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The Black Orchid

  • 1958
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 36m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
1.3K
YOUR RATING
Sophia Loren and Anthony Quinn in The Black Orchid (1958)
Anthony Quinn and Sophia Loren star as longtime widower Frank and recently widowed Rose, lonely hearts who discover something special in The Black Orchid.
Play trailer2:22
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DramaRomance

Anthony Quinn and Sophia Loren star as longtime widower Frank and recently widowed Rose, lonely hearts who discover something special in The Black Orchid, a sensitive comedy romance directed... Read allAnthony Quinn and Sophia Loren star as longtime widower Frank and recently widowed Rose, lonely hearts who discover something special in The Black Orchid, a sensitive comedy romance directed by Martin Ritt (Norma Rae, Murphy's Romance).Anthony Quinn and Sophia Loren star as longtime widower Frank and recently widowed Rose, lonely hearts who discover something special in The Black Orchid, a sensitive comedy romance directed by Martin Ritt (Norma Rae, Murphy's Romance).

  • Director
    • Martin Ritt
  • Writer
    • Joseph Stefano
  • Stars
    • Sophia Loren
    • Anthony Quinn
    • Peter Mark Richman
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.4/10
    1.3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Martin Ritt
    • Writer
      • Joseph Stefano
    • Stars
      • Sophia Loren
      • Anthony Quinn
      • Peter Mark Richman
    • 26User reviews
    • 10Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 1 nomination total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:22
    Trailer

    Photos21

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    Top cast73

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    Sophia Loren
    Sophia Loren
    • Rose Bianco
    Anthony Quinn
    Anthony Quinn
    • Frank Valente
    Peter Mark Richman
    Peter Mark Richman
    • Noble
    • (as Mark Richman)
    Virginia Vincent
    Virginia Vincent
    • Alma Gallo
    Frank Puglia
    Frank Puglia
    • Henry Gallo
    Jimmy Baird
    • Ralph Bianco
    Naomi Stevens
    Naomi Stevens
    • Guilia Gallo
    Whit Bissell
    Whit Bissell
    • Mr. Harmon
    Robert Carricart
    Robert Carricart
    • Priest
    Joe Di Reda
    Joe Di Reda
    • Joe
    Jack Washburn
    • Tony Bianco
    Ina Balin
    Ina Balin
    • Mary Valente
    Barbara Aler
    • Girl at Wedding Shower
    • (uncredited)
    Maria Andre
    • Aunt Millie's Daughter
    • (uncredited)
    Larry Arnold
    • Wedding Guest
    • (uncredited)
    Angela Austin
    • Blondie
    • (uncredited)
    Rose Barbato
    • Flower Woman
    • (uncredited)
    Majel Barrett
    Majel Barrett
    • Luisa
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Martin Ritt
    • Writer
      • Joseph Stefano
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews26

    6.41.3K
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    Featured reviews

    9planktonrules

    This one has ACTING.....

    I liked "The Black Orchid", as it's a film that works well because the script is very good and the acting really carries it off well. Too many films feature everything but fine acting--so this one is a great lesson to aspiring actors and folks who want to learn to appreciate more than explosions and the like.

    The film begins with the death of a gangster. He's left a mixed up son and a beautiful but mixed up wife (Sophia Loren). Because of some sense of guilt for pushing her husband to succeed, he chose organized crime--and now she feels responsible for killing him. Her penance is to shut herself away from the world and be miserable. However, a gregarious widower (Anthony Quinn) is determined to break through this wall. He figures that they both are lonely and they should make a go of it.

    When it comes to Loren's change from closed and unhappy to falling in love with Quinn, this is probably the weakest point in the film. It happens very quickly--as if some period of time is missing. However, considering that their being in love and wanting to get married is NOT the main point of the film, this can be forgiven.

    The hiccup in this relationship is, surprisingly, not from Loren's son. While he is in reform school, he likes the idea of the marriage. The problem is Quinn's adult daughter. She has an almost incestuous bond with her father and she is determined to do anything to prevent him from remarrying--even if it means her losing her own chance for marriage. While this may seem a bit unrealistic, as a family therapist, such reactions from daughters to the prospect of their widowed fathers remarrying isn't that unusual--and is the great basis of a film.

    All this works together very well due to the acting. Quinn is simply great--very likable and decent. As for Loren, it's one of her earliest English language films--and she is exceptional. In particular, I loved her body language and expressions. As for the rest, the ensemble cast is uniformly good. While this is not an exciting film, it is very well done and deserves to be seen. A sweet and worthwhile romance that will probably leave you feeling a bit misty-eyed.
    6ma-cortes

    Remarkable and intelligent account about a mature couple , being well directed and wonderfully performed

    Patchy weeper with terrific and enjoyable performances , in which a businessman Frank Valente (Anthony Quinn) romancing criminal's widow named Rose Bianco (Sophia Loren) and the principal problem results in convincing their children that marriage will make all their lives better . As the Italian Frank wooing a mobster's widow that leads to unexpected consequences . Both of whom are strongly involved with their sons , as Frank has to convince his sternly moralising daughter (Ina Balin) about marry herself to Noble (Peter Mark Richman) , while Rose must convince her little boy Ralph (Jimmy Baird) who usually is locked at remand home like in N.Y. State Farm .

