Six years ago, our group reviewed Light in the Piazza (1962) when we began looking a the films of Olivia de Havilland. As the film is one that several of us love, and a newer group member had never seen it, we decided to revisit this excellent film. Ms. de Havilland plays Margaret Johnson, an American visiting Italy with her daughter Clara (Yvette Mimieux). As they see the sights in Florence, they are approached by Fabrizio Naccarelli (George Hamilton), a young Florentine who is captivated by Clara. Margaret attempts to avoid Fabrizio, but to no avail - he is not to be dissuaded. Meg's problem? Clara suffered a traumatic brain injury when she was 12; as a result, though she is a lovely young woman of 26, she has the mental age of a pre-teen. Based on the novel The Light in the Piazza by Elizabeth Spencer (New York, 1960), the story first appeared in The New Yorker. Reviews in the Hollywood Reporter and Variety praised the film (see TCM article), but theNew York Timesreview is scathing. A shame, really, because it is a moving film, with an exceptional cast - Bosley Crowther just didn't get it. It's interesting how several years distance from the film, and new discussants adds to one's appreciation. In our prior discussion, we were very critical of Barry Sullivan, who played Clara's father, Noel Johnson. Noel is a hard man to like, primarily because of his attitude towards his daughter - he is both jealous of her and embarrassed by her. His solution: ship her off to Maryland (he's a tobacco executive in Winston-Salem, NC), where visits will be limited, and she will be "safe" in something that is not "an institution" (he describes it as a "country club, or should be for the amount we're paying"). It also means his wife will be all his, not the guardian of their daughter. Did we like Noel any better? Of course not, but we were more appreciative of the way Mr. Sullivan played him. He's not afraid to make him unattractive, and it works well.
Our opinion of Signor Naccarelli, as portrayed by Rossano Brazzi, didn't change all that much. We still found him somewhat shady. Signor Naccarelli does, however, bring a bit of humanity to Meg; Meg is so tied up in knots over her fears for her daughter's future, that it is only the flirtatious Signor who is able to finally loosen her up a bit, with his flattery and attempt at lovemaking. But his efforts to blackmail Meg for a larger dowry are rather petty - he's not a poor man, and it is likely Noel will happily supply plenty of money to his daughter's upkeep (though, of course, Signor Naccarelli is not aware that Noel will pay pretty much anything to have Clara out of sight). Some years ago, two of us saw the Broadway musical version (2006) Light in the Piazza at Lincoln Center. We enjoyed it, but somehow it didn't click the way the film did. I think perhaps that the film had more intimacy than the play. Regardless, it was a good night of theatre, and we appreciated that they would want to tell this story again. Here is a clip from that version.
Light in the Piazza does a good job in portraying a difficult subject, and we were especially impressed by Yvette Mimieux and George Hamilton. Originally, Italian actor Thomas Millian was cast as Fabrizio, but Hamilton actively campaigned for the role. Hamilton is not afraid to make Fabrizio a simple man - not stupid, but a man who wants a loving wife, a home and a family. He sees in Clara the child bride he yearns for - a playmate of sorts, but a loving one who will revel with him in his love of home and family. He also makes him a bit of a stalker (with his relentless ability to find Clara and Meg, no matter what part of Florence into which they venture), making Meg's distrust of him eminently understandable, but also providing the audience with a chuckle.
In the end, the film hinges on whether or not we can accept the sincerity of Ms. Mimieux's Clara. We have to believe that Meg is right in her decision with regards to Clara's future. Can she be a wife and mother? Can she live in the Florentine world, among adults, and not be ridiculed? Ms. Mimieux gives us a picture of a girl who, though disabled, is going to be able to grow and adapt, as long as she has the help of those who love her. Currently retired, Ms. Mimieux made a total of 24 films (most in the 1960s and 1970s), as well as many television appearances. Her appearance in 1964 as Pat Holmes, the epileptic surfer in the episode "Tyger, Tyger" of Dr. Kildare was very memorable (she was nominated for a Golden Globe in the category of Best Female TV Star). She currently works in real estate and is married to her second husband of 20 years, Howard Ruby. We'll leave you with this trailer from the film. Next time (there will be a bit of a gap, as I'm off to a wedding), we'll return with another Olivia de Havilland film.
None of us had ever seen 1957's The Story of Esther Costello
before this viewing and it was definitely a pleasant surprise. Ms.
Crawford plays Margaret Landi, a wealthy American woman on a visit to
the town of her birth to make a donation to the village church in
Cloncraig, Ireland, Father Devlin (Denis O'Dea), however, has other
ideas, and introduces Margaret to Esther Costello (Heather Sears), a
local girl being raised in squalor after her mother was killed and
Esther was left deaf and blind. With some reluctance, Margaret agrees
to have some tests run to confirm the severity of Esther's condition.
The tests show no physiological reason for Esther's condition, but also
emphasize the need to get her some training, to enable her to live a
more normal life. Again, Margaret is reluctant to go further, but
Esther's eagerness to learn impresses her. Ultimately, she bring Esther
back to America with her, becoming not only her patron, but her teacher
and dearest friend.
The movie's portrayal of the education
process for the deaf-blind is extremely interesting, especially the way
in which Esther is taught to lip read, and to communicate with those who
cannot do sign language. Esther's education covers the beginning of
the movie; the second part of the movie is devoted to Margaret's
attempts to raise money for Esther's school, a process that becomes
badly corrupted when Margaret's estranged husband, Carlo (Rossano
Brazzi) reappears on the scene. Brazzi is properly slimy, as he uses
sex to reclaim Margaret, then begins to cast his eye in the direction of
the innocent Esther.
Some interesting guest appearances in this
movie: Bessie Love has a brief scene with Brazzi as an art gallery
patron; John Loder appears as a friend of Margaret's (we never see him
after Esther goes to school. A shame really). His voice did not sound
the same as we remembered - we wondered if it had been dubbed for some
reason? Lee Patterson as reporter Harry Grant, Esther's love interest,
was a pleasant surprise for some of our viewers - they remembered him
from his later work in One Life to Live.
But the person
who really steals the movie is Heather Sears as Esther. She manages to
convey so much in a part that is not only mute, but limited in the use
of her eyes (Esther, after all is blind as well). Ms. Sears (who won
the Best Actress award from BAFTA for her work here) is marvelously
expressive. She had a limited film career, appearing in film and on
television in the U.K.
This is also a surprisingly adult movie.
Without giving too much away, watch for the scene, towards the end, when
Crawford finds a nearly comatose Sears on the floor of her bedroom.
Then watch as Crawford tries to get the traumatized girl back to bed.
Your mind will tell you what she is actually seeing, while the screen
shows you something else. A tasteful, and telling, piece of film
direction.
All in all, another Crawford film that is underrated and worth your time. Next time, we go to a much earlier film. In the meantime, here is a trailer from our movie this week:
We close our Olivia de Havilland film festival with a film that is a personal favority of mine, 1962's Light in the Piazza. Margaret Johnson (Olivia) and her daughter Clara (Yvette Mimieux) are traveling in Italy, when they meet Fabrizio
Naccarelli (George Hamilton), a young Florentine who is immediately
besotted by the dazzling Clara. Unfortunately, Clara has a secret:
injured as a child, she has the mental capabilities of a 12-year old.
Though Margaret initially discourages the growing connection between the
couple, as Clara falls more deeply in love with Fabrizio Margaret finds
her opposition weakening.
I think
this is a beautifully romantic movie. Ms. de Havilland's role is a
tricky one. You have to believe, with Margaret, that her choices are
the best ones for both Clara and Fabrizio, not merely the romantic
imaginings of a delusional mother. Most of this is achieved by the genuine caring that Ms. de Havilland shows for her child. But a great
deal is accomplished by her co-star, George Hamilton, who portrays
Fabrizio with such beauty and sensitivity. Watch the scene where Clara
becomes hysterical, and look at the way Fabrizio gently pulls her back
from her attack. And then there is the final scene. In both cases, it
is Margaret's commentary that provide the complement to Hamilton's
caring scenes. In this scene, the lives of Clara and Margaret Johnson change forever:
We all thought that Barry Sullivan (as Clara's father, Noel) is the weak link
in the movie. Sullivan plays Noel as rather cold and distant towards
his child. We felt that we should understand his frustration with
his wife's obsession towards his daughter, but that some of the lines
(like his comment "Don't skip, dear" to his naive daughter) just made
him distasteful. You almost would rather the lovely Margaret would
remain in Italy, and find herself a nice guy (though NOT Fabrizio's
father, Rossano Brazzi. He's a bit of a cad - and married).
Light in the Piazza
was made into a Broadway musical some years ago. Though engaging, it
is not comparable to the movie. Somehow, the musical did not really
portray the romance of this film.
Next week, we'll begin a new series with another Hollywood lady. Please join us.
