name that movie
Today I had one of those flash memories, something pops into your head that you haven't thought of in years. In this case, maybe thirty years or more.
There was a movie on Chicago's channel nine every afternoon. The four o'clock show, it was called. I can still hum the music. The movies were edited all to hell -- even I could see that, as young as I was, but I watched them anyway. I saw lots of old black and white movies, many of which I remember really well. Some I remember well enough to have been able to track down. Examples: Johnny Belinda (which gave me a lot to think about, as I didn't quite understand the cloaked language around rape); Town Without Pity (which had a similar storyline); Back Street (the main character's name was Rae, and she owned a dress shop); Laura, Rebecca, and a lot of old movies with Jeff Chandler.
I had such a crush on that guy, and I have no idea why beyond the fact that he was very tall (more information, if you're curious, here).
Have I ever mentioned the fact that I'm a full foot shorter than the Mathematician?
Now I've got off track and I can't remember... oh yeah.
So there's a movie that I saw maybe a dozen times as a kid, and I can't track it down. The plot was pretty out there, though, so it's at least possible that somebody will know of it.
You've got a young nun in a convent someplace in Europe. I think, Spain, but I'm not sure. She's got regrets. She's got urges. She throws caution to the wind and runs off. But wait! The statue of the Virgin Mary sees this, and intercedes. She doesn't haul the young hussy back by the veil. No. She climbs down from her pedestal and takes her place.
So the running nun goes off and sows her oats. There's a matador, as I remember. He dies. I think a soldier, too. He dies. In fact it turns out she's bad news. Any guy she falls in love with? Dies.
Finally she figures out that the heavens are trying to tell her something. So she goes back to the convent expecting to be punished but finds instead that her place is filled -- by the Mother of God. So the statue goes back up on the pedestal and the young woman is thankful to have her spot back in the convent. Where she apparently spends the rest of her life remembering the good times with the matador and the soldier.
At twelve I was fascinated by that movie. It horrified and titillated. I scoffed, but was transfixed.
Anybody? Ring any bells? Numerous searches on IMDB have left me without a clue.
Edited to add:
I'm amazed that ksgreer managed to track down the movie in question so quickly, and even better: a review from the NYT when it first came out. The Miracle, starring Carrol Baker and a very young Roger Moore. The review adds many details I had forgot, and verifies that the movie is indeed a kitch festival. But one thing I have to take exception to. The reviewer says: "This girl, performed by Carroll Baker, lately of 'Baby Doll' and still pretty much the same plump baggage she was in that somewhat seamy role..."
Plump baggage. Plump baggage? That's mean, even for 1959. And here's the movie poster to prove my point. Plump baggage, indeed. So she made a gaudy movie. She was also in Giant and worked right up until recently, small roles on television mostly. While Bosley Crowther of the poison pen had to retire in 1968 because by that time he was regarded as antiquated in his tastes.
Score for me!
(reposted from NY Times archive, since it's behind password)
Screen: 'The Miracle' at Music Hall; Warner Film Is Based on Reinhardt Show
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By BOSLEY CROWTHER
Published: November 13, 1959
WARNER BROTHERS and Frank Butler, screen writer, have certainly had their way with the late Max Reinhardt's celebrated theatricial show. "The Miracle."
According to records and legends, this classic religious pantomime possessed a remarkably reverent, and even mystical, quality on the stage, where it was generally performed in settings representing a vast cathedral. But as the Warners and Mr. Butler have transcribed it for the screen, it is talkative, gaudy and vulgar and only begins and ends in a church.
For the most part, as demonstrated at the Music Hall yesterday, it recounts the ornate romantic didoes of a back-sliding postulant nun.
This girl, performed by Carroll Baker, lately of "Baby Doll" and still pretty much the same plump baggage she was in that somewhat seamy role, departs from a Spanish convent when a handsome British officer rides by, and takes up a life of wild adventure after she thinks he has been killed in the Napoleonic wars.
First she finds herself the sweetheart of a raggle-taggle gypsy, performed by black-haired Vittorio Gassman, who smacks his stomach and gives out great guffaws. But when he is betrayed by his brother (Carlos Rivas) and the latter is slain by their atavistic mother (Katina Paxinou), our little girl is taken by a fixer (Walter Slezak) to Madrid and there put in touch with a bullfighter, who sets her up as a singing and dancing star.
