The Barefoot Contessa

Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Joseph Leo Mankiewicz Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Overview

This film begins at the funeral of Ava Gardner, a former Spanish peasant, cabaret dancer, and movie star, who at the time of her death was a full-fledged contessa. Her life-story unfolds in flashback recollections from her mourners.

Product Details

Release Date:	06/27/2023
UPC:	0850035985243
Original Release:	1954
Rating:	NR
Source:	Sandpiper Pictures
Language:	English
Time:	2:10:00
Sales rank:	14,774

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Ava Gardner	Maria Vargas
Humphrey Bogart	Harry Dawes
Edmond O'Brien	Muldoon
Marius Goring	Bravano
Valentina Cortese	Eleanora
Rossano Brazzi	comte Torlato-Favrini
Elizabeth Sellars	Jerry
Warren Stevens	Kirk Edwards
Franco Interlenghi	Pedro
Mari Aldon	Myrna
Bessie Love	Mrs. Eubanks
Diana Decker	Drunken Blonde
Bill Fraser	J. Montague Brown
Alberto Rabagliati	Night Club Proprietor
Enzo Staiola	Busboy
Maria Zanoli	Maria's Mother
Renato Chiantoni	Maria's Father
John Parrish	Mr. Black
Riccardo Rioli	Gypsy Dancer
Tonio Selwart	The Pretender
Margaret Anderson	The Pretender's Wife
Gertrude Flynn	Lulu McGee
John Horne	Hector Eubanks
Robert Christopher	Eddie Blake
Anna Maria Paduan	Chambermaid
Carlo Dale	Chauffeur
Jim Gérald	Mr. Blue (as Jim Gerald)
Anna Maria Padoan	Chambermaid
Olga San Juan	Bit Role
Mario Nascimbene	Composer

Technical Credits

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Joseph L. Mankiewicz	Director,Screenwriter,Producer
Charles Knott	Sound Effects
Peter Davies	Sound Effects
Claude Hitchcock	Sound Effects
Forrest E. Johnston	Producer
Joseph Leo Mankiewicz	Director
Charles Knott	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

The Barefoot Contessa combines the flashback structure of Citizen Kane with an attention-grabbing variant of the standard showbiz rags-to-riches story. The film's cynical tone and shifting viewpoint is similar to writer/director Joseph L. Mankiewicz's earlier success, All About Eve. (Citizen Kane was co-written by Joseph L. Mankiewicz's brother, Herman Mankiewicz). The derivative nature of the story aside, The Barefoot Contessa is a beautiful-looking film, with cinematographer Jack Cardiff putting the film's Italian locations to magnificent use. Given what was happening concurrently in Italian cinema, The Barefoot Contessa is an interesting glimpse at neo-realism Hollywood-style. There's very little original about it, but it skillfully combines disparate elements drawn from more classic works. The result, while not a masterpiece, is an intelligent, well-produced example of storytelling, highlighted by occasional bursts of passionate dialogue and solid performances.