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:

Secretary | Prince | Italian | Fountain | Trevi Fountain

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		(music)

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

Film Editing by
William Reynolds		(film editor)

Art Direction by
John DeCuir		(art direction) (as John De Cuir)
Lyle R. Wheeler		(art direction) (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 direction
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)

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

Music Department
Ken Darby	....	vocal direction
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestration
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:

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

Filming Locations:

Dolomite Mountains, Italy

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The first motion picture filmed in CinemaScope outside of the United States. Prior to beginning principal shooting, 20th Century-Fox studio execs warned producer Sol C. Siegel and director Jean Negulesco that they would have a difficult time with the new film format away from the controlled settings of the studio. Siegel and Negulesco solved this dilemma by simply taking the studio's entire technical crew along to Rome.

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:

Woman at Cocktail Party:My husband declares that I was simply born to be a writer. He says if anyone just took a pencil and followed me around, they'd have a novel.
John Frederick Shadwell:My dear lady, I should be delighted to get behind you with a pencil.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Princess and the Cabbie (1981) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Nanni

You might want change back......

The title song of this high-rung soap opera is beautifully sung by Frank Sinatra over gorgeous shots of Rome in a sequence before the credits begin. This was bound to have put 1950's audiences in the right frame of mind to enjoy the fluffy, trite, overtly romantic film that follows. Today's audience might have some trouble. The story involves a young lady (McNamara) who travels to Rome to work as a secretary. She is replacing Peters who is set to return back the U.S. for an impending marriage. Then McGuire is the older, more world-weary of the three who wonders if she'll ever find love. Ironically, despite the movie's title, only TWO coins make it into the fountain! I guess a story about three women called "Two Coins in the Fountain" may have confused people? McNamara, coy, elfin and slightly malformed-looking was hot off the success of "The Moon is Blue" and hogs much of the screen time in a pretty predictable romance with ever-suave Jourdan. Her character is consistently irritating, not helped by her "Look Mommy, I did it myself" bangs and horrible ponytail. Peters is ravishing. Though none of the women are enviable, at least she is gorgeous and sexy. Her husky voice helping to cut through the icing of the film, she trots around in snug calf-length skirts and hoop earrings. McGuire has what has to be one of her worst roles. She does well in it, but has little to do but feign interest in the ludicrous, foppish, unattractive Webb. He is a casting casualty, thinking he's intriguing and witty and not being so. Brazzi is interesting to watch as Peters' love interest. He's attractive and practically pants for her, he's so smitten. The director made no less than four of these types of stories (three ladies looking for love) and this one might be the least fascinating (possibly because, unlike the other three, this one doesn't have Joan Crawford, Marilyn Monroe or Ann-Margret!) The scenery and the title fountain are glorious, but the film lacks zest. Good for a chuckle or two are the ghastly costumes by usually reliable Dorothy Jeakins. A few nice clothes slip in, but much of it looks like science fiction. It is completely stunning that this got a Best Picture Oscar nomination. It's not an actively horrible movie, but it isn't anything anyone would dream would be worthy of the top honor in the industry. By now it's type has been copied so much that modern viewers may very well sleep through it.