dropped wide open. If your jaws are not sore already. Very provocative and sexy film for 1961 and even for 48 year old Vivian Leigh. Also in the cast: Jill St. John, Jean Marsh and Coral Browne. Sadly, Vivian Leigh died six years later after this film in 1967.
Lotte Lenya was in From Russia With Love (1963). Jill St. John was in Diamonds Are Forever (1971). Both are "James Bond 007" films.
Showtime cable network presented a 2002 version of "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stome", starring Helen Mirren and Olivier Martinez with Anne Bancroft. This 2002 version is a much better version in adult storytelling and is jaw-dropping and erotic as well. "
Available on DVD.
|
