The Story of Three Loves (1953)
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39% of users liked it
(149 ratings)
This anthology film tells three stories of love involving the passengers of an ocean liner at sea. In the first, "The Jealous Lover," James Mason plays Charles Coudray, a well-known ballet director. When someone asks Coudray why he staged his masterpiece, "Astarte," only once, he… More This anthology film tells three stories of love involving the passengers of an ocean liner at sea. In the first, "The Jealous Lover," James Mason plays Charles Coudray, a well-known ballet director. When someone asks Coudray why he staged his masterpiece, "Astarte," only once, he tells the story of Paula Woodward (Moira Shearer), a superb dancer he found practicing in his theater. He was awestruck by her technique and her beauty, but he discovered that she had a secret -- due to a cardiac condition, she has been forbidden to dance too strenuously, as it could tax her heart and eventually kill her. Charles urges Paula to perform for him, so he may use her movements to choreograph his next great work; she agrees, but the exertion proves too much for her and she dies. He arranges for the work she inspired to be performed only once, in hopes that she will somehow see it from on high. In the second segment, "Mademoiselle," Tommy (Ricky Nelson) is a 12-year-old boy travelling with his French governess and tutor (Leslie Caron); she's tired of spending her days watching over a child, and he'd like to get away from Teacher for a while. Mrs. Pennicott (Ethel Barrymore), a older woman who happens to be a witch, hears Tommy wishing he could be a grown-up, and she grants his request: suddenly Tommy is a grown man (played by Farley Granger), but only for the next four hours. The Governess meets the mysterious stranger Tommy has become, and soon they fall in love. In the final segment, "Equilibrium," Kirk Douglas plays Pierre Narval, a high-wire artist who retired from performing after his partner died while performing a trapeze act, an accident Pierre blames on himself. He begins to reconsider his decision when he saves the life of Nina (Pier Angeli), a woman who attempted to drown herself; her husband died in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II, and she feels she is to blame for his death. Their shared fatalism equals fearlessness in Pierre's eyes, and he teaches Nina the art of the trapeze; however, when he begins to fall in love with her, he's no longer so certain that he wants her to risk her life. "The Jealous Lover" and "Equilibrium" were directed by Gottfried Reinhardt, while "Mademoiselle" was directed by Vincente Minnelli. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Vincente Minnelli, Gottfried Reinhardt
- Written By
- John Collier, George Froeschel
- Genres
- Drama, Romance, Musical & Performing Arts
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Mar 26, 1953 Limited
- Studio
- MGM
Critic Reviews
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Like all anthologies, MGM's Stories of Three Loves is uneven: best segment is Mademoiselle, directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring the grand Ethel Barrymore and the very young Ricky Nelson.
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Cast
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Anna Maria Pier Angeli
as Nina [Equilibrium]
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Ethel Barrymore
as Mrs. Pennicott [Mademoiselle]
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Leslie Caron
as Mademoiselle
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Kirk Douglas
as Pierre Narval [Equilibrium]
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James Mason
as Charles Coudray
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Farley Granger
as Thomas Campbell [Mademoiselle]
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Moira Shearer
as Paula Woodward
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Agnes Moorehead
as Aunt Lydia
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Ricky Nelson
as Tommy: aged 12
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Zsa Zsa Gabor
as Flirt at Bar [Mademoiselle]
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Peter Brocco
as Bartender [Mademoiselle]
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Argentina Brunetti
as Saleswoman [Mademoiselle]
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Paul Bryar
as River Policeman [Equilibrium]
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Noreen Corcoran
as Little Girl [Mademoiselle]
- Bruce Edwards
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Steven Geray
as Legay [Equilibrium]
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Jacob Gimpel
as Pianist
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Sam Harris
as Ad Libs
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Robert Horton
as Young Man on Boat [Mademoiselle]
- Anne Howard
- Colin Kenny
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Rudy Lee
as Little Boy [Mademoiselle]
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John Lupton
as Studious Young Man
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Paul Maxey
as Bill Cyrus [Equilibrium]
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Torben Meyer
as Man [Equilibrium]
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Joan Miller
as Woman on Bridge [Equilibrium]
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Alberto Morin
as Mr. Sandes [Mademoiselle]
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Leo Mostovoy
as Stranger in Cafe [Equilibrium]
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Ottola Nesmith
as Usher
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Larry Olsen
as Terry [Mademoiselle]
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John M. Pickard
as Ship's Officers [Equilibrium]
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Jack Raine
as Doctor
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Paula Raymond
as Mrs. Campbell [Mademoiselle]
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Hayden Rorke
as Mr. Rorke [Mademoiselle]
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Frank J. Scannell
as Master of Ceremonies [Equilibrium]
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Reginald Sheffield
as Production Manager
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Elizabeth Slifer
as Concierge [Equilibrium]
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Alice Talton
as Rose [Equilibrium]
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Jack Tesler
as Bartender [Equilibrium]
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Nick Thompson
as Coachman [Mademoiselle]
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Kaaren Verne
as Madame Legay [Equilibrium]
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Frank Wilcox
as [Equilibrium]
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Ken Anderson
as Jacques [Equilibrium]
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Miklos Rozsa
as Conductor
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Tom Quinn
as American Man in Bar [Mademoiselle]
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Peter Norman
as Rudolph Kramer [Equilibrium]
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Kay English
as Nurse [Equilibrium]
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Ernesto Morelli
as Railway Porter [Mademoiselle]
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Manuel Paris
as Mr. Carlos [Mademoiselle]
- Florence Wix
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Ed Agresti
as Railway Conductor [Mademoiselle]
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Victor Desny
as Italian Air Force Officer [Mademoiselle]
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Bertha Feducha
as Woman Vendor [Equilibrium]
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Phyllis Graffeo
as Italian Girl [Mademoiselle]
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Ivan Hayes
as Chorus Boy
- Pier Angeli
