Light in the Piazza (1962)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Guy Green

Writers:

Elizabeth Spencer (story)
Julius J. Epstein (screenplay)

Release Date:

9 February 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

A young American woman traveling in Italy with her mother is slender, blonde, beautiful and there is something charmingly naive about her...

Plot Keywords:

Language Barrier | Catholic Wedding | Language Learning | Mental Retardation | Mother Daughter Relationship

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award.

Cast

Olivia de Havilland	...	Meg Johnson
Rossano Brazzi	...	Signor Naccarelli
Yvette Mimieux	...	Clara Johnson Naccarelli
George Hamilton	...	Fabrizio Naccarelli
Isabel Dean	...	Miss Hawtree
Moultrie Kelsall	...	The Minister
Nancy Nevinson	...	Signora Naccarelli
Barry Sullivan	...	Noel Johnson

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

West Germany:16 | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Florence, Tuscany, Italy

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The Broadway production of the musical version of "The Light from the Piazza" opened at the Vivian Beaumont Theater in New York on April 18, 2005, ran for 504 performances and was nominated for the 2005 Tony Awards for the Best Musical and Book and won for Best Score.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Naccarelli Sr. takes Mrs. Johnson for a ride in the car, he keeps turning the wheel in both directions, as if there were many sharp turns on the road - yet the position of the car in relation to the camera angle hardly changes, as if the road were perfectly straight. Also, on more than one occasion during the drive he glances at Mrs. Johnson even as he is steering the wheel, i.e. at the exact same time (which, in real life, would have resulted in an inevitable accident).

Olivia deHavilland...

Is lovely in this film, I cannot believe she was forty-seven, and such a classic, believable actress for the times. While this story is a bit predictable, it is well worth watching for deHavilland and the idyllic scenes of Florence, its architecture and natural beauty.

The story is a basic romance with a twist. Yvette Mimieux portrays deHavilland's daughter, who is mentally impaired, although she seems highly functional, and other than being passionate and in love with a young Italian (improbably portrayed by a very young George Hamilton), frankly, the portrayal of an emotionally disturbed person seems rather archaic. (The approach to mental illness in this era was rather abstruse, watch "Tender is the Night" with Jennifer Jones and Jason Robards, the portrayal of her as schizophrenic was unrealistic, to say the least).

Still and all, this is an enjoyable film, with deHavilland sacrificing for her daughter, feeling she has done the right thing. deHavilland has such a presence and lends credence to any role she endeavors. recommended. 8/10.