The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone

Warner Bros.
Industry	Film production
Founded	1923
Headquarters	Burbank, California, United States
Products	Motion pictures

The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone is a 1961 British romantic drama film produced by Warner Bros., featuring performances by Vivien Leigh and Warren Beatty. The movie was directed by José Quintero and produced by Louis de Rochemont, with Lothar Wolff serving as associate producer. The screenplay, crafted by Gavin Lambert and Jan Read, is an adaptation of Tennessee Williams' novel. The film’s musical score was composed by Richard Addinsell, and the cinematography was handled by Harry Waxman. This project represents Quintero’s sole venture into theatrical filmmaking.

Plot

Karen Stone, a renowned American actress known for her stage work, suffers the loss of her wealthy husband due to a heart attack while traveling to Rome. Opting to remain in Italy, she rents an upscale apartment and retires from acting after concluding her performance in Shakespeare's As You Like It, feeling she has outgrown the role.

A year later, Karen is introduced to Paolo, a young Italian gigolo, by Contessa Magda Terribili-Gonzales. Magda presents Paolo as a companion to alleviate Karen’s solitude. Their connection begins with shared dinners and dancing, eventually developing into an affair. While Karen genuinely falls for Paolo, he pretends affection to exploit her generosity—accepting lavish gifts and having bills paid without demanding direct payment. Rumors about their relationship circulate, exposing Paolo’s opportunistic nature as he soon shifts his attention to an American starlet, growing weary of Karen’s possessiveness.

Feeling deserted and mocked, Karen prepares to depart for New York accompanied by her friend Meg. She becomes aware of a mysterious young man who has been trailing her since her arrival in Rome. Handing him the keys to her apartment, she recalls telling Paolo that after a few more years, even a violent death would seem acceptable. As she waits inside smoking, the young man enters with a faint smile, his shadow looming behind him.

Production

Tennessee Williams exercised influence over the choice of director and screenwriter due to his previous collaboration with Quintero in theatre and his admiration for Gavin Lambert’s The Slide Area. Although initially intended to be filmed entirely on location in Italy, an agreement with Warner Bros mandated shooting in Britain instead. Consequently, the script was revised to relocate exterior scenes indoors to accommodate English settings.

The role of the countess was originally offered to Elisabeth Bergner, who declined the part.

Director Quintero remarked that Warren Beatty was unpopular among the crew members, criticizing his arrogant demeanor toward Vivien Leigh and noting that it caused production delays.

Reception

Variety characterized the film as a "bleak and pessimistic depiction of an artist as a middle-aged widow," suggesting that while Leigh’s star power might draw viewers, the challenging nature of the characters could limit its commercial appeal.

Tennessee Williams considered this film his preferred adaptation of his work, describing it as poetic and marking it as the last major project for both Vivien Leigh and José Quintero.

Despite receiving favorable critical feedback, the movie did not perform well commercially.

Awards and nominations

Lotte Lenya earned an Oscar nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category.

2003 version

A made-for-cable remake was produced in 2003 for Showtime Networks, starring Helen Mirren, Anne Bancroft, and Olivier Martinez, which won an Emmy Award.

External links

The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone hosted by the British Film Institute