''Jessica'' is a 1962
comedy drama film
Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
directed by
Jean Negulesco
Jean Negulesco (born Ioan Negulescu; – 18 July 1993) was a Romanian-American film director and screenwriter.Oliver, Myrna"Jean Negulesco 1900–1993 ''The Los Angeles Times'', 22 July 1993. He first gained notice for his film noirs and later ...
, starring
Maurice Chevalier,
Angie Dickinson
Angeline Dickinson (née Brown; born September 30, 1931) is an American actress. She began her career on television, appearing in many anthology series during the 1950s, before gaining her breakthrough role in ''Gun the Man Down'' (1956) wit ...
and
Sylva Koscina,
with cinematography by
Piero Portalupi and art direction by Giulio Bongini. It was a
co-production between France, Italy and the United States.
Location shooting
Location shooting is the shooting of a film or television production in a real-world setting rather than a sound stage or backlot. The location may be interior or exterior.
The filming location may be the same in which the story is set (for exam ...
took place around
Forza d'Agrò
Forza d'Agrò is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Messina, Sicily, southern Italy.
Forza d'Agrò is on the lower peak of a small mountain, while on the higher peak that overlooks the town are the remains of a Norman castle.
Hist ...
on
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
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.
Plot
When her husband dies in
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
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while on their honeymoon, Jessica, a nurse, decides to remain there rather than return home and becomes a midwife in the village of
Forza d'Agrò
Forza d'Agrò is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Messina, Sicily, southern Italy.
Forza d'Agrò is on the lower peak of a small mountain, while on the higher peak that overlooks the town are the remains of a Norman castle.
Hist ...
.
Men of the town pay quite a bit of attention to the attractive Jessica, causing women to resent her presence. While she at times welcomes their attentions, she has a strict rule to never get involved with any man who has any standing attachment to another woman. The wives conspire to abstain from relations with their husbands, reasoning that if no babies are born, no midwife is needed. Parish priest Father Antonio disapproves of their scheme.
Jessica develops a romantic interest in Edmondo Raumo, a ''
marchese
A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman w ...
'' who has been a recluse since being injured during the war. Raumo lies about his true identity, telling Jessica that he is a humble fisherman. She becomes angry when the truth is finally known and intends to leave Sicily forever. However, a villager who has been kind to her is dying, and the situation brings her closer to Raumo. At the end of the story, the wives of the town have accepted her, and renewed relations with their husbands, leading to a baby boom. And when she comes to the church during mass, to announce the birth of twins, she sits next to Edmundo, on his ceremonial bench near the altar—indicating she is now Marchesa Raumo.
Cast
References
External links
*
1962 films
American romantic comedy films
Italian romantic comedy films
French romantic comedy films
English-language Italian films
English-language French films
Films directed by Jean Negulesco
Films scored by Mario Nascimbene
Films set in Sicily
Films shot in Sicily
1960s romance films
United Artists films
1960s English-language films
1960s American films
1960s Italian films
1960s French films
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