    This is a plain and simple film with plenty of interesting drama , Soap opera , emotion and a sensitive as well as unexpectedly tender romance . Filmmaker Martin Ritt has got a considerable success in delineating their troublesome roles in this fabricated Soaper . Various character-studios furnish the basis for this agreeable drama and it results to be a superb piece of acting . Excellent interpretation by protagonist duo , as Anthony Quinn as the bungling businessman romancing a moll's beautiful widow , this was the first of Anthony's European roles leading to his hit five years later in ¨Zorba the Greek¨ . And Sophia Loren playing magnificently the mature but attractive crook's widow , though she was 23 years old during filming, only 10 years older than the actor playing her juvenile son . The picture also established Loren's claim as a player of some worth and paved the way for her Acadeny Award-winning success three years later in ¨Two women¨ and her triumph in ¨The Cid¨ . It is a mostly staged drama in which the two main actors spend the majority of the movie attempting to persuade their children that all will be better if they marry and it can work out . Nice screenplay by Joseph Stefano dealing with sensitive themes such as the disintegration of a family , an enticing love story , rebellious childhood and including engaging dialogs . Evocative cinematography in VistaVision by Robert Burks , he's a classic cameraman and Hitchcock's usual . The music is sparse, but it's potent and lively every time it appears , it was composed by Alessandro Cicognini .

    This understatement motion picture was well produced by Carlo Ponti , Sophia Loren's husband , and professionally directed by Martin Ritt, who worked with Paul Newman in three Westerns : ¨Hombre¨ , ¨Hud¨ and ¨Outrage¨. Ritt was an expert on dramas such as ¨Stanley and Iris¨ , ¨Nut¨ , ¨Norma Rae¨ , ¨The front¨, ¨The Sound and the Fury¨ , though also directed films of all kind of genres such as : ¨The Spy Who Came in from the Cold¨ , ¨The Great White Hope¨ , ¨Mafia¨ and ¨Molly McGuire¨ . This ¨Black orchid¨ film will appeal to drama enthusiasts and Anthony Quinn/Sophia Loren fans . Rating : Above average, well worth watching ; along with ¨Hud¨ ,and ¨Outrage¨ being one of Ritt's best movie.
    Kirpianuscus

    old fashion delight

    At first , I saw it as a sort of refuge . Familiar actors, good script, old fashion romance , beautiful acting.

    And a realistic obstacle front to a form of new chance to happiness for two single people after not easy experiences from past.

    A film about love, neighbuorhood, attitudes and answers, difficulties and life in fresh aspects .

    Sure, for so many reasons, the film of Sophia Loren and Anthony Quinn. But it is not honest or fair to ignore the supporting actors.

    The main virtue of film, maybe wise mix of honesty and noble simplicity. A film who you feel it , scene by scene, against a sort of hurry to craft the romance. But, no doubts, a film who deserves be seen. Not only once.
    dbdumonteil

    Bland melodrama.

    Martin Ritt has always been a director concerned by social problems:racism,illiteracy,the lot of workers and trade unionism,juvenile delinquency.And some of his works are commendable:"Stanley and Iris","Norma Rae" "edge of the city" to name but three.

    This is the latter subject we find here:Ralphie ,whose late father was a gangster has been sent to a reform school.His mother (Loren) wants to marry an honest man (Quinn).But they've got to reckon with the guy's offspring who's not prepared to accept that.We deal with a "serious" sitcom which drowns out Ralphie's character.Sophia Loren 's portrayal is minimal,and Quinn cannot make up for it.The supporting cast,particularly Quinn's daughter,her fiancé and her confidant,has no presence at all.

    Get Douglas Sirk's "imitation of life" instead if you think melodrama can be great art!
    whpratt1

    Loren & Quinn were Great

    Enjoyed this 1958 film which was the first film that Carlo Ponti who was Sophia Loren's husband in real life, and this was the first film that he directed in the United States for Paramount Studios. This story is about a woman, Rose Bianco, (Sophia Loren) who was the wife of a Mafia mobster who was killed and Rose just lived with her son and worked in a factory making flowers and mostly orchids. Frank Valente, (Anthony Quinn) is a widower after many years with a wife who had a mental condition. The neighbors all felt sorry for Rose and the fact that her only son was sent to a correction farm because he was a problem child and always ran away. The same neighbors wanted to matched up Rose & Frank in hopes of them getting married someday. This story becomes very complicated with many people falling in love and then there are many fights and plenty of cold shoulders going on. I noticed in the film whenever something was going wrong with people there was this strange music being played like in a horror film. Very unusual film and worth viewing this great 1958 Classic film.

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    Drama
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    Romance

    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Sophia Loren earned her first acting award with this movie (she picked up the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival). Many more would follow.
    • Goofs
      A police car with siren sounding pulls up in front of Rose's house and a policeman calls at her door to inform her that her juvenile son has run away from the Work Farm and asks to search the house to see if he is hiding there. The police only use their car sirens for emergency situations and when in pursuit of other vehicles, etc. - not when making routine house calls. And even if her son were hiding at the house (which, in terms of the movie's plot, he wasn't), the blaring siren would have alerted him that he was being sought by the police, causing him to flee into the backyard to make his escape before the policeman entered the house.
    • Quotes

      Frank Valente: Working at night? Even God doesn't work at night.

      Rose Bianco: To make a living people do many things God doesn't do.

    • Connections
      Featured in The Hollywood Collection: Anthony Quinn an Original (1990)

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • February 19, 1959 (Italy)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Italian
    • Also known as
      • Die schwarze Orchidee
    • Filming locations
      • Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production company
      • Paramount Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 36m(96 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White

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