There are so many things that are wrong here - not just the fact that Jennifer Jones was too old to play this part in husband Selznick's movie. First, the script. At times, it is very good, while at others it is amateurish and downright silly. You cringe as the actors say some of their embarrassing bad dialogue. Second, the production values are just as inconsistent. Sometimes, the film looks cheap and like it was made on a dime (for example, it's got some of the worst painted backdrops ever filmed - so obviously fake). But, when it is filmed in actual Italian locales, it looks terrific. Third, the acting by the Jones and Hudson is irritating. They really ham it up so much that it must be seen to be believed. In the more lighthearted segments they are sickeningly sweet and sentimental, while in the dramatic parts, they are so overwrought or serious that you just want to slap them into sensibility. The supporting cast is excellent : Vittorio DeSica (who even managed to get nominated for an Oscar for his performance here), the always interesting Mercedes McCambridge, Oskar Homolka, Kurt Kaszner, and the wonderful Elaine Stritch, who someone had the great sense to cast in her role as a sympathetic nurse. The problem is, the two big hams (Jones and Hudson) keep getting in their way, distracting from their fine performances. Maybe that's why DeSica got his nomination - the Academy felt sorry for him. I've read that the filming of this was beset by many problems caused by producer Selznick, who kept firing staff and replacing them. To many cooks spoil the soup - and that old adage is proven here. The result : an embarrassing critical and box office failure.
Selznick never made another movie.
Jones wouldn't make another movie for 5 years.
And Hudson's career was in the dumper until he made a big comeback in those Doris Day movies.
All in all, watch this if you want to be entertained by some
jaw-dropping ineptitude. It's kind of amazing.
