REVIEW: Three Coins In The Fountain (1954)
Title: Three Coins In The Fountain
Release Year: 1954
Genre: Romance
Cast: Clifton Webb, Louis Jourdan, Rossano Brazzi, Jean Peters, Dorothy McGuire & Maggie McNamara
Plot: Three American women seek love in Rome and find it after tossing a coin into the Trevi fountain.
Rating: ⭐️＿ ＿ ＿ ＿
Review: The first time I heard the sentence "Three coins in the fountain" was through Fred Astaire in Daddy Long Legs, 1955, so when I found a film with the same title, I was beyond excited. This film actually came up on one of my endless searches for romantic comedies and other than it's title, I was very pleased with the storyline, so on one fine day, Rasha and I decided to give it a go.
The film was adapted from a book with the same name by John H. Secondari. I don't know if I'd want to read it though, because I didn't enjoy the film at all. Of course I'll mostly blame that on the casting.
The story is based in Rome where it was also filmed. It was the second one filmed there - after Roman Holiday - but it was the first in colour and so it became a big hit back then.
The story revolves around three lonely women searching for love and then decide on trying a custom practice - tossing coins in a fountain for luck - in order to find it. However only two women throw the coins because the third didn't need luck as she had decided on leaving Rome all together.
But we later learn that the man she fell in love with, had tossed the coin earlier on, making it three coins in the fountain.
The fountain is called Trevi, which means; three roads, in Italian, because it is located at the intersection of three roads, just as the paths the women are to take.
I love that the women start their journey by the fountain and end it there too, but the journey part was a mess for me.
I could've given this film no stars at all, but I think the story wasn't so bad if only the casting was different along with minor details.
Unlike in Roman Holiday, 1953, where Rome played a character, bright and hustling with life, in this film it seemed dull and dismal, eventhough it was coloured while the other film was in black and white.
Characters:
There are three pairings in this film and only one couple I felt was a realistic match; Jean Peters and Rossano Brazzi.
Clifton Webb and Dorothy McGuire were alright together, I guess, but there's something about McGuire's acting that I felt was plain and cliche. She was bearable though. Well just a little.
I think some bigger name in her place would've suited the role and Webb better.
The worst pairing though was between Louis Jourdan and Maggie McNamara. I just can't see McNamara as a lead and the personality they gave her didn't match her looks. I felt Jourdan's character was not the type who would fall for someone like her. Besides, they made him seem needy, which as a prince, was unrealistic. I think in real life, women would have flocked towards him, so he wouldn't really have time to bother with secretaries. It's just not logical.
The whole idea of the story was great, especially having three different stories in one, but I guess the direction was not good enough to reflect it. And at the end, they all seemed like they needed eachother more than they loved.
I didn't like the film at all, what did you think of it?
Release Year: 1954
Genre: Romance
Cast: Clifton Webb, Louis Jourdan, Rossano Brazzi, Jean Peters, Dorothy McGuire & Maggie McNamara
Plot: Three American women seek love in Rome and find it after tossing a coin into the Trevi fountain.
Rating: ⭐️＿ ＿ ＿ ＿
Review: The first time I heard the sentence "Three coins in the fountain" was through Fred Astaire in Daddy Long Legs, 1955, so when I found a film with the same title, I was beyond excited. This film actually came up on one of my endless searches for romantic comedies and other than it's title, I was very pleased with the storyline, so on one fine day, Rasha and I decided to give it a go.
The film was adapted from a book with the same name by John H. Secondari. I don't know if I'd want to read it though, because I didn't enjoy the film at all. Of course I'll mostly blame that on the casting.
The story is based in Rome where it was also filmed. It was the second one filmed there - after Roman Holiday - but it was the first in colour and so it became a big hit back then.
The story revolves around three lonely women searching for love and then decide on trying a custom practice - tossing coins in a fountain for luck - in order to find it. However only two women throw the coins because the third didn't need luck as she had decided on leaving Rome all together.But we later learn that the man she fell in love with, had tossed the coin earlier on, making it three coins in the fountain.
The fountain is called Trevi, which means; three roads, in Italian, because it is located at the intersection of three roads, just as the paths the women are to take.
I love that the women start their journey by the fountain and end it there too, but the journey part was a mess for me.
I could've given this film no stars at all, but I think the story wasn't so bad if only the casting was different along with minor details.
Unlike in Roman Holiday, 1953, where Rome played a character, bright and hustling with life, in this film it seemed dull and dismal, eventhough it was coloured while the other film was in black and white.
Characters:
There are three pairings in this film and only one couple I felt was a realistic match; Jean Peters and Rossano Brazzi. Clifton Webb and Dorothy McGuire were alright together, I guess, but there's something about McGuire's acting that I felt was plain and cliche. She was bearable though. Well just a little.
I think some bigger name in her place would've suited the role and Webb better.
The worst pairing though was between Louis Jourdan and Maggie McNamara. I just can't see McNamara as a lead and the personality they gave her didn't match her looks. I felt Jourdan's character was not the type who would fall for someone like her. Besides, they made him seem needy, which as a prince, was unrealistic. I think in real life, women would have flocked towards him, so he wouldn't really have time to bother with secretaries. It's just not logical.
The whole idea of the story was great, especially having three different stories in one, but I guess the direction was not good enough to reflect it. And at the end, they all seemed like they needed eachother more than they loved.
I didn't like the film at all, what did you think of it?
I hated it...OVERLY overrated.
ReplyDeleteI don’t know whether it was long or not but it seemed like it wouldn’t end.
The only character I enjoyed watching was Clifton Webb’s...and the drunk Maggie McNamara part in the café.
I hated Dorothy McGuire...she ruined the film although it was already bad.
Maggie McNamara acted too young for her age...she probably thought she didn’t look old.
hahaha exactly!
DeleteI don't remember the the drunk scene but I remember that I disliked it when McGuire acted like a child when she was with Webb...it was too embarrasing to watch hahahah