The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961)

[7]

Vivien Leigh and Warren Beatty star in this adaptation of Tennessee Williams’s novel about an aging starlet (Leigh) who becomes a widow while vacationing in Italy. She reluctantly agrees to let a scheming contessa (Lotte Lenya) set her up with a handsome gigolo (Beatty). The two seem at first to have a grounded understanding of their relationship, but things become more complicated when Leigh grows jealous of Beatty’s other opportunities.

The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone is less a romance between two people than it is a cautionary tale about our romance with wealth and self-esteem. I liked the ambiguity at play in early scenes between Leigh and Beatty. You could almost believe that maybe he would grow to like her, or that maybe she would learn not to let the liaison affect her self worth so much. For every sweet gesture, there’s an equally hurtful barb or action. The power play is interesting in those early scenes. Once the two characters’ weaknesses are fully on display and the story’s destination charted, I was less interested in the denouement. Although the very last scene in the movie is certainly a provocative one.

Leigh is good here, especially when she’s putting on a good face and trying to soldier through her emotions. Beatty is able to match her for the most part — but more importantly — my God, is there anything more beautiful than a young Warren Beatty? As the contessa, Lotte Lenya has a handful of juicy scenes where she conspires with and connives the two lead stars. Her performance earned the film an Oscar nomination. The film is ultimately a hell of a downer (it’s Tennesee Williams, right?), but that’s offset a bit by the Technicolor photography and Roman scenery.

Oscar Nomination: Best Supporting Performance (Lotte Lenya)