The Barefoot Contessa (1954)

I love this movie so much

hyped garbage

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

This starts very well, more than a little reminiscent of Sunset Boulevard, with initially Humphrey Bogart as the narrator. This is probably one of Bogart's finest performances, certainly his is a stand out performance in this fairytale romance that can never have a happy end because that is where we come in, in the graveyard. Ava Gardner is good, I don't know about the claims as to her fabulous beauty, Blue Ray does her no favours, exposing the thickness of make-up but her costumes also seem most constricting and unflattering. But she puts in a good performance, especially in her scenes with Bogart. It is just a shame that the promise at the start of some Hollywood expose and an attack upon the bullying and abusive producers comes to nothing and we talk once more of Cinderella. The last act could lose twenty minutes easily and indeed I would remove the entire performance of Valentina Cortese as the Count's sister who does not help at all as we descend into an appalling Hollywood cop out ending. Remains watchable, however, for the first half, Ava's early scenes and the complete Bogart performance only a couple of years before his death.

An oddity for a decade prone to fairy tale type movies. After all, the build-up is that of a fairy tale coming true for peasant girl Maria (Gardner). In stages she's lifted from poverty-- first, by a film director who gets her a screen test; then, from a successful test she becomes a successful star; after which, she blossoms into a popular super star. From those heights, however, she unwisely marries a rich man (Goring), who soon proves intolerably abusive. In a ballroom showdown, she's happily rescued by a handsome Prince Charming (Brazzi) who spirits her to his European castle to be married. But there, just as her Cinderella tale seems to be coming true, she finds out her Prince's secret, a word that unfortunately could not be used in 1954. So we're left to infer the problem and the movie's crux.Small wonder the story's told in a series of flashbacks from Maria's graveyard funeral. Thus, interest is aroused from the start as to why a girl so young and wealthy could possibly be dead. On my view, the movie's really a modern fairy tale turned into a tragedy. For example, consider a recurring theme; namely, Maria's constant attachment to bare feet over shoes. That I take as an underlying desire for a naturalness stripped of the kind of social pretensions shoe styles can convey. Thus, her struggle, on this view, is really between the stark reality of feet and the societal contrivance of shoes. Extrapolated a bit, it can also convey the importance of foundations to a person's well-being. Perhaps that's why she seems reluctant to accept her fairy tale climb-- it goes against a deeper instinct. Be that as it may, in view of the ending, it's too bad she doesn't stick with instinct rather than temptation.All in all, the indie production was a biggie of that year, featuring two marquee stars, a lavish production, and Hollywood honcho Mankiewicz in charge. Unsurprisingly, it all led to some Oscar go-rounds. Never mind that Hollywood doesn't come off looking very good in the persons of tyrannical producer (Stevens) and sycophantic public relations man (O'Brien). There's still enough gloss, travelogues, and close-ups of the beauteous Gardner to keep us diverted. Happily, Bogie gets his trademark role as a cynical observer, while Gardner gets to show she's more than a pretty face, along with O'Brien who bathes in fast-talking. Not much really happens besides character development. So, credit director Mankiewicz for keeping things moving. Though dated, the movie's worth catching up with; that is, if you can stand the taboo word "impotence", which the 1954 movie obviously couldn't.

Yes, it's talky and disjointed. The dialog is stilted. The actors look uncomfortable. The gowns are atrocious. But like many of writer and director Joseph L. Mankiewicz's gabfests there's a lot of intelligent observation going on, which elevates its soap opera plot. And Ava looks great. As an exposé of Hollywood foibles it falls flat, especially since the whole thing looks more like one of those international productions where everyone's speaking different languages and are badly dubbed. Bogie comes off well, though his appearance is sadly dissipated. Rossano Brazzi brings his reliably handsome and commanding presence. Edmond O'Brien's Oscar winning supporting role is hardly a standout. It's Ava's show all the way, and when she's not on screen is when you realize how awful the film really could have been. If you pay close attention, it's not so bad.

I saw the movie Mogambo and was surprised at how natural Ava Gardner was in it. I got her autobiography (just her words transcribed from tape with little editing and flow) and thought I might find an interesting person in there. The Barefoot Contessa came on TV with me just at her chapter in the book on the movie. Little or no info about the production, which gives scant insight into how she felt, some but not enough to make it interesting. Mostly her struggles with the men in her life and drinking. Contessa is a silly tapestry of episodes with a central character of Maria Vargas (Gardner) beginning well, but becoming more and more ridiculous. You get the feeling the Joseph L. Mankiewicz picked up fragments of this from his life in Hollywood and beyond (there are references to a Howard Hughes type) and part of Rita Hayworth's real story,but where ever it sprang from it doesn't hold together well and none of the characters are that believable because of the tenuous thread. You can see Humphrey Bogart trying very hard and Ava Gardner is a knockout to look at and begins well as the Spanish girl dancer with humble beginnings, but then she just comes across as a stunningly beautiful vacuous idol that is determined to make mistake after mistake. I didn't mind the shared narration at all but a modern audience would not be able to deal with all those words, especially the heavy handed long winded explanations near the end. Could have done much of that with a few well held head shots of people thinking, as in the opening of the movie with intriguing shots of an audience watching a never seen Maria dance. Anyway, it looks good. Some great locations and great old cars.