5.2/10
498
12 user 12 critic

Ash Wednesday (1973)

R | | Drama, Mystery | 1 November 1973 (USA)
Ash Wednesday Poster
Barbara gets secret plastic surgery in Switzerland in an attempt to save her marriage to Mark, but he doesn't seem interested in meeting her. She checks in to a ski resort to wait for Mark,... See full summary »

Director:

Larry Peerce

Writer:

Jean-Claude Tramont

Stars:

Elizabeth Taylor, Henry Fonda, Helmut Berger | See full cast & crew »
Reviews
Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. See more awards »

Photos

See all 14 photos »
Learn more

More Like This 













◄ Prev 6 Next 6 ►

Next »
Night Watch (1973)
Horror | Mystery | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.4/10 X  

Ellen Wheeler, a rich woman, is recovering from a nervous breakdown with the help of her husband and a good friend. One day, while staring out the window, she witnesses a murder. But does ... See full summary »

Director: Brian G. Hutton
Stars: Elizabeth Taylor, Laurence Harvey, Billie Whitelaw
Next »
X, Y and Zee (1972)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.9/10 X  

The venomous and amoral wife of a wealthy architect tries, any way she can, to break up the blossoming romance between her husband and his new mistress; a good-natured young widow who holds a dark past.

Director: Brian G. Hutton
Stars: Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Caine, Susannah York
Next »
Secret Ceremony (1968)
Drama | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.4/10 X  

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.

Director: Joseph Losey
Stars: Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Mitchum, Mia Farrow
Next »
Boom! (1968)
Drama | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.6/10 X  

Explores the confrontation between the woman who has everything, including emptiness, and a penniless poet who has nothing but the ability to fill a wealthy woman's needs.

Director: Joseph Losey
Stars: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Noël Coward
Next »
The Driver's Seat (1974)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.6/10 X  

Mentally disturbed spinster Lise experiences a series of bizarre encounters in Rome as she searches for someone to murder her.

Director: Giuseppe Patroni Griffi
Stars: Elizabeth Taylor, Ian Bannen, Guido Mannari
Next »
The Only Game in Town (1970)
Certificate: M Comedy | Drama | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.8/10 X  

Fran walks into a piano bar for pizza. She comes back home with Joe, the piano player. Joe plans on winning $5,000 and leave Las Vegas. Fran waits for something else. Meanwhile, he moves in with her.

Director: George Stevens
Stars: Elizabeth Taylor, Warren Beatty, Charles Braswell
Next »
The V.I.P.s (1963)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.3/10 X  

Fog delays a group of travelers headed for New York. They wait at the V.I.P. lounge of London Airport, each at a moment of crisis in his or her life.

Director: Anthony Asquith
Stars: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Louis Jourdan
Next »
Hammersmith Is Out (1972)
Comedy | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6/10 X  

The Faust legend retold (loosely) and applied to a mentally disturbed patient in a hospital run by a doctor of dubious sanity himself. The patient (Burton) offers the innocent orderly (... See full summary »

Director: Peter Ustinov
Stars: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Peter Ustinov
Next »
Raintree County (1957)
Drama | Romance | War
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.4/10 X  

A student falls in love with a Southern belle, but their relationship is complicated by her troubled past and the onset of the Civil War.

Director: Edward Dmytryk
Stars: Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, Eva Marie Saint
Next »
Under Milk Wood (1971)
Comedy | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.2/10 X  

This is a delightful if peculiar story of a day in the life of a small, Welsh fishing village called "Llareggub" (read it backwards). We meet a host of curious characters (and ghosts) ... See full summary »

Director: Andrew Sinclair
Stars: Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Peter O'Toole
Next »
Father's Little Dividend (1951)
Comedy | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.6/10 X  

In this sequel to Father of the Bride (1950), newly married Kay Dunstan announces that she and her husband are going to have a baby, leaving her father having to come to grips with the fact that he will soon be a granddad.

Director: Vincente Minnelli
Stars: Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett, Elizabeth Taylor
Next »
Divorce His - Divorce Hers (TV Movie 1973)
Drama | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.7/10 X  

The story of the breakup of an 18-year marriage, as seen from the points of view of both the husband and the wife.

