The Contessa's Secret
1954 French film
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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.
Georges Combret
Leonardo Magagnini
Pierre Maudru
Georges Marchal
| The Contessa's Secret | |
|---|---|
| |
| Directed by | Georges Combret |
| Produced by | Claude Boissol Georges Combret Leonardo Magagnini Pierre Maudru |
| Starring | Yvonne De Carlo Georges Marchal |
| Cinematography | Pierre Petit |
| Music by | Paul Durand |
| Distributed by | Taurus Film Radius Productions |
Release date |
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| Countries | France Italy |
| Language | French |
Plot
Cast
- Yvonne De Carlo as Virginia Oldoini
- Georges Marchal as Lucio Falengo
- Paul Meurisse as Napoleon III
- Rossano Brazzi as Count Cavour
- Lucienne Legrand as Empress Eugénie
- Lea Padovani as Princess Princess Mathilde Bonaparte
- Georges Lannes as Mocquart
- Michel Etcheverry as Pietri
- Tamara Lees as Princess of Metternich
- Claude Boissol as Nigra
- Lisette Lebon as Luisa
- Alberto Bonucci as Castiglione
- Roldano Lupi as Orsini
- Pierre Flourens as M. de Nieuwerkerke
- Charles Bouillaud as Un indicateur
Production
De Carlo signed on for the film in late December 1953. The film would be the first starring a Hollywood actor to have been shot in French without an English version. 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
- The Countess of Castiglione (1942)
