Prince of Foxes (1949)An unscrupulous agent for the Borgias suffers a change of heart when asked to betray a noble count and his much younger, very beautiful wife. Director:Henry King |
|
| 0Share... |
Prince of Foxes (1949)An unscrupulous agent for the Borgias suffers a change of heart when asked to betray a noble count and his much younger, very beautiful wife. Director:Henry King |
|
| 0Share... |
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Tyrone Power | ... |
Andrea Orsini
|
|
| Orson Welles | ... | ||
|
|
Wanda Hendrix | ... |
Camilla Verano
|
|
|
Marina Berti | ... |
Angela Borgia
|
| Everett Sloane | ... |
Mario Belli
|
|
|
|
Katina Paxinou | ... |
Mona Constanza Zoppo
|
|
|
Felix Aylmer | ... |
Count Marc Antonio Verano
|
In 1500, Duke Cesare Borgia hopes to marry his sister (widowed by poison) to the heir apparent of Ferrara, which impedes his conquest of central Italy. On this delicate mission he sends Andrea Orsini, his sister's lover and nearly as unscrupulous as himself. En route, Orsini meets Camilla Verano, wife of the count of Citta' del Monte (Borgia's next intended conquest); and sentiment threatens to turn him against his deadly master, whom no one betrays twice... Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Just this weekend I stumbled across this lovely film on American Movie Classics (AMC)while fiddling around with the old remote. I was absolutely astounded by the realism of the sets: one felt transported to Renaissance Italy. Castles, palaces, towers were all faithfully replicated. The costumes were gorgeous. The armor and weaponry appeared accurate and deadly. Even the catapults were genuine; they did not appear to be models.
The acting was superb! You take for granted that the performances of Welles and Sloane would be excellent. But the very pleasant surprise came with Tyrone Power's portrayal of Orsini. I never considered Power more than just a pretty face (and an excellent swordsman). However, this film changed my opinion of his acting talents completely. In fact, all the supporting cast turned in satisfying performances.
This is a true gem of a film, I would love to see it on the big screen.