Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Ava Gardner, Edmund O'Brien, Marius Goring, Rossano Brazzi, Elizabeth Sellars, Valentina Cortese, Warren Stevens, Franco Interlenghi, Mari Aldon

Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Summary: The story of a mentor-director who promotes a beautiful Spanish dancer into Hollywood stardom. She eventually marries a Count but, because of a war wound, he is not able to father children. In spite of warnings she tries to conceive a child and is finally shot by her husband for infidelity.

In one of the last films before his death in 1957, Humphrey Bogart plays washed-up film director Harry Dawes, who sees another chance at success when he meets Spanish dancer Maria Vargas (Ava Gardner) and recognizes her star potential. Harry's willingness to let Maria keep her independence, and his steadfast character, wins him her undying friendship; the two weather the Hollywood seas, made stormy by Maria's own tempestuous spirit and the greedy nature of the film business. Maria's final break from Hollywood throws her into the arms of a Prince Charming whose secrets lead her down a destructive path. Impatience with Hollywood is evident in every line of director-writer Joseph L. Mankiewicz's dialogue (as in the unforgettable ALL ABOUT EVE), but he carefully plants the seeds of Maria's decline in her character rather than simplistically painting her fate as a reaction to fame. Bogart, in an role atypical for him of platonic friend to his female costar, is the touchstone of the movie and its most sympathetic character, while Gardner's eyes snap with passion as she searches for her fairy-tale ending.

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Aspect Ratio:	4:3 Full Frame
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Original Theatrical Trailer, Interactive Menu Screens, Chapter Selections
Subtitles:	Danish, Dutch, English, French, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish
Year:	1954
Release Date:	April 15, 2002
Runtime:	125 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	16107 D V D
Keywords:	Barefoot, Contessa, General, Drama
Genre:	Drama