The Story of Three Loves
Tags: romantic

Plot synopsis:
=== The Jealous Lover ===
On an ocean liner, a passenger recognizes famed ballet creator Charles Coudray (James Mason), and asks him politely why one of his works has never been performed since its debut. When Coudray remains silent, the fan leaves him alone with his thoughts, leading to a flashback.
Ballerina Paula Woodward (Moira Shearer) auditions for Coudray. Coudray is impressed, but then Paula collapses and has to be carried off stage. A doctor informs her aunt Lydia (Agnes Moorehead) that she has a heart condition that will force her to give up dancing.
Some time later, Paula attends a performance of Coudray's latest ballet. After everyone else has left, she goes on stage and starts dancing. However, she is not alone. Coudray has been watching. He is dissatisfied with certain aspects of his work; from what he has seen of Paula's impromptu performance, he believes she can help him fix the defects.
At first, Paula declines his invitation to dance for him at his studio home, but eventually agrees. Paula lives up to Coudray's high expectations, but exhausts herself in the process. Coudray tenderly kisses her before she goes to change. She slips away and returns home to Lydia with the news of what she has done. But on her way upstairs, she dies, her last words a lament that she had promised Coudray that she would be with him always.
=== Mademoiselle ===
The story then shifts to a second passenger, referred to only as Mademoiselle (Leslie Caron). A chance remark by a passerby about a governess triggers her flashback.
She is the governess and French tutor to Thomas Clayton Campbell Jr., a bored eleven-year-old American boy (Ricky Nelson) left in her charge at a hotel by his absent parents. One day, another boy dares him to visit Mrs. Hazel Pennicott (Ethel Barrymore), who lives next door and is reputed to be a witch. When he wishes he were a man, she tells him to wrap a red ribbon around his finger and recite her name at 8 pm, but she warns him that the spell will only last until midnight. The incantation works, and he is transformed into a young man (Farley Granger).
In his new form, he goes to find Mademoiselle, and is surprised to find that he no longer despises Mademoiselle, nor the romantic poetry that she kept reciting to him. They embark on a whirlwind romance, but he warns her that he has only a few hours before he has to go away. He does however promise that he will see her off at the train station the next day. He flees as the clock strikes midnight.
He keeps his word, but as the young boy. Mademoiselle quits her job to remain in Rome. While waiting for her lover to show up, she bumps into Mrs. Pennicott and spills the contents of the old woman's purse. Mademoiselle gathers up the various items, but after Mrs. Pennicott thanks her and leaves, she picks up an overlooked red ribbon.
The film shifts back to the ship. While Mademoiselle is knitting in a deck chair, the red ribbon blows away. When she goes to retrieve it, she encounters a handsome young man who informs her that he saw her before, from the train as it departed the station.
=== Equilibrium ===
The camera moves to Pierre Narval (Kirk Douglas), leaning over the rail and gazing at the ocean.
In Paris, Narval saves a suicidal Nina Burkhardt (Pier Angeli) after she jumps from a bridge over the Seine River. He goes to visit her in the hospital, and finds her still very depressed. He gives her his address and asks her to come see him.
When she does (having nowhere else to go), he tells her that he was once a great trapeze artist. However being the best was not enough for him; he kept trying more and more dangerous tricks, and two years before, his partner was killed as a result. After that, nobody would work with him. As Nina has demonstrated that she has no fear of dying, he asks her to be his new partner. When she agrees, he starts training her, despite his friends' warning that his obsession will kill her too.
Narval learns Nina's own dark secret. She and her husband had been imprisoned by the Nazis in a concentration camp during World War II. She was released. Sensing that he was planning an escape, she had written him a letter begging him to wait, that the Allies would liberate him soon enough. However, she entrusted the letter to a man who betrayed them. Her husband was executed.
At last, the act is ready. They audition for an important American, who insists they perform the climax, the "Leap of Death" (a blind jump by Nina through a screen to Narval on the trapeze), without a safety net, just as they would before a live audience. They do the trick, but then Narval makes a decision. They walk away, leaving the circus behind them. Back aboard the ship, Narval is joined by a loving Nina.

Review: Several years ago, when I first saw this movie, I felt that it was melodramatic with awkward dialogue and clumsy direction, and not worth my time, except for the dancing segment with Moira Shearer and James Mason ("Jealous Lover").
After this recent viewing, I have a better appreciation of the finished product and wonder at the curious division of directors, Minnelli and Reinhardt, and committee of script writers,  which may account for the structural and dialogue flaws in the film.
Both script and direction fall short of their work, such as "The Red Shoes" or Stairway to Heaven." Yet on this second viewing I still felt it worth my time.