Director: Waris Hussein
Stars: Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Carrie Nye
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Elizabeth Taylor ... Barbara Sawyer
Henry Fonda ... Mark Sawyer
Helmut Berger ... Erich
Keith Baxter ... David
Maurice Teynac Maurice Teynac ... Doctor Lambert
Margaret Blye ... Kate Sawyer
Monique van Vooren ... German Woman
Henning Schlüter Henning Schlüter ... Bridge Player
Dino Mele ... Mario
Kathy Van Lypps Kathy Van Lypps ... Mandy
Dina Sassoli ... Nurse Ilse
Carlo Puri Carlo Puri ... Paolo
Andrea Esterhazy Andrea Esterhazy ... Comte d'Arnoud
Jill Pratt Jill Pratt ... Simone
Irina Wassilchikoff Irina Wassilchikoff ... Silvano del Campo
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

Barbara gets secret plastic surgery in Switzerland in an attempt to save her marriage to Mark, but he doesn't seem interested in meeting her. She checks in to a ski resort to wait for Mark, and begins getting attention from young men. Her daughter tries to warn her that even though she has had the surgery it might be too late for her marriage, but she clings to the hope that Mark will come back once he sees her new look. Meanwhile, she must decide whether or not have an affair with a young man she's met. Written by Ed Sutton <esutton@mindspring.com>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

cigar smoking | surgery | ski resort | plastic surgery | white wine | See All (13) »

Taglines:

How far would you go to save your face? Barbara Sawyer went all the way! See more »

Genres:

Drama | Mystery

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
Edit

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 November 1973 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Die Rivalin See more »

Filming Locations:

Cortina d'Ampezzo, Belluno, Veneto, Italy See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Gold Entertainment,Sagittarius Productions See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Elizabeth Taylor's husband at time, Richard Burton, thought the film was horrible and damaging to his wife's career, according to letters released for auction in 2004. "I sit here vulgarised by the idea that my wife is doing; violently against my 'taste'; a f - - - lousy nothing bloody film," he wrote in a 1973 letter to two employees. He continued "[Taylor's] singular acceptance of this film is because she wants to remain a famous film star. What the stupid (occasionally) maniac doesn't realise is that she is already immortalised (as a film person) forever." See more »

Connections

Featured in AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Henry Fonda (1978) See more »

Soundtracks

Ruby
Written by Heinz Roemheld (as Roemheld) and Mitchell Parish
Performed by Ray Charles
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

 
Gossamer plastic surgery fantasy...
2 April 2009 | by moonspinner55 – See all my reviews

"Ash Wednesday" opens with a series of sepia-toned, fabricated photographs putting a young, glamorous Elizabeth Taylor together with a lean, dark-haired Henry Fonda; it's a great credits-sequence, well pulled off, until we find out that all this fancy living has taken its toll on poor Liz, portraying a lawyer's wife from Detroit (couldn't they aim higher than that?). Figuring plastic surgery is the only way to win back her estranged husband's love, Taylor checks into a Swiss medical resort and receives a full-body lift, later trading in her gauze and bandages for Valentino wraps and elaborate fur ensembles for a vacation at the local chalet. There's nothing remotely engaging about this scenario, except to see La Liz in a series of delectable wardrobe changes. We know that when Fonda arrives and sees her, nothing will be different (this is telegraphed far in advance). The picture was probably ahead of its time in depicting the vanity in men as well as in women, but Taylor and Fonda have a tough time creating actual characters (the writing being hardly more than a sketch). Liz has a nice moment asking Fonda to sing with her as they walk home, also a strong scene arguing with her daughter (Margaret Blye, who is well-cast; her eyes are almost as beautiful as Taylor's). But this fairy-tale-that-isn't hasn't much to offer aside from its surface attributes, which are photographed in a maddening series of subdued colors. ** from ****
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
Review this title | See all 12 user reviews »
Getting Started | Contributor Zone »

Contribute to This Page

Rent or Buy Popular Movies With Prime Video

Explore popular movies available to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Visit Prime Video to explore more titles


Clear your history

Recently Viewed