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The Barefoot Contessa (not the Food Network show) is a rather unique 1954 celluloid drama starring Humphrey Bogart and glamorous Ava Gardner that is in the regular rotation on the TCM channel.
Written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, this overly long talkfest, which chronicles the dark and ultimately tragic side of Hollywood stardom, is notable in that it is both edgy (for its time) and corny at the same time.
In a supporting role, Edmund O’Brien won an Oscar as a pushy publicist.
Bogart was apparently and sadly was already in declining health during the filming yet nonetheless seemed to practically smoke a Union Pacific train car worth of cigarettes on screen. In this film, he portrays a comeback-minded screenwriter who is the only real friend to the stunning and often shoeless dancer/actress Maria Vargas (Gardner), who is discovered in a Madrid night club.
In the course of the narrative, Vargas, who becomes an overnight sensation in Hollywood after her film debut, hooks up with several different men, including an Italian count. If there ever was a couple badly needing a prenuptial agreement, this was one of them. If/when you get a chance to watch the film (and make to the end), you’ll understand.
In a minor role that should have been larger, Warren Stevens portrays a cold-as-ice movie producer in a foreshadowing of today’s Big Tech moguls.
The Barefoot Contessa has 7 out of 10 user rating on IMDB and a 71 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