First, the casts are well chosen and the camera loves them, especially the three female leads: Shearer, Caron and Angeli.
Being English, French and Italian (in that order), they also embody the international strength of post-war Hollywood, and are strong complements for the male leads, Mason, Granger and Douglas, all of whom made their careers in America (Mason was born English, I believe).
These three leading ladies were certainly chosen for their youthful radiance and sensitivity, and the luminous close-ups plus the saturated color and lush music by the great Rozsa (who appears as the conductor in the first segment) lend a baroque richness to each of the segments reminiscent of Visconti's "Senso," or possibly even "Il Gattopardo."Second, the camera work and lighting are excellent, both subtle and dramatic at the same time, fully enhancing the flashback aspect and sense of fantasy in all of the stories and revealing the delicacy and individuality of the three women, not to mention the great Agnes Moorehead in the first segment.
The delicacy of Shearer, Caron and Angeli with the differences in each of their coloring and bone structure, contrasts dramatically with their respective male leads, the forceful articulateness of Mason (given an incredibly weak script stilted and overwrought when compared to P & P's dialogue for Lermentov in  "Red Shoes"), the boyish tenderness of Granger in the second segment, and the snappy personality of Douglas in the high wire segment.In the latter, which other reviewers seemed to like the least, I found Angeli's combination of vulnerability and inner strength very moving, all of the emotion held back, but pouring out of those great expressive eyes.
Certainly the circumstances of the war that led to Angeli's suicide attempt in the story lent a depth to the plot that was very much of the time and may be difficult for Americans to understand today.
However, Europeans were still deeply affected by the war even in the mid-fifties (see "Act of Love," another film of Douglas's).
What each of the female stars gave to the film, as the focus of the "three loves" of the title -- Shearer in her role as a ballerina with the exquisite choreography by Frederick Ashton (celebrating the centennial of his birth this year); Caron, in an early non-dancing part actually using her French in the dialogue if not in the poems by Verlaine; and in Angeli cast as a victim of the war-- was a sense of authenticity and genuineness.
One final thing I liked about "Equilibrium" was showing how Douglas trained Angeli step by step in the high wire act to build up her strength and courage.
The three passengers are James Mason, Leslie Caron, and Kirk Douglas and each one had things turn out quite differently.The first story The Jealous Lover concerns ballet impresario James Mason and his protégé Moira Shearer.
As for Mason who is it he really loves, the woman or the ballerina?The second story, Mademoiselle, could have served as the inspiration for the Tom Hanks movie Big. Leslie Caron is the French governess of a rich American kid, Ricky Nelson, who's both spoiled and bored with his French lessons and eager to grow up.
He's everything the love lost Caron could hope for.The last story is Equilibrium with former circus trapeze artist Kirk Douglas saving Pier Angeli from drowning herself in the Seine.
Angeli may just have the right stuff to be that partner, but Douglas is also looking at her in more than a professional way.Equilibiium got the most acclaim, Kirk Douglas and Pier Angeli were given a film of their own, Act Of Love, later to do.
Each of the three love stories would have been worthy of a movie to itself.
The third, with Pier Angeli and Kirk Douglas was a treat even for a viewer who does not usually like Kirk Douglas.
It rates a 9 on the basis of the marvelous sequences as he teaches Pier Angeli the art of high wire performance.
There are long, uninterrupted sequences of the marvelous Moira Shearer dancing to one of Rachmaninoff's fabulous Variations on a Theme of Paganini.
As icing on the cake, James Mason is the audience of one as she dances, an irascible impresario who is, quite understandably, overwhelmed by the magic of Shearer's performance.
At full length, with three times the dancing, and a better love story between Shearer and Mason, it would be a movie I might expect to see in Heaven.
I loved this movie especially the the third segment featuring Pier Angeli.
She really did her best portraying a suicidal widow of a Holocaust victim who becomes a trapeze artist after she is saved from drowning by Kirk Douglas's character.
The first of three stories, "Jealous Lover," offers sheer bliss as the great ballerina, Moria Sherer, dances to Rachmaninov's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini."  One is reminded of the exquisite beauty of Sherer, who thrilled audiences for many years at the Sadler's Wells.
"The Story of Three Loves," remains a good piece of work, unusually artistic coming from a major studio..
(Yes, believe it or not, there was a time when good music was popular!) At the time, I knew it was featured in a movie, and I probably knew the title, but I never saw it.
This morning I discovered "The Story of Three Loves" (1953) on Turner Classic Movies, and there was Moira Shearer dancing to Rachmaninoff.
Speaking of shades of the future, in the first scene of the aerialist segment, "Equilibrium," Pier Angeli attempted suicide but was saved by Kirk Douglas.
