| |
MADONNA OF THE SEVEN MOONS |
|
Gainsborough Productions, 1945. Directed by
Arthur Crabtree. Camera: Jack Cox. With Phyllis Calvert,
Stewart Granger, Patricia Roc, Peter Glenville, Reginald Tate, Peter Murray
Hill, Dulcie Gray, Alan Haines, Hilda Bailey, Nancy Price, Amy Veness, Danny
Green, Eliot Makeham, Evelyn Darvell, Helen Haye, Jean Kent, John Stuart. |
A classic in gothic-romantic excess,
Madonna of Seven Moons was one of the most successful British films
of its genre. Though she doesn't know it at first, young
convent-bred Rosalinda (Phyllis
Calvert) has been born under a curse: before her life comes to
a close, she will be wife, mother, and mistress all in one. As a
child, Rosalinda is raped by a gypsy, an experience that renders her a
schizophrenic.
Years later, she is the seemingly contented
wife of prosperous Italian businessman Giuseppe (John Stuart) and the
mother of attractive teenager Angela (Patricia
Roc). From time to time, however, Rosalinda disappears from
her home and retreats to the slums of Florence, where she assumes the
identity of lustful gypsy girl Maddalena, the mistress of criminal
leader Nino (Stewart
Granger). Then she returns to her husband and daughter,
completely unaware of her "other" self or even that she's been absent.
Understandably curious about her mother's
long absences, Angela follows Rosalinda during one of her sojourns into
the Florentine underworld. Far from home and hearth, poor Angela
is targeted for seduction by Sandro (Peter Glenville), the very gypsy
who'd assaulted the younger Rosalinda! And just when it seems that
things can't get any more unbelievable...well, this one is definitely
better seen than described. Originally released at 100 minutes,
Madonna of Seven Moons was expertly cut to 88 minutes for U.S.
consumption. |
AllMovie |
|
|