The Wayward Wife (1953)
"La provinciale" (original title)

Gemma, daughter of a lodger, is in love with her half-brother, but since she cannot marry him she ends up marrying a teacher. She doesn't love him and betrays him but is blackmailed by a ... See full summary »

Director:

Mario Soldati

Writers:

Alberto Moravia (novel), Giorgio Bassani (screenplay),

Stars:

Gina Lollobrigida, Gabriele Ferzetti, Franco Interlenghi

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Gina Lollobrigida	...	Gemma Vagnuzzi
Gabriele Ferzetti	...	Il professore Franco Vagnuzzi
Franco Interlenghi	...	Paolo Sartori
Nanda Primavera	...	La signora Foresi, madre di Gemma
Marilyn Buferd	...	Anna Sartori (as Marylin Buferd)
Barbara Berg	...	Vannina
Alda Mangini	...	Elvira Coceanu
Renato Baldini	...	Luciano Vittoni - L'amante di Gemma
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Capt. Vernon Jarratt
Gianni Luda
Anna-Maria Sandri
Milko Skofic

Storyline

Gemma, daughter of a lodger, is in love with her half-brother, but since she cannot marry him she ends up marrying a teacher. She doesn't love him and betrays him but is blackmailed by a Romanian countess who forces her to become a prostitute. She's desperate but in the end she asks her husband for help. She has learned to love him in the meantime.

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Plot Keywords:

adultery | blackmail | based on novel

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Taglines:

Now she's the wife they called "ADULTERESS"

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

18 February 1953 (Italy)

Also Known As:

The Wayward Wife

Company Credits

Production Co:

Electra Compagnia Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

User Reviews

Gina was the very first Belle de Jour

Oddly enough, this is a version of a tale which was written by 20th-century Italian novelist Alberto Moravia. It looks. however, as if written much earlier, say, by 19th-century French novelists such as Zola or Balzac. Zola, especially. This is naturalism at its most, therefore a Zolaesque treat from beginning to end, including incest. Gina is The Provincial One of the original title, a kind of Belle de Jour avant la lettre. The production is sound, although director Mario Soldati had done better earlier jobs in 'OK Nerone,' even 'Il piccolo mondo antico.' Neo-realism plus star quality doesnt always work well as the cast are eventually miscast . Isn't Lollo too beautiful to go wayward and unsatisfied like this? Wasn't Ferzetti much more insatiable (and a better actor) in 'L'avventura,' where he had sex with Monica Vitti, then with Lea Massari, finally with some casual hooker?