A penniless woman meets a strange girl who insists she is her long-lost mother, and becomes enmeshed in a web of deception, and perhaps madness, in this powerful psychological thriller.
Paula Pell reveals what movie scene always leaves her howling and her love for the Madea franchise.
Related News
-
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Tasha McCauley Welcome Second Son
20 July 2017 | PEOPLE.com -
Scarlett Johansson Reportedly Splits From Husband Romain Dauriac After 2 Years of Marriage
25 January 2017 | Entertainment Tonight -
Jennifer Aniston Wanders Airplane in Bathrobe in Commercial Dissing U.S. Airlines (Video)
06 October 2015 | The Wrap
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: Secret Ceremony (1968)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Learn more
More Like This
The Only Game in Town
(1970)
Certificate: M
Comedy
|
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
George Stevens
Stars:
Elizabeth Taylor,
Warren Beatty,
Charles Braswell
Boom!
(1968)
Drama
|
Thriller
Director:
Joseph Losey
Stars:
Elizabeth Taylor,
Richard Burton,
Noël Coward
X, Y and Zee
(1972)
Drama
Director:
Brian G. Hutton
Stars:
Elizabeth Taylor,
Michael Caine,
Susannah York
Doctor Faustus
(1967)
Drama
|
Horror
|
Mystery
Directors:
Richard Burton,
Nevill Coghill
Stars:
Elizabeth Taylor,
Richard Burton,
Andreas Teuber
Night Watch
(1973)
Horror
|
Mystery
|
Thriller
Director:
Brian G. Hutton
Stars:
Elizabeth Taylor,
Laurence Harvey,
Billie Whitelaw
The Comedians
(1967)
Drama
Director:
Peter Glenville
Stars:
Richard Burton,
Elizabeth Taylor,
Alec Guinness
The Sandpiper
(1965)
Drama
Director:
Vincente Minnelli
Stars:
Elizabeth Taylor,
Richard Burton,
Eva Marie Saint
Figures in a Landscape
(1970)
Action
|
Thriller
Director:
Joseph Losey
Stars:
Robert Shaw,
Malcolm McDowell,
Henry Woolf
Ash Wednesday
(1973)
Drama
|
Mystery
Director:
Larry Peerce
Stars:
Elizabeth Taylor,
Henry Fonda,
Helmut Berger
The Go-Between
(1971)
Certificate: GP
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
Joseph Losey
Stars:
Julie Christie,
Alan Bates,
Margaret Leighton
BUtterfield 8
(1960)
Drama
Director:
Daniel Mann
Stars:
Elizabeth Taylor,
Laurence Harvey,
Eddie Fisher
Conspirator
(1949)
Drama
|
Thriller
Director:
Victor Saville
Stars:
Robert Taylor,
Elizabeth Taylor,
Robert Flemyng
Edit
Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Elizabeth Taylor | ... | Leonora | |
| Mia Farrow | ... | Cenci | |
| Robert Mitchum | ... | Albert | |
| Peggy Ashcroft | ... | Hannah | |
 |
Pamela Brown | ... | Hilda |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
See All (31) »
Storyline
Leonora, a prostitute, mourns the death by drowning years earlier of her daughter. She encounters a strange waif-like girl, Cenci, who bears a strong resemblance to her lost child. Cenci is herself struck by the great resemblance of Leonora to her own mother, whose death the mentally unstable Cenci has been unable to accept or even acknowledge. The two women quickly develop a symbiotic relationship, moving in and out of the illusion that each is the lost loved one of the other. The complicating factor is the arrival of Albert, Cenci's stepfather, whose incestuous attachment to her may well be the cause of her mind's unbalance. With Albert's arrival, no one in the strange trio is safe. Written by Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>
Plot Keywords:
mental illness | london england | psycho thriller | based on novel | daughter |Taglines:
It's time to speak of unspoken things... See more »Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
Edit
Edit
See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
23 October 1968 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Ceremonia secreta See more »Filming Locations:
Associated British Elstree Studios, Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$3,200,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)Color:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
Cenci: I think I'd like an enormous piece of red meat.
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
French certificate: -13. See more »Quotes
Leonora: Shall we order now?Cenci: I think I'd like an enormous piece of red meat.
See more »
Alternate Versions
Network TV version is eight minutes shorter than the theatrical release, removing some scenes and featuring alternative footage for others. See more »Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.Contribute to This Page
On IMDb Freedive, you can catch Hollywood hits and popular TV series at no cost. Select any poster below to play the movie, totally free!
Explore popular and recently added TV series available to stream now with Prime Video.
The idea (already described in other reviews) is both improbable and audacious, and the film is initially intriguing, but ultimately goes nowhere. There is a difference between not pandering to your audience and completely shutting it out, which is what director Losey has done here (especially regarding Mia Farrow's character and what she is all about). However, Robert Mitchum has a very challenging role - he plays a totally reprehensible character - and pulls it off beautifully. By the way, the previous reviewer is right on the money about the editing goof in the slapping scene; unacceptable for a director with such a big name. (**1/2)