Three Coins In the Fountain | Clifton Webb, Dorothy McGuire

Three Coins In the Fountain | Clifton Webb, Dorothy McGuire | A CinemaScope wonders!

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Three Coins In the...

	Three Coins In the Fountain Clifton Webb, Dorothy McGuire 20th Century Fox, 2004 average customer review:based on 43 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Splish Splash

I'm a sucker for all the Fox movies with the plot about the three (sometimes four) girls all stuck together through some plot contrivance, a housing shortage, a graduation ceremony, or what not, and then over time we see the different paths the girls take. Over and over again 20th Century Fox trotted out this idea and you can see it in everything from HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE to VALLEY OF THE DOLLS. (THE BEST OF EVERYTHING is another favorite). THREE COINS is a unique example of this form, and a strange one, in that it parcels out its three stories one at a time, instead of dealing with them interwoven through the whole story.

You'll notice for example that first we get the story about Jean Peters and Rossanno Brazzi, and then that story kind of "peters" out and the middle section of the film is devoted to the lighthearted pursuit of Louis Jourdan by Maggie McNamara. Finally, bringing up the rear, Dorothy McGuire and Clifton Webb share an autumnal passion. It's almost as though for reasons of budget or convenience the film could have been made simultaneously in three large chunks, with the three girls being spotted together only in a few places. (And all the main characters seem to meet only at the very end.)

I have often wondered if Arthur Laurents and Sondheim and Bernstein caught a showing of this 1954 film while working, perhaps, on WEST SIDE STORY? It's funny that two of the girls here are called Maria and Anita. I always expect them to burst into song with a "BOY LIKE THAT" duet.

Jean Peters is so sexy in this movie. She really makes you believe she'd throw away everything respectable to pursue her Latin lover. She is like a real-life D H Lawrence heroine. In contrast, the Maggie McNamara story is pretty puerile, I like her, but her lying and scheming to please Prince Dino isn't cute, it's sickening. As for Clifton Webb and Dorothy McGuire, I have only one thing to say--that their skillful playing makes an unlikely story almost believable. McGuire was 38 when she made this movie--by the script you'd think she was 88, she is supposedly completely over the hill, too old for children, too old to catch a man. Nevertheless, the plot has a primitive power that hooks you every time. And the new DVD has those wonderful, gorgeously restored, long takes of Rome's fountains, with that melting music pouring it on like liquid sunlight.

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A CinemaScope wonders!

I love this DVD. The restored image looks gorgeous, very colourful and sophisticated although a little bit soft at times. The only distracting thing is the transition shots where resolution, contrast and colours are off. Also, overall colour balance of this transfer is a bit too yellowish. I think if the original Eastman Kodak color negatives have faded, they should restore the whole thing using the existing YCM color separation. The 4-track CinemaScope stereo soundtrack sounds very impressive. I love directional sound field. Overall, a must have DVD.

BROTHER, CAN YOU SPARE A NICKEL?

"Three Coins In The Fountain" is one of those big and brassy, but oh so velvety smooth and glossy-glazed confections from 20th Century Fox's stable of Cinemascope love-making; circa 1954. The film stars Dorothy MacGuire (Miss France), Jean Peters (Anita) and Maggie MacNamara (Maria) as a trio of lovelorn American ladies working at a consulate in Rome. Naturally, this pining for testosterone doesn't go unheeded for very long. After the girls take their hard earned dimes and nickels and toss them into the Trevi Fountain, they are not so miraculously visited by the likes of three studly gentlemen; John Frederick Shadwell (Clifton Webb), Georgio Bianchi (Rosanno Brazzi) and Prince Dino de Cessi (Louis Jourdan). Not all the romance goes sugary sweet, though make no mistake - this is a film in which predictability is the order of the day. As is the case with tripe and treacle befitting any mind-decaying fancy like this, "Three Coins" is greatly benefited by its anamorphic Cinemascope projection, capturing Rome in its illustrious and vivid splendor and making at least half of the film a dreamy travelogue. Director Jean Negulesco, lulls his audience with Oscar winning cinematography showcased under Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn Oscar winning title song performed by Frank Sinatra.

Though time has not been kind of previous issues of this film, on DVD most of the folly and age in prior home video mishaps has happily been corrected here. The Cinemascope image is generally sumptuous and at times even startling in its clarity. Colors are rich, at times eye popping, and on the whole palpable to the quality of the original source material. Contrast levels do tend to be a bit weak with blacks coming off more deep brown than black. There is also the very annoying momentary degradation of color between jump cuts, fades and dissolves that are inherent in all Cinemascope productions of this vintage. Contrast levels are nicely presented. A hint of edge enhancement will not distract. The audio is a remix of that melodious six track wonder that was Cinemascope stereo. Despite the soundtrack's obvious shortcomings in fidelity when compared to today's technological wizardry, there's great admiration on the part of this reviewer for the slippery ease with which Sinatra's vocals envelop the home viewer aggressively from all five channels.

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Italian Postcard.

I must be honest--I bought "Three Coins in the Fountain" because I thought my wife would enjoy it. How right I was ! At the risk of sounding sexist, this 1954 production is definitely a movie aimed at women--and men wanting to impress women--it was probably a great "date flick" !

The plot is quite conventional, standard soap opera fare. Three young and single American women are employed as secretaries in Rome. They are played by Dorothy McGuire, Jean Peters, and--as "the new kid on the block"--Maggie McNamara. Of course, all three find romance, not to mention ever-changing wardrobes and lavish living accommodations. In 1954, secretaries must have made a bundle in Italy ! For gorgeous and seductive Ms. Peters, romance comes in the form of a ruggedly handsome Italian law student, Rossano Brazzi ( later to have Mitzi Gaynor swooning in "South Pacific" ). Young, naive Ms. McNamara attracts the attention of an Italian prince with a womanizing reputation
( Louis Jourdan, a poster boy for charm and sophistication ). She has to wait for much of the film, but Ms. McGuire is finally "noticed" by her stuffy, self-absorbed boss and best-selling author ( Clifton Webb, very badly cast as a romantic lead ). These relationships go through various predictable complications, with the steamy Peters/Brazzi pairing as the most realistic.

However, at this point, we should mention the real star of this film--Italy. Has that country ever been photographed more beautifully than in "Three Coins" ? This is one of the earliest Cinemascope productions, shot on location in colour--the views of Rome, the Italian countryside, and spectacular Venice are breath-taking. I agree with other positive technical reviews of this DVD--the film has been restored to its original glory, and this is a beautiful disc to own.

Of course, the film is still fifty years old, and dated in a number of ways. I still got caught up in it though because of the fabulous scenery and the three leading ladies are certainly attractive--I'm also sure that female viewers won't mind watching those two continental "hunks", Louis Jourdan and Rossano Brazzi !

The title song won an Oscar, and was a big hit for both Frank Sinatra--his version opens the film--and the Four Aces.

So--bottom line--a light, frothy confection from the fifties in a most beautiful package. There is one serious drawback--for us guys, this disc could become very expensive--my wife wants to spend our next holiday in Italy !

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