Three Coins in the Fountain (1954)

Director:

Jean Negulesco

Writers:

John Patrick (screenplay)
John H. Secondari (from a novel by)

Release Date:

May 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Drama

Tagline:

You've Never Lived Until You've Loved in Rome!

Plot:

American girls dream of finding romance in Rome, but there is none for secretaries, Anita tells her replacement at the USDA...

Plot Keywords:

Prince | Secretary | Coin | Fountain | Italian

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Clifton Webb	...	John Frederick Shadwell
Dorothy McGuire	...	Miss Frances
Jean Peters	...	Anita Hutchins
Louis Jourdan	...	Prince Dino di Cessi
Maggie McNamara	...	Maria Williams
Rossano Brazzi	...	Georgio Bianchi
Howard St. John	...	Burgoyne
Kathryn Givney	...	Mrs. Burgoyne
Cathleen Nesbitt	...	Principessa
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Merry Anders	...	Girl (uncredited)
Larry Arnold	...	Waiter in Select Restaurant (uncredited)
Dino Bolognese	...	Headwaiter (uncredited)
Maurice Brierre	...	Pepe - Shadwell's Butler (uncredited)
Iphigenie Castiglioni	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
James Conaty	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Gino Corrado	...	Principessa's Butler (uncredited)
Tony De Mario	...	Waiter in Venice (uncredited)
Charles La Torre	...	Chauffeur (uncredited)
Celia Lovsky	...	Baroness (uncredited)
Jack Mattis	...	Consulate Clerk (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Alberto Morin	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Grazia Narciso	...	Louisa - Shadwell's Maid (uncredited)
Vicente Padula	...	Dr. Martinelli (uncredited)
Luciana Paluzzi	...	Angela Bianchi (uncredited)
Mario Siletti	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Renata Vanni	...	Anna (uncredited)
Norma Varden	...	Woman at Cocktail Party (uncredited)
Willard Waterman	...	Mr. Hoyt (uncredited)
Zacharias Yaconelli	...	Theatrical Ticket Agent (uncredited)

Directed by
Jean Negulesco

Writing credits
John Patrick		(screenplay)
John H. Secondari		(from a novel by)

Produced by
Sol C. Siegel	....	producer

Original Music by
Victor Young

Cinematography by
Milton R. Krasner		(director of photography) (as Milton Krasner)

Film Editing by
William Reynolds		(film editor)

Art Direction by
John DeCuir		(as John De Cuir)
Lyle R. Wheeler		(as Lyle Wheeler)

Set Decoration by
Paul S. Fox		(set decorations)
Walter M. Scott

Costume Design by
Dorothy Jeakins		(costumes designed by)

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gaston Glass	....	assistant director

Art Department
Italo Tomassi	....	manager of art department (uncredited)

Sound Department
Eugene Grossman	....	sound
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound (as Roger Heman)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Le Maire	....	wardrobe director
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Lyman Hallowell	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Ken Darby	....	vocal director
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator
Sidney Cutner	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leo Shuken	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Leonard Doss	....	technicolor color consultant
Guiseppi Lenzi	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (presents) (as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1954) (USA) (theatrical) (released by) (as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1962) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• 20th Century Fox (1955) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Fox Video (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Recording) (magnetic prints)

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #16697, General Audience) | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | Australia:G | Canada:G (video rating) | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Dolomite Mountains, Italy

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Average Shot Length (ASL) = 16 seconds (including opening Sinatra travelogue montage).

Goofs:

Continuity: At the beginning of the final scene at the Trevi fountain, the fountain is dry and being cleaned. While the actors are there, the fountain begins flowing again. However, when the actors leave, the fountain is completely full, not a possibility given the size of the fountain and the period of time over which the scene occurs.

Quotes:

John Frederick Shadwell:These girls in love never realize that they should be honestly dishonest instead of being dishonestly honest.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis: Three Million Coins in the Fountain (#4.23)" (1963)

Soundtrack:

Nanni

Picturesque, Usually Pleasant, But Very Insubstantial

This is the kind of movie that's most suitable for occasions when you just want something nice to look at, without having to pay much attention and without needing to worry about anything that might jar the senses. It's very picturesque, with many sequences set in interesting and attractive Italian settings. The characters, cast, and story are all innocuous, but they are never especially interesting.

The title sequence is very enjoyable, with the Sinatra song accompanied by many excellent views of Rome. But it sets the expectations a little too high, since the rest of the movie is rather commonplace in all respects other than the settings. The cast is solid, but none of them really get the kind of character that allows them to stand out. The story is pleasant and sometimes enjoyable, but is too often bland, predictable, and/or implausible.

It's still a decent way to pass the time if your expectations aren't too high. It would probably have been a little better if it were a bit shorter, since there is just not enough story material to fill the whole running time without it becoming too noticeable.