Although this movie has three rather uneven stories in separate segments, the overall package succeeds, is quite beautiful artistically and is highly entertaining.
However, I must say that I've seen this film several times and it did get better the more I watched it.The first story is the best.
It concerns Moira Shearer as a ballerina who has a heart condition but MUST dance, as to her ballet is a compulsion.
This segment reminded me of The Red Shoes (also starring Shearer) but was thankfully MUCH shorter and interesting--a definite plus for those like me who really DON'T like ballet!
It's cute and a bit sad as well.The final is the weakest story about a trapeze artist who lost his last partner but now has discovered another,...and LOVE!
In addition to that, I enjoyed: 1) the timing--the movie consists of three shorts and I appreciate the order in which the three are presented; 2) sense of humor--the second short is quite charming and I thought well written from a child's point of view--it avoids being an adult pretending to be a child; 3) long dance scenes--there must be several three minute scenes with no editing cuts (the music is so strong that whenever I hear a piece by Faure, if it's not the piece in this one scene it reminds me of it, that I must stop a few seconds because the memory is so alive); 4) the deep exploration of "what is right" --I not only appreciate the presentation of the two sides of every decision presented in all of the shorts, but also that a quick Hollywood solution is resisted; and finally 5) a young Kirk Douglas--which is the old fashioned manly-man.
Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" is the gorgeous music to which Moira Shearer danced her lovely ballet in the first story.
The awed & inspired look on James Mason's face as he watches her dance expresses what we, the audience, see: how dancing makes Moira's character feel.
It's a moving scene and there are 3 beautiful, emotional performances: Moira Sheara, James Mason, and the music.This Rachmaninoff piece has been featured in several movies.
These include, among others: The Story of Three Loves (1953); Rhapsody (1954); Somewhere in Time (1980); Dead Again (1991); Sabrina (1995); Ronin (1998).It's a beautiful, moving, "timeless" piece of music.
There are some great actors giving good performances (at times melodramatic - but that's the nature of the script more than their acting abilities), plus (suprise!) a young Ricky Nelson in the only thing I remember seeing him in as a boy besides the Ozzie & Harriet TV series - and he wasn't stilted like he was on his family's show (probably good directing!!!).
Some great face shots throughout, too, showing emotion that the script couldn't (using the classic face-lighting techniques that have fallen out of favor with most of today's contemporary film directors).In spite of some beautiful and memorable scenes in this movie, I'll probably remember the way the music made me feel longer than I'll remember the rest of the movie - and it's worth watching for that alone!.
The first with James Mason and Moira Shearer has beautiful music and dancing but a rather overwrought storyline and wastes Agnes Moorehead in a nothing role.
The last with Kirk Douglas and Pier Angeli is suffused with sorrow made especially poignant since she plays a girl saved by Kirk from suicide, such was not the case in real life and she ended up taking her own life several years later.
The real charmer is the middle episode, a precursor to the film Big, with Ethel Barrymore as an elderly enchantress, Leslie Caron and Farley Granger sweet in a story of young love.
See the story of three strangers as they cruise the Atlantic and remember what it's like to fall in love.The first stars Kirk Douglas as a circus artist.
Artistic, uneven, but still a satisfying blend of three love stories....
While not a flawless film by any means, THE STORY OF THREE LOVES has so many elements in its favor that it's better to talk about them first.MOIRA SHEARER is pure magic as a ballet dancer with a secret and JAMES MASON does well as the man who encourages her to dance again after a long spell of inactivity.
Shearer dances to some vibrant music by Rachmaninoff where her versatility is comparable to that displayed in THE RED SHOES.
The story itself is on the thin, transparent side.LESLIE CARON plays a governess hired to teach young RICKY NELSON a love for language, stressing French irregular verbs.
It's silly and unfortunately Nelson is too peevish as the spoiled boy before he transforms himself into FARLEY GRANGER.But the last story is extremely well acted by KIRK DOUGLAS and PIER ANGELI and interested me the most.
He gave me the clues of many great old stars and something about a Paganini piece, trapeze aerialist, ballet, suicide and Farley Granger.
At length, I had to rely on my memory and thought of Bert Lancanster and Kirk Douglas in a film concerning circus performers.
Nothing under Bert Lancaster, but when I looked at Kirk Douglas' list in this data base; voilà, I found this film.
Trio of stories--a popular movie gimmick in the 1950s--linked by an ocean-liner and three disparate characters on-board.
