The Contessa's Secret

The Contessa's Secret (French: La Castiglione, Italian: La Contessa di Castiglione) is a 1954 French-Italian film starring Yvonne De Carlo as Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione.

The Contessa's Secret
Directed byGeorges Combret
Produced byClaude Boissol
Georges Combret
Leonardo Magagnini
Pierre Maudru
StarringYvonne De Carlo
Georges Marchal
CinematographyPierre Petit
Music byPaul Durand
Distributed byTaurus Film
Radius Productions
Release date
1954
CountriesFrance
Italy
LanguageFrench

Plot

Cast

Production

De Carlo signed on for the film in late December 1953. The film was to be shot entirely in French with no English version, which no Hollywood star had done before. It was originally called Castiglione and Raf Vallone and Georges Marchall were meant to co-star.[1]

Filming had to be brought forward earlier than planned so de Carlo could make a film with Cornel Wilde.[2]

The film was shot in France in March 1954. De Carlo did not enjoy working for the producers . "I was very much put out when they gave me a stand in for a French dialogue coach," she said. "I thought I deserved better than that, particularly as I studied day and night to perfect myself in the reading of the lines. That was only one of numerous irksome things which not only I but other people had to put up with in that French production."[3]

She later claimed the film was the first time a Hollywood actress did the lead in a film for which there was no English language version. "It was a distinction that made me feel proud."[4]

See also

References

  1. Looking at Hollywood: Yvonne De Carlo to Take Plane to Paris to Do French Film Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 1 Jan 1954: b4.
  2. Drama: Frank Lloyd Readying 'Texian;' Dana Andrews Gets 'Builder-Upper' Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 15 Apr 1954: A13.
  3. Yvonne's Persistence Making Believers of Her Critics Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 2 May 1954: E1.
  4. De Carlo, Yvonne; Warren, Doug (1987). Yvonne : an autobiography. St Martins Press. p. 181.


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