The Story of Three Loves

Director: Vincente Minnelli, Gottfried Reinhardt

Overview

This bittersweet anthology features a trio of vignettes that tell the romantic tales of three unrelated passengers on an ocean line. The first episode relates a sad tale involving a beautiful ballerina. The second story centers on a lonely nanny. The third tale follows the redemption of a trapeze artist.

Product Details

Release Date:	07/21/2009
UPC:	0883316175552
Original Release:	1953
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Archives
Presentation:	[Full Frame]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	2:02:00
Sales rank:	38,142

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

James Mason	Charles Coudray
Moira Shearer	Paula Woodward
Leslie Caron	Mademoiselle
Farley Granger	Thomas Campbell Jr.
Ethel Barrymore	Mrs. Pennicott
Agnes Moorehead	Aunt Lydia
Jacob Gimpel	Pianist
Miklos Rozsa	Conductor
John Lupton	Studious Young Man
Jack Raine	Doctor
Lysa Baugher	Ballerina
Florence Wix	Ad Lib
Towyna Dally	Ad Lib
Colin Kenny	Ad Lib
Major Sam Harris	Ad Lib
Ottola Nesmith	Usher
Bruce Lansbury	Chorus Boy
Bruce Edwards	Chorus Boy
Ivan Hayes	Chorus Boy
Anne Howard	Chorus Girl
Paula Allen	Chorus Girl
Reginald Sheffield	Production Manager
Ricky Nelson	Tommy
Zsa Zsa Gabor	Flirt at Bar
Paula Raymond	Mrs. Campbell
Hayden Rorke	Mr. Rorke
Larry Olsen	Terry
Robert Horton	Young Man on Boat
Manuel Paris	Mr. Carlos
Alberto Morin	Mr. Sandes
Andre Simeon	Waiter
Zachary Yaconelli	Bellhop
Peter Brocco	Bartender
Phyllis Graffeo	Italian Girl
Argentina Brunetti	Saleswoman
Nick Thompson	Coachman
Tom Quinn	American Man in Bar
Rudy Lee	Little Boy
Noreen Corcoran	Little Girl
Ernesto Morelli	Railway Porter
Ed Agresti	Railway Conductor
Victor Desny	Italian Air Force Officer
Pier Angeli	Nina
Kirk Douglas	Pierre Narval
Richard Anderson	Marcel,Jacques [Equilibrium]
Steven Geray	Legay
Alix Talton	Rose,Rose [Equilibrium]
Kaaren Verne	Madame Legay
Torben Meyer	Man
Peter Norman	Rudolph Kramer
Jack Tesler	Bartender
Joan Miller	Woman on Bridge
Paul Bryar	River Policeman
Kay English	Nurse
Elizabeth Slifer	Concierge
Christofer Appel	Boy
Bertha Feducha	Woman Vendor
Frank Scannell	Master of Ceremonies
Paul Maxey	Bill Cyrus
Leo Mostovoy	Stranger in Cafe
Frank Wilcox	Ship's Officer
John Pickard	Ship's Officer,Ship's Officers [Equilibrium]
Mikl?s R?zsa	Composer

Technical Credits

George Froeschel

Jan Lustig

John Collier

George Froeschel	Screenwriter
Jan Lustig	Screenwriter
John Collier	Screenwriter
Sidney Franklin	Producer
Warren Newcombe	Special Effects

Editorial Reviews

Anthology films are always risky, but The Story of Three Loves works a little better than many other such omnibuses. One of the issues with an anthology is ordering; rarely are the individual pieces equally strong, so figuring out the proper order can be complicated. Loves moves from weakest to strongest, which is probably the best way (as long as the initial offering is not so weak as to prompt immediate viewer disinterest). The first segment is a bit clichéd and obvious, but James Mason's dramatic skills and Moira Shearer's beauty and incredible balletic skills overcome this flaw. The middle section benefits from director Vincente Minnelli's eye for color and composition, and it has a whimsical tone to it that is engaging on its own and even moreso after the "downer" tone of the first piece. The "boy to man transformation" motif has certainly been done many times, but it has a definite appeal. And the cast is strong, with Ethel Barrymore especially a delight in a role that she could easily have walked through. The final piece is the best, not because the screenplay itself is the strongest but because so much of it is told through exciting visual shots involving the trapeze act that is the center of the story. These sections are thrilling and dramatically effective and give a real feeling of life to the film. Kirk Douglas is right at home here, and surprisingly so is Anna Maria Pier Angelli. Loves is not a great film, but it's an enjoyable diversion.