James Mason is intense and snarling as a demanding ballet impresario who falls for ill-fated ballerina Moira Shearer, who, unbeknownst to him, is suffering from a bad ticker; Leslie Caron plays governess to ungrateful brat Ricky Nelson, both magically touched by the powers of Ethel Barrymore, reputed to be a witch; Kirk Douglas (as Pierre!) is a former star of the trapeze who trains suicidal Pier Angeli to be his new partner under the Big Top. The first two episodes are hurt by a weak narrative (the protagonists appear to recall information they should not be privy to), while the last chapter is hurt by miscasting (neither Douglas nor Angeli looks quite comfortable doing these gymnastic moves).
Douglas is so mercurial in his angst that he's amusing unintentionally, while sullen Angeli is made up to look like a corpse in a silent movie.
There's an impressive line-up of marquee stars in this triumvirate of love stories that leans heavily on Rachmaninoff's music and little else as it listlessly moves from one tale to the next with little time to develop plot or character.In the first we have The Red Shoes meets The Seventh Veil as Moira Shearer and James Mason do what they do best (dance and display disdain) in a would be Svengali scenario short circuited by a bad ticker.
The second has little Ricky Nelson in a Cinderella situation where he becomes Farley Granger for the night romancing his previously detested French teacher Leslie Caron.
The third features Kirk Douglas as a French trapeze artist attempting to rescue cold and detached Pier Angeli from herself.Unimaginatively tied together by an ocean liner each improbable brevity sinks as fast as the Lusitania without ever gaining any depth.
Old pros Agnes Moorehead and Ethel Barrymore do the most with the crumbs they are thrown and Ricky Nelson is surprisingly effective as a bratty child while Caron, Shearar and Angeli along with a two sentence performance by Zsa Zsa Gabor provide window dressing in this lushly designed but soulless production..
I liked James Mason as the ballet director, and I was impressed by Moira Shearer's dancing, although I'm not generally a great fan of ballet dancing.
And I love the music they used for the soundtrack, the 'Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini' by Sergei Rachmaninoff.Next in sequence there is the story of a teacher (played by Leslie Caron) who hasn't known love yet.
I also liked Pier Angeli; she plays Nina Burkhardt, a woman who is so disillusioned she tries to commit suicide.
They fall in love, but then there is a very dangerous stunt they have to perform without a safety net...I liked the third story best.
I think the order in which the stories are told is well chosen for a sentimental love movie.I think if you like the genre, this movie is well worth a look..
This was an interesting film, but not an extremely compelling one.It was all kind of predictable since you could see the handwriting on the wall: the death of Moira, the growing up of Ricky Nelson / Farley Granger, and the ultimate success of Douglas and Angeli.
Finding a new love added to her happiness, so it would have been cruel to audiences back then to have her die in the end.I have not yet seen The Red Shoes, so I was not shocked or disappointed how much the sequence resembled the earlier film.
Nelson, Barrymore, and Granger were also fine.Kirk Douglas looked Hollywood hunky and totally like a leading man, one who was almost too handsome for his own good; Angeli's performance had the doe like look of innocence she portrayed well.
The trapeze sequences did look realistic, and I suspect Douglas did most of his stunts himself.
Angeli also looked quite believable as well.The film is worth seeing, even if nothing for the great stars of classic Hollywood.I also enjoyed hearing the Paganini theme; I had loved it in Somewhere in Time as well, so I was surprised to hear it in another earlier film as well.It's worth checking out, but not a film I think I would have the patience to see over and over..
"The Jealous Lover" is especially anemic plot-wise (and a little too close to The Red Shoes (1948) for its own good) and "Equilibrium" wanders on far too long.In spite of these shortcomings, The Story of Three Loves is a lovely melodramatic anthology, shot beautifully in Technicolor.
Though it utilizes the love at first sight trope so mocked by contemporary audiences, Moira Shearer and James Mason share great chemistry and make the brief love between their characters poignant, masking how thin the plot really is."Mademoiselle" is a charming precursor to Tom Hanks' Big (1988), with Farley Granger as a child in a grown man's body who comes to fall for his French governess, Leslie Caron, whom he had previously bullied and deemed too "mushy" for his respect.
This segment is perhaps the best of the three: it has both a good story and good pacing."Equilibrium" has the strongest love story of the three, with Kirk Douglas and Pier Angeli as two lonely people who find a chance to come to terms with their tragic pasts after he rescues her from a botched suicide attempt.
As I mentioned previously, it does run on too long, but Douglas and Angeli make sure it is never unbearable.Overall, not a bad way to spend time if you love melodrama or any of the actors involved..
I'm a very sentimental person, as my wife would tell you, and typically enjoy an old-fashioned love story on film, but this film struck me as odd.
During the intro to the film I was intrigued--three love stories woven together on a ship.
Consider that the first story is about ballet and heart attacks, the second about witches and wishes, and the third about suicide and circus trapeze artists.And within the stories there were issues that nagged me.
James Mason was great in the first vignette, until the young lady begins dancