This typical early 1950s romance story has all of the "desk set" elements (found only in romantic dime novels): 3 American secretaries in Rome are searching for "meaning in life", hoping to find it in marriage. The desired suiters are equally "fairy tale-like", including a Prince (played by Frenchman Louis Jourdan), a handsome full-blooded Italian (epitemized by Rossano Brazzi) and a distinguished Englishman (played by Clifton Webb).
Old fashioned values are running rampant in this film. A "working girl" planning to marry was expected to leave her job to tend to full-time housework. Dating was a "no-no", branding a woman a "bad girl". Double-standards across the board. It definitely was a "man's world".
The romantic theme song popularized by the Four Aces endured as a favorite for nearly 50 years. Unfortunately the film itself has lost its mass appeal over time. Although similar in broad subject matter, films like the Tracy/Hepburn classic "Desk Set" or the hilarious "How To Marry A Millionaire" starring the trio Monroe/Grable/Bacall have maintained their cult status as true Hollywood Classics. "Three Coins In The Fouintain" is a mildly pleasant trip into post-WWII Italy, a time of simplicity amidst toil and poverty. Those who dream of "marrying a prince" may have their fill.
Old fashioned values are running rampant in this film. A "working girl" planning to marry was expected to leave her job to tend to full-time housework. Dating was a "no-no", branding a woman a "bad girl". Double-standards across the board. It definitely was a "man's world".
The romantic theme song popularized by the Four Aces endured as a favorite for nearly 50 years. Unfortunately the film itself has lost its mass appeal over time. Although similar in broad subject matter, films like the Tracy/Hepburn classic "Desk Set" or the hilarious "How To Marry A Millionaire" starring the trio Monroe/Grable/Bacall have maintained their cult status as true Hollywood Classics. "Three Coins In The Fouintain" is a mildly pleasant trip into post-WWII Italy, a time of simplicity amidst toil and poverty. Those who dream of "marrying a prince" may have their fill.