THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN
US, 1954, 102 minutes, Colour.
Clifton Webb. Dorothy Maguire, Jean Peters, Louis Jourdan, Maggie McNamara?, Rossano Brazzi.
Directed by Jean Negulesco.
Three Coins in the Fountain was one of the most popular films of 1954, even getting a nomination for Oscar for best film. It won the Oscar for best song, the perennial ‘Three Coins in the Fountain’
It was the first Cinemascope film made outside Hollywood and probably did more for Rome tourism than any advertising campaign. Most people of the period knew the Trevi Fountain in Rome from this film.
The film focuses on three women, the thirty-eight-year-old ‘old maid’ Dorothy Maguire who had acted as a secretary for fifteen years. She had an infatuation with an elderly writer, played by Clifton Webb, a homosexual writer. Jean Peters and Maggie McNamara? are the other eager young things who hope for romance or for a wealthy marriage. Louis Jourdan and Rossano Brazzi are the targets of their campaigns.
The film is slight, the story somewhat trivial in many ways. However, it captured the imagination of audiences at the period.
The film was written by John Patrick, a popular writer of the period with Love is a Many Splendored Thing, High Society and Les Girls. The Teahouse of the August Moon was adapted from his play.
The film was directed by Romanian-born Jean Negulesco. . He had a strong career in Hollywood during the 1940s with thrillers at Warner Brothers including The Mask of Dimitrios, The Conspirators, Three Strangers. He directed Jane Wyman in her Oscar-winning role in Johnny Belinda. However, with the coming of Cinemascope he joined many directors in making big-budget, rather colourful entertainments including the first Cinemascope comedy, How To Marry A Millionaire, Three Coins in the Fountain, Woman’s World, Daddy Longlegs and many others.
1. The quality of the film as popular cinema, popular appeal?
2. The impact visually of the film: the use of Cinemascope, colour, locations? The fact that the film was an early Cinemascope film, presenting Italy with a tourist point of view in 1954? Does this detract from the film now? Add to it?
3. The basic values of the soap opera plot? The strength of the plot and audience involvement and interest? The use of the stars? The popularity of the theme and the song?
4. How important was the Roman setting? The title? The visual presentation of Rome and its way of life? Venice? The countryside outside Rome? Rome contrasting with America and its impact on the Americans?
5. How well did the film highlight the differences between the Italian way of life and the American way of life? Americans in Rome? Simple country life of family? The aristocracy of Prince Dino? The Americans confronting this?
6. How did the film involve audiences with its three heroines and three stories? Maria's arrival? Entering through her? How credible were the characters and their situations? How credible were the women in their femininity, the men and the varying types of masculinity? The credibility of love and men/women relationships?
7. How well did the film present popularly variations on the love theme: the spontaneous love, the calculated love, the love of devotion?
8. The story of Anita and Giorgio, the two characters in themselves? Anita as the typical American girl, involved in her work, her hopes, the lack of fulfilment, her return to America? Giorgio and his background, family, poverty, ambitions, study? Their encounters at the office, shyness? Their knowledge of the rules of the office and not going out with each other? Their decision to go out? The fact that Mr Burgoyne saw them? The consequences?
9. How important was the day out for Anita and Giorgio? The spirit of the family, the humour of the truck, the feast, the truck rolling down the hill, the discovery of their love for one another? Comment on the severity of the consequences, the interference of Mr Burgoyne, Maria's role, their having to face reality? The dilemma for Giorgio in his being sacked?
10. The contrast of the Maria and Dino story: Maria and her ambitions, her calculated dropping of things, the decisions about the trip to Venice, the enjoyment of Venice, her getting lists of Dino's likes and dislikes, her pretences at the opera and meals, the encounter with Dino's mother? How important was it for her to tell the truth? What did it cost her? The contrast with Dino and his reputation, the thwarting of his plans in Venice, his fascination with Maria and her likes? The importance of the disillusionment for him?
11. How attractive was the Princes story? Her devotion of fifteen years, her love for Shadwell? Shadwell's style and his irony? The knowledge of his death? The importance of their drunken sequence? The importance of their being the do-gooders for the others?
12. How well did the three stories knit together? The gradual build-up of failure? Going back to the fountain?
13. The importance of the symbol of the Trevi Fountain, the significance of throwing the coins, the hopes? Their fulfilment at the end? Was this too easily arranged or was it satisfying for this kind of film?
