Themes: Crowned Heads, Arranged Marriages, Love Triangles
Main Cast: Sophia Loren, Maurice Chevalier, John Gavin, Angela Lansbury, Milly Vitale
Release Year: 1960
Country: US
Run Time: 98 minutes
Plot
Based on the Ferenc Molnar play Olympia, A Breath of Scandal serves as an elegant vehicle for a ravishing Sophia Loren. The star plays Princess Olympia, who despite her station in life cannot resist the urge to satisfy her sexual appetites. Exiled to the countryside, Olympia falls in love with American millionaire Charlie Foster (John Gavin). Meanwhile, a marriage of state is arranged between the princess and Prince Ruprecht of Prussia (Carlo Hintermann). Jealous rival Countess Lina (Angela Lansbury) endangers this union by threatening to tell all about Olympia and Foster. A cute, continental plot twist brings this harmless confection to a close. Maurice Chevalier dispenses his usual all-knowing glances and sly smiles as Olympia's understanding father. A Breath of Scandal was directed by Michael Curtiz, who uncharacteristically allows the pace to lag at crucial junctures. Scriptwriter Sidney Howard was credited with the script posthumously, some 21 years after his death. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Hal Pereira - Art Director, Gene Allen - Art Director, Ella Bei - Costume Designer, Knize - Costume Designer, Michael Curtiz - Director, Howard A. Smith - Editor, Alessandro Cicognini - Composer (Music Score), Mario Montuori - Cinematographer, Marcello Girosi - Producer, Carlo Ponti - Producer, Walter Bernstein - Screenwriter, Sidney Howard - Screenwriter, Ferenc Molnar - Play Author
It is a remake of the 1929 MGM film His Glorious Night, whose rights were bought by Paramount when this film was made. Coincidentally, years earlier, Paramount had sold one of their own films to MGM, the 1931 version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, when MGM did their own version (this film is now owned by Warner Bros./Turner Entertainment).
