Light in the Piazza (film)
| Light in the Piazza | |
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 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Guy Green |
| Produced by | Arthur Freed |
| Written by | Elizabeth Spencer (story) Julius J. Epstein (screenplay) |
| Starring | Olivia de Havilland Rossano Brazzi Yvette Mimieux George Hamilton Isabel Dean Moultrie Kelsall Nancy Nevinson Barry Sullivan |
| Music by | Mario Nascimbene |
| Cinematography | Otto Heller |
| Editing by | Frank Clarke |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | February 7, 1962 |
| Running time | 102 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Light in the Piazza is a 1962 film adaptation of the Elizabeth Spencer's 1960 novel The Light in the Piazza. It was directed by Guy Green and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
The film starred Olivia de Havilland as American, Meg Johnson and Yvette Mimieux as her 26-year-old daughter, Clara. Clara was involved in an accident as a young girl and as a result, still has the mentality of a child of ten. The film is notable for its extensive location shooting in 1960s Florence and Rome by the award winning cinematographer Otto Heller.[1][2][3]
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[edit] Plot description
While taking a summer holiday in Florence with her mother, 26 year old Clara meets and falls in love with a young Italian Fabrizio Naccarelli, played by George Hamilton. Fabrizio is blinded by his love for Clara and believes her mental disability to be simple naivity. Meg tries to explain her daughter's condition to Fabrizio's father but the opportunity never seems to be right. Fabrizio's family are taken with Clara and her simple remarks are taken as evidence of her innocence.[1]
Meg spends the trip trying to keep the two lovers apart and fearing that Fabrizio or his family will discover the truth about her daughter.[2]
She moves their holiday quickly on to Rome in the hope that Clara will soon forget Fabrizio. On discovering how unhappy this has made her she calls her advertising executive husband Noel to visit them by plane. The couple discuss their daughters future and it is revealed that previous suitors have been repulsed as soon as they discover that Clara is mentally disabled. Noel also reveals that he has made plans for Clara to be placed in an expensive care home for the mentally disabled. Meg is set against what she sees as the incarceration of her daughter for the rest of her life. The couple row and Noel returns to America.[1][2]
Meg realizes that Clara will have a much better life as a wealthy Italian wife with servants and inane gossip to entertain her than in such a home. She returns to Venice and does everything she can to expedite the marriage without her husband's knowledge.[3] Fabrizio and Clara are overjoyed and plans are made for the wedding. Clara begins Religious conversion to becoming a Roman Catholic and the priest in charge is impressed with her childlike devotion to the Madonna. This, together with the Naccarelli family's connections in the Catholic Church, allows the date of the wedding to be brought forward.[2] When Fabrizio's father glances at Clara's passport as they settle the wedding arrangements , he is suddenly alarmed and flees the church without explanation, taking Fabrizio with him. Meg fears he has somehow deduced Clara's mental age and does not want his son to marry such a person. Eventually Signor Naccarelli approaches her at her hotel and says she should have told him that Clara is 26. In Italian culture a young man of 20 cannot marry an older woman without controversy.[3] He tells his son of the age difference but Fabrizio reminds his father that his age is actually 23 and that he so loves Clara that he cares nothing for this slight difference. The situation is quickly resolved in Signor Naccarelli's eyes when Clara's dowry is increased from $5,000 to $15,000.[1]
The wedding takes place in a church in Florence without Noel being present or even knowing of it.[2]
Another developing plot thread is a possible developing love affair between Meg and Signor Naccarelli. This is left unresolved at the movie's end.
[edit] Cast
Leading roles:[1]
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- Olivia de Havilland as Meg Johnson
- Rossano Brazzi as Signor Naccarelli
- Yvette Mimieux as Clara Johnson
- George Hamilton as Fabrizio Naccarelli
- Nancy Nevinson as Signora Naccarelli
- Isabel Dean as Miss Hawtree
- Moultrie Kelsall as The Minister
- Barry Sullivan as Noel Johnson
Rest of cast alphabetically:
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- Luciano Barontino as Marchese (uncredited)
- Peppino De Martino as Train Conductor (uncredited)
- Bonas Eugevio as Policeman (uncredited)
- William E. Greene as The Consular Agent (uncredited)
- Steve Plytas as Concierge (uncredited)
- Robert Rietty as The Priest (uncredited)
- Rosella Spinelli as Giuseppina Naccarelli (uncredited)
[edit] Production
The film was shot on location in Rome and Florence with interiors at Boreham Wood studios in England. Locations include:-
- Piazza della Signoria, the square in Florence, Italy in which Michelangelo's statue David is located
- The Uffizi Gallery in Florence,
- Rome's Via Veneto, which had its famously snarled motor traffic diverted for three shooting days,
- Roma Ostiense railway station[4]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e Light in the Piazza at the Internet Movie Database At the Imdb article , accessed Jan 2012
- ^ a b c d e Light in the Piazza at AllRovi At the AllRovi movie database, accessed Jan 2012
- ^ a b c Light in the Piazza at the TCM Movie Database at the Turners Classic Movie Movie database, accessed Jan 2012
- ^ TCMdB film notes
[edit] Bibliography
- Spencer, Elizabeth (1960). The Light in the Piazza (First edition ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. OCLC 290337. The novel on which the film is based.
- The World of Entertainment: The Freed Unit at MGM by Hugh Fordin , Da Capo Press , 1996 ISBN 0306807300
- The Films of Olivia de Havilland by Tony Thomas , Citadel Press; 1st edition 1983 ISBN 0806508051
[edit] External links
- Light in the Piazza at the Internet Movie Database
- Light in the Piazza at AllRovi
- Light in the Piazza at the TCM Movie Database
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