The Story of Three Loves (1953)

Directors:

Vincente Minnelli
Gottfried Reinhardt

Writers:

John Collier (segment)
George Froeschel (adaptation) (segment "Equilibrium")

Release Date:

26 March 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Musical | Romance | Drama

Tagline:

Dangerous Love. Jealous Love. Forbidden Love.

Plot:

Three loosely connected love stories. The first story: Paula is a talented dancer who cannot truly live unless she dances...

Plot Keywords:

Love | Trapeze Artist | Trapeze | French | Choreographer

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Pier Angeli	...	Nina Burkhardt (segment "Equilibrium")
Ethel Barrymore	...	Mrs. Hazel Pennicott (segment "Mademoiselle")
Leslie Caron	...	Mademoiselle (segment "Mademoiselle")
Kirk Douglas	...	Pierre Narval (segment "Equilibrium")
Farley Granger	...	Thomas Clayton Campbell Jr. (segment "Mademoiselle")
James Mason	...	Charles Coutray (segment "The Jealous Lover")
Moira Shearer	...	Paula Woodward (segment "The Jealous Lover")
Agnes Moorehead	...	Aunt Lydia (segment "The Jealous Lover")
Zsa Zsa Gabor	...	Flirt at Bar (segment "Mademoiselle")
Richard Anderson	...	Marcel (segment "Equilibrium")
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Argentina Brunetti	...	Saleswoman (segment "Mademoiselle") (scenes deleted)
Ricky Nelson	...	Tommy: aged 11 (segment "Mademoiselle")
John Pickard	...	Ship's Officer (segment "Equilibrium") (scenes deleted)
Frank Wilcox	...	Ship's Officer (segment "Equilibrium") (scenes deleted)

Also Known As:

Equilibrium
Three Stories of Love

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #16088)

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Soundtrack:

Rhapsody On a Theme of Paganini

A Lost Love, A Promised Love, A Found Love

MGM put together these three stories of passengers on board a ship remembering three recent romances that all ended rather differently for the protagonists. The three passengers are James Mason, Leslie Caron, and Kirk Douglas and each one had things turn out quite differently.

The first story The Jealous Lover concerns ballet impresario James Mason and his protégé Moira Shearer. The story is a bit of condensed version of her film, The Red Shoes. Shearer is the greatest ballerina of her time, greater than even her aunt and teacher Agnes Moorehead, but she has a congenitally weak heart. As for Mason who is it he really loves, the woman or the ballerina?

The second story, Mademoiselle, could have served as the inspiration for the Tom Hanks movie Big. Leslie Caron is the French governess of a rich American kid, Ricky Nelson, who's both spoiled and bored with his French lessons and eager to grow up. A visit to a neighbor Ethel Barrymore who's a witch in her spare time grants him a few hours until midnight as a grownup, in this case as Farley Granger. He's everything the love lost Caron could hope for.

The last story is Equilibrium with former circus trapeze artist Kirk Douglas saving Pier Angeli from drowning herself in the Seine. He lost a partner in a circus accident years ago and despaired of ever finding someone and returning to the circus. Angeli may just have the right stuff to be that partner, but Douglas is also looking at her in more than a professional way.

Equilibiium got the most acclaim, Kirk Douglas and Pier Angeli were given a film of their own, Act Of Love, later to do. I liked all three of the stories, they were stylishly written and performed. Vincente Minnelli did the second story, Gottfried Reinhardt directed the first and third.

All three stories end rather differently so you can expect quite a roller-coaster for your emotions. But the ride is well worth it.