''Flame and the Flesh'' is a 1954 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...

directed by

Richard Brooks Richard Brooks (May 18, 1912 – March 11, 1992) was an American screenwriter, film director, novelist and film producer. Nominated for eight Oscars in his career, he was best known for ''Blackboard Jungle'' (1955), ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' ...

and starring

Lana Turner Lana Turner ( ; born Julia Jean Turner; February 8, 1921June 29, 1995) was an American actress. Over the course of her nearly 50-year career, she achieved fame as both a pin-up model and a film actress, as well as for her highly publicized pe ...

Pier Angeli Pier Angeli (19 June 193210 September 1971), also credited under her real name, Anna Maria Pierangeli, was an Italian-born television and film actress who starred in American, British and European films throughout her career. Her American motio ...

Carlos Thompson Juan Carlos Mundin-Schaffter, known as Carlos Thompson, (7 June 1923 – 10 October 1990) was an Argentine actor. Career Of German and Swiss descent, he played leading roles on stage and in films in Argentina. He went to Hollywood in the 1950s ...

and

Bonar Colleano Bonar Sullivan (14 March 192417 August 1958), also known by the stage name Bonar Colleano, was an American stage and film actor based in the United Kingdom. Biography Early life Colleano was born Bonar Sullivan in New York City. He had childhood ...

. It was made and distributed by MGM and produced by Joe Pasternak from a

screenplay ''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993. Background After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, f ...

Helen Deutsch Helen Deutsch (21 March 1906 – 15 March 1992) was an American screenwriter, journalist, and songwriter. Biography Deutsch was born in New York City and graduated from Barnard College. She began her career by managing the Provincetown Player ...

based on the 1924 novel French ''Naples au baiser de feu'' by

Auguste Bailly Auguste Bailly (1878–1967) was a French novelist and historian. Several of his works have been adapted into films, particularly his 1924 novel ''Naples au baiser de feu'' which has had four screen adaptations including the 1954 Hollywood film '' ...

. The music score was by

Nicholas Brodszky Nicholas "Slug" Brodszky (russian: Николай Бродский; April 20, 1905December 24, 1958) was a composer of popular songs for the theatre and for films. Brodszky was born in Odessa, Russian Empire, into a Jewish family, who moved to ...

and the cinematography by

Christopher Challis Christopher George Joseph Challis BSC, FRPS (18 March 1919 – 31 May 2012) was a British cinematographer who worked on more than 70 feature films from the 1940s onwards. Career After working as camera operator on several films for Michael ...

. It was shot at M-G-M British Studios near

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

and on location around

Positano Positano (Campanian: ) is a village and '' comune'' on the Amalfi Coast ( Province of Salerno), in Campania, Italy, mainly in an enclave in the hills leading down to the coast. Climate The climate of Positano is very mild, of the Mediterrane ...

and

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adm ...

Southern Italy Southern Italy ( it, Sud Italia or ) also known as ''Meridione'' or ''Mezzogiorno'' (), is a macroregion of the Italian Republic consisting of its southern half. The term ''Mezzogiorno'' today refers to regions that are associated with the pe ...

. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and unify the vis ...

Alfred Junge Alfred Junge (29 January 1886, Görlitz, Silesia (now Saxony), Germany – 16 July 1964, London) was a German-born production designer who spent a large part of his career working in the British film industry. Junge had wanted to be an art ...

Plot

Madeline Duvain is evicted from her apartment for non-payment of rent. She wanders the street, where musician Ciccio Duvario takes pity on her and invites her home. The manipulative Madeline soon begins to take advantage of his kindness. Ciccio works at a nightclub where his roommate Nino is a very popular singer. Lisa, the club owner's daughter, is in love with Nino, who has been seeing a married woman. Nino realizes that Lisa would be good for him, so they set a wedding date. But when he meets Madeline, the attraction is immediate. They run off together. Ciccio vows to find and kill them. Madeline grows frustrated when Nino has difficulty finding work. She seduces a club owner into hiring Nino to sing. Nino finally understands the kind of woman she is, striking the club owner and slapping her. Madeline knows too late that she loves him as Nino leaves her forever, hoping that Ciccio will forgive him and Lisa will take him back.

Background and production

The film is a

remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the sam ...

of a 1938 French film, ''Naples au baiser de feu'', also known in the USA as ''

The Kiss of Fire ''The Kiss of Fire'' (French: ''Naples au baiser de feu'') is a 1937 French romantic comedy film directed by Augusto Genina and starring Tino Rossi, Michel Simon, Mireille Balin and Viviane Romance.Plastino & Sciorra p.128 The film is based on th ...

'', itself a remake of a 1925 French silent film of the same name. Both earlier versions were based on the same novel. The film was shot in

and

, Italy. In this film, Lana Turner, famously blonde, appears as a brunette.

Cast

as Madeline *

as Lisa *

as Nino *

as Ciccio *

Charles Goldner Charles Goldner was an Austrian-born actor who appeared in a number of British films during the 1940s and 1950s. Born in Vienna, Austria, on 7 December 1900, he made his screen debut in the 1940 film '' Room for Two'' and went on to appear in '' ...

as Mondari *

Peter Illing Peter Illing (4 March 1899 – 29 October 1966) was an Austrian-born British film and television actor. Selected TV series * '' Deadline Midnight'' (1961) as Captain Dnieprovsky * '' The Saint'' (1962) as Inspector Buono Filmography * '' The S ...

as Peppe *

Rosalie Crutchley Rosalie Sylvia Crutchley (4 January 1920 – 28 July 1997) was a British actress. Trained at the Royal Academy of Music, Crutchley was perhaps best known for her television performances, but had a long and successful career in theatre and films, ...

as Francesca * Marne Maitland as Filiberto * Eric Pohlmann as Marina Proprietor * Catharina Ferraz as Dressmaker * Alex Gallier as Playboy

Reception

According to MGM records, the film earned $1,329,000 in the US and Canada and $965,000 elsewhere resulting in a loss of $171,000.

References

External links

* * 1954 films 1954 drama films American drama films Films set in Italy Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films based on French novels American remakes of French films Films directed by Richard Brooks 1950s English-language films Films produced by Joe Pasternak Films shot at MGM-British Studios Films shot in Italy 1950s American films {{1950s-drama-film-stub