THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN [1954 / 2020] [Dual Format] [Blu-ray + DVD] [UK Release] Three American Women Seeking Love in Rome! Three Love Stories For The Price Of One!
Three hopeful American secretaries visiting Italy – newcomer Maria Williams [Maggie McNamara], romance-seeking Anita Hutchins [Jean Peters] and the more mature Miss Frances [Dorothy McGuire] – fling their coins into Rome's Trevi Fountain, each making a wish. Soon, Maria Williams is pursued by a dashing Prince Dino di Cessi [Louis Jourdan], Anita Hutchins herself involved with a forbidden co-worker Giorgio Bianchi [Rossano Brazzi], and Miss Frances receives a surprising proposal from her boss John Frederick Shadwell [Clifton Webb]. They are granted their wishes in the form of an Italian translator, a successful writer, and a debonair prince. All three women vow to return to Rome.
FILM FACT No.1: Awards and Nominations: 1954 Venice Film Festival: Nominated: Golden Lion Award for Jean Negulesco. 1955 Academy Awards®: Win: Best Cinematography in Color for Milton R. Krasner. Win: Best Music, Original Song for Jule Styne (music) and Sammy Cahn (lyrics) for the song “Three Coins in the Fountain.” Nominated: Best Picture for Sol C. Siegel. 1955 Directors Guild of America: Nominated: DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures for Jean Negulesco.
FILM FACT No.2: Upon its theatrical release, the film ‘THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN’ received generally positive reviews, particularly for its colour and CinemaScope widescreen cinematography of Italian filming locations. The film's main title song “Three Coins in the Fountain,” sung by an uncredited Frank Sinatra, went on to become an enduring standard. The melody was written by Jule Styne with lyrics by Sammy Cahn. It was written for the romance film, ‘THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN’ and refers to the act of throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain in Rome while making a wish. Each of the film's three stars Clifton Webb, Dorothy McGuire, and Jean Peters performs this act. Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn were asked to write the song to fit the film, but were unable to either see the film or read the script. They completed the song in an hour and had produced a demonstration record with Frank Sinatra by the following day. The song was subsequently used in the film soundtrack, but in the rush, 20th Century Fox neglected to sign a contract with the composers, allowing them to claim complete rights over the royalties. The song was subsequently recorded by The Four Aces featuring Al Alberts, backed by the Jack Pleis Orchestra, in 1954. The Frank Sinatra recording topped the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in September and October that year.
The film was made in Italy during the “Hollywood on the Tiber” era. ‘THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN’ is a nice way to take the film audiences on a sightseeing tour of Rome, with a flying side trip to Venice, through the courtesy of CinemaScope, has been devised in ‘THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN,’ with its handsomely colourful romance that 20th Twentieth Century-Fox delivered to audiences around the world. The trick is to underpin the picture with flimsy and harmless accounts of the plainly romantic adventures of three American girls in Rome and then chase them with the camera around the Eternal City as they pursue their destinies.
Cast: Clifton Webb, Dorothy McGuire, Jean Peters, Louis Jourdan, Maggie McNamara, Rossano Brazzi, Howard St. John, Kathryn Givney, Cathleen Nesbitt, Merry Anders (uncredited), Larry Arnold (uncredited), Dino Bolognese (uncredited), Maurice Brierre (uncredited), Iphigenie Castiglioni (uncredited), James Conaty (uncredited), Gino Corrado (uncredited), Anthony De Mario (uncredited), Charles La Torre (uncredited), Celia Lovsky (uncredited), Jack Mattis (uncredited), Harold Miller (uncredited), Alberto Morin (uncredited), Grazia Narciso (uncredited), Vicente Padula (uncredited), Luciana Paluzzi (uncredited), Mario Siletti (uncredited), Frank Sinatra (Singer of Title Song with Opening Credits) (voice) (uncredited), Renata Vanni (uncredited), Norma Varden (uncredited), Willard Waterman (uncredited) and Zacharias Yaconelli (uncredited)
Director: Jean Negulesco
Producer: Sol C. Siegel
Screenplay: John H. Secondari (from a novel) and John Patrick (screenplay)
Costume Design: Dorothy Jeakins
Composer: Victor Young
Cinematography: Milton R. Krasner, A.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Color Consultant: Leonard Doss
Image Resolution: Blu-ray 1080p + DVD 1080i (Color By DeLuxe)
Aspect Ratio: 2.55:1 (CinemaScope)
Audio: English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Subtitles: English SDH
Running Time: Blu-ray: 101 minutes + DVD: 97 minutes
Region: Region B/2
Number of discs: 2
Studio: 20th Century Fox / PLANB ENTERTAINMENT / Signal One Entertainment
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN’ [1954] details the adventures of three USA female secretaries living in Rome who make wishes in the Fountain of Trevi in the hopes of staying in Rome and finding love. This film has schmaltz and clichés one would expect with a film of this genre of the 1950’s.
The cinematography is fantastic and since it earned ‘THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN’ an Oscar, I am not the only one who thought so. There are so many beautiful scenes of Rome and Venice that not only complement each other but also help add to the atmosphere. The buildings, people, and communities are shot in such a way it is as if one is seeing them for the first time. I imagine that many people in 1954, after seeing this film, decided to take a trip to Rome and other parts of Europe.
The characters are not the most complex but they are still enjoyable with really talented actors and actresses portraying them. Maria Williams is very prim and proper, played perfectly by Maggie McNamara. Dorothy McGuire plays Miss Frances who is the eldest of the three women and losing hope of ever marrying the man she fell in love with and has worked under for the past 15 years. To Miss Frances’ annoyance, he is oblivious to her long held affections. Jean Peters plays Anita Hutchins who wants to return to America and is ready to give up on finding love.
Prince Dino di Cessi is played by the wonderful Louis Jourdan who is worldly, of high culture and has a scandalous reputation and wants to find love but only if it is with a woman who is not after his fortune. Clifton Webb plays John Frederick Shadwell, an older man, and writer who has been out of the spotlight for years without inspiration. Finally, Rossano Brazzi who plays Georgio Bianchi who works as a company translator by day and is a law student by night and is also hopelessly in love with Anita Hutchins and has been for some time.
Each of the three love stories has a different dynamic and each one is immensely entertaining. Of the three stories, I personally enjoyed the story of John Frederick Shadwell and Frances and Anita Hutchins and Giorgio Bianchi the most. Frances and John Frederick Shadwell have worked together and been good friends for years. Like so many good romances, theirs bloomed out of a strong friendship and it shows in every scene they have together. They know each other well and have a good grasp on how the other will act and react in certain situations. I felt their connection and their chemistry was really great.
The romance between the beautiful Anita Hutchins and the adventurous Giorgio Bianchi has a very real feel to it and the additional risk of being employees and their boss finding out just added to their story. Some of my favourite scenes in the film involve these two characters, specifically the scenes with Giorgio Bianchi’s jovial and wonderful family. I enjoyed watching Anita Hutchins interact with his family and fitting right in despite just meeting them. I enjoyed watching them bond and I really felt their connection. The build-up for their relationship was also well written and I thought their personalities complimented each other nicely. Overall, the romances with all of the characters is very entertaining with a fairy tale like element to them as a bonus.
If one is looking for a film to put you through the difficulties of reality then ‘THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN’ is definitely not the film for you. However, if one is looking for a brief, relaxing escape, and is able to suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride for what it is, then this is that film for you. This is the kind of film that can carry the audience away to another world that is more like a dream, one in which they can enjoy the beautiful view that is Rome.
‘THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN’ is a classic romantic film everyone should watch. ‘THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN’ will leave you reflecting on relationships, deception, and sacrifices, and not to mention nostalgically musing on time spent in Rome or pining for future adventures in the eternal city.
What makes this picture worth watching today is the gorgeous Oscar-winning cinematography and travelogue aspects. The pictures locations hit all the major tourist stops around Rome and the countryside around the city. You’ll see them all like the Museo Nazionale, Trastevere, the Galleria Borghese, the Roman Forum, the Spanish Steps, the Colosseum, and, of course, the famous Trevi Fountain. And there are no problems with parking, traffic, or crowds of people!
THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN MUSIC TRACK LIST
THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN (1954) (Written by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn) [Sung by Frank Sinatra (uncredited) during the opening credits] [Sung also by an unseen chorus at the end]
Largo Al Factotum (1816) (uncredited) from “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” (Libretto by Cesare Sterbini) (Music by Gioachino Rossini) [Excerpt sung at the opera]
Anima e Core (1950) (uncredited) (Music by Salvatore Esposito) (Lyrics by Tito Manlio) [This song was sung at the hillside picnic near the home of Giorgio when he took Anita to meet his parents]
Nanni (uncredited) (Music by Franco Silvestri) (Lyrics by Franco Silvestri)
O ciucciariello (1951) (uncredited) (Music by Nino Oliviero) (Lyrics by Roberto Murolo)
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Blu-ray Image Quality – 20th Century Fox, PLANB ENTERTAINMENT and Signal One Entertainment presents the film ‘THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN’ in the film’s original Cinemascope aspect ratio of 2.55:1 and is faithfully rendered in this brilliant 1080p image. The transfer is spotless throughout and offers good-to-excellent sharpness and the Color By DeLuxe is also most appealing and usually well saturated even if skin tones seem a bit on the brown side. Visual quality is sharp throughout, with no noticeable imperfections in the print. The Technicolor palette is broad, ranging from the sun-drenched fountains of Rome to the outdoor festivities overlooking a picturesque valley and the elegant attire of the women at a high-class cocktail party. A scene of a runaway truck careening down a country road is interspersed with a close-up of Jean Peters in the bouncing truck against a process screen. Some of the compositions are reminiscent of the MGM James A. Fitzpatrick Traveltalks, and the CinemaScope lens really makes them look spectacular. Please Note: Playback Region B/2: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – 20th Century Fox, PLANB ENTERTAINMENT and Signal One Entertainment brings us the film with two alternate audio selections and they are 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio experience and I found them both most engaging and accurate with its directional dialogue and a nice balance between the dialogues, Victor Young’s background beautiful film score is truly romantic to fit the storyline of the film, and the film’s sound effects all worked in harmony. In addition to CinemaScope, stereophonic sound was one of the film’s attempts to draw audiences back into cinemas as Television was siphoning off viewers. With a wider screen, actors on the left are heard primarily through the left channel, actors on the right through the right channel. The sound of the runaway truck can be heard moving from left to right as it cascades down the mountain road. Sound mixing is first rate, allowing dialogue to be heard clearly.
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Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: Stills Gallery: Here we get to view four colour images from the film ‘THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN.’
Theatrical Trailers [1954] [1080p / 1080i / 480i] [1.85:1 / 2.55:1 / 1.78:1] [8:47] Here we get to view the same three Original Theatrical Trailers for the film ‘THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN’ in one long trailer, in three different qualities and in three aspect ratios. But what they inform us is – Soon The Magic of CinemaScope. And rhe Directional, High-Fidelity STEREOPHONIC SOUND. Will Open Vistas of MAGNIFICENCE. The Screen Has Never Seen Before . . . WIDER – DEEPER – More SPECTACULAR . . . To Bring You The Exciting BEST-SELLING NOVEL . . . “Three Coins In The Fountain.” One thing I am very curious about, why show us the same trailer three times, it would have been so much better to show us one trailer in its right aspect ratio.
Finally, ‘THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN’ film was a smash hit when it was released and helped reinvigorate audiences’ interest in going to see films. The film was soon followed by other successful romance films such as ‘Magnificent Obsession’ and ‘Peyton Place.’ ‘THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN’ was like a love letter to the city of Rome and even, in a way, movies with its lavish sets, dramatic scenes, and a soundtrack with Frank Sinatra and, of course, three love stories when a single story was the norm and what was expected. In the 1950’s, the film industry had its fair share of problems. The studio contract system that had been in place for decades was now long dead and audiences were staying home more often to watch this new trend called television. In order to bring people back to the cinemas, improved stereophonic sound was added and people could watch movies on a much larger screen. One of the films to be released with this new technology was ‘THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN.’ Very Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