But, of course, she doesn't love him. Nor does she love an old rake (Dennis King) who leeringly wishes to make her an operatic diva of some sort. So, as soon as the handsome bullfighter (Gustavo Rojo) is fatally gored, she takes off for a grandly spectacular tour of European capitals. This eventually lands her in Brussels and providentially in the arms of the handsome English officer, who, it turns out, was not dead at all.
At this point, our ambulating Carmen turns into a Becky Sharp, for her fellow is no less than the nephew of the Duke of Wellington, whose red-coated English army is gathered for the Battle of Waterloo. And here we are, on the eve of battle, at a mammoth military ball, with our couple kissing in the moonlight and looking hopefully ahead.
Meanwhile, back at the convent, a remarkable thing has occurred. The little nun is still there in a radiant body and a statue of the Virgin Mary has disappeared. However, drought and pestilence are ravishing the land, and no one can understand it. All very strange and weird.
Well, the end of the story is that our bold adventuress, who speaks with a twangy, childish voice and makes eyes like a little calf, decides to go back to the convent. "Everything I love dies in my hands," she says. So she slips back, the drought is ended and the statue of the Virgin returns to its place.
Under Irving Rapper's direction, this elaborate and rococo tale takes on an equally garish pictorial quality. In color and Technirama, it splashes all over the wide screen, and the acting of all the performers is in a comparable artificial style. The only miraculous thing about it is that the actors could be got to keep their faces straight and go through the postures of such a plushy, synthetic and dramatically dull charade.
In the stage show at the Music Hall are Dino Zamaro, tenor; Bob Lewis, comedian; Johnny Daenen, tap dancer; the Davis Dixie Band and the Rockettes.
THE MIRACLE, screen play by Frank Butler, based on the play by Karl Vollmoeder; directed by Irving Rapper; produced by Henry Blanke and presented by Warner Brothers. At the Radio City Music Hall. Running time: 120 minutes.
Teresa . . . . . Carroll Baker
Capt. Stuart . . . . . Roger Moore
Flaco . . . . . Walter Slezak
Guido . . . . . Vittorio Gassman
La Roca . . . . . Katina Paxinou
Casimir . . . . . Dennis King
Cordoba . . . . . Gustavo Rojo
Reverend Mother . . . . . Isobel Elsom
Carlltos . . . . . Carlos Rivas
Duke of Wellington . . . . . Torin Thatcher
Sister Dominica . . . . . Elspeth March
Gata . . . . . Darla Massey
....so. Is that it? ;-)
ohmygawd. I can't believe you found it so quickly. Or at all. The gaudy extravaganza... yes, yes yes.
Now I've got to see if it's on DVD so we can watch it and giggle through the whole thing.
You did score. And how.
Eh, well, I can only say:
BEHOLD! The power of GOOGLE!
;-)
I googled "movie nun matador soldier" and an Amazon page about that movie (two used and new!) was the first thing that popped up. I came here to post about it but ksgreer had beaten me to it. :)
It seems that for a while there at least I lost my google mojo. The two of you still have the power.
Well, that review was a whole heap of entertainment in itself. Had to read it twice to even absorb half of it.
I have to agree with you Rosina regarding the IMHO gross insult of labelling Ms Baker a 'plump baggage'.
I'm not sure what the definition of baggage is in this context other than to me it would imply a difficult/opinionated woman, which not knowing the lady in question I am not qualified to comment on, but plump? Man if that is plump I'd love to be it. Certainly on the movie poster she looks quite stunning - a little like Nicole Kidman would look if she had some meat on her bones I expect.
I suppose there may have been some pre-digital manipulation of the poster but really....
Sorry I do believe I am rambling here. Put it down to the steady consumption of rum balls from our office kitchen for the last 5 hours.
Wishing you and all fellow blog visitors and your loved ones a peaceful and relaxing holiday time
Alison, it's funny you should mention Ms Baker as looking like Nicole Kidman 'with meat on her bones' as that's who I originally thought it was, albeit in her younger days when she was a little more 'rounded' than she appears now.
Dunno about the plump bit either - plus I always thought that women of that era were more desirable (for the want of a better word) curvier as opposed to the rake thin standard of modern 'hotties'.
It seems rum-balls are popular, I've been munching on a few fairly potent ones today too! hehe
At first I thought it was Linda Pearl who I cannot find a picture of on the world wide web!! She's from Happy Days and maybe movies of the 70's.