HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''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) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...
.


Plot

When her husband dies in
Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...
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 {{1960s-romance-film-stub