Lady L (1965)

Lady L. is an elegant, elderly lady who recalls the past loves and lusty adventures she has lived through.

Director:

Peter Ustinov

Writers:

Romain Gary (novel), Peter Ustinov

Stars:

Sophia Loren, Paul Newman, David Niven

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sophia Loren	...	Lady Louise Lendale / Lady L
Paul Newman	...	Armand Denis
David Niven	...	Dicky, Lord Lendale
Marcel Dalio	...	Sapper (as Dalio)
Cecil Parker	...	Sir Percy
Philippe Noiret	...	Ambroise Gérôme
Jacques Dufilho	...	Bealu
Eugene Deckers	...	Koenigstein
Daniel Emilfork	...	Kobeleff
Hella Petri	...	Madam
Jean Wiener	...	Krajewski
Roger Trapp	...	L'inspecteur de police Dubaron
Jean Rupert
Joseph Dassin	...	Un inspecteur de police (as Joe Dassin)
Jacques Legras	...	Un inspecteur de police

Storyline

Today Lady Louise Lendale is 80 years old and she tells her long time admirer, British poet Sir Percy, all about her eventful life. In the beginning, she was a young laundress working in "Le Mouton Bleu", a renowned Paris whorehouse. There, she met Armand, both a charming man and a bomb-throwing anarchist, and it wasn't long before she became his mistress. One day while Armand was away in Switzeland, working for a revolutionary movement aiming to murder a Russian prince, Louise met the second man in her life,, a British Lord she soon called Dicky. The latter offered to marry her. In exchange, he would save Armand from the police's grip. She accepted on the condition she could still see Armand...

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Plot Keywords:

anarchist | painting | bomb | hotel | assassination | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

France Italy UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 December 1965 (UK)

Also Known As:

Laidi L.

Filming Locations:

Castle Howard, Coneysthorpe, North Yorkshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Compagnia Cinematografica Champion, Les Films Concordia, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min 109 min (TCM print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was originally intended as a comedy vehicle for Tony Curtis, Gina Lollobrigida, and Sir Ralph Richardson with George Cukor as its director.

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Soundtracks

"Etude, Op.25-12"
(uncredited)
Composed by Frédéric Chopin

User Reviews

To Hell with Lady L

First, I am a fan of Loren's but never when she plays ladies! She belongs in the world of Fellini and Italia. She is Mother Earth, the masses, Roma after the war. She has no business playing women courting royalty. She looks like a gay man playing a woman in these pictures that Hollywood and Pinewood placed her. I'm just sorry she didn't realize it herself, but I'm assuming she did some for money and others for friends like Ustinov. The distressing thing is everyone else is awful around her as well. These films like 'A Countess from Hong Kong' 'The Millionairess' all exhibit this yearning for the upper classes which I find detestable. It is anti human. She behaves and nothing is more boring than watching Loren behave! Gone are the tirades in Italian that endear her to us all, the larger than life gestures that say, "Pay attention, I'm talking here, and I represent the people!" It's sad that she finally became this caricature of a fine lady and lost her humanness. BTW, Paul Newman played Paul Newman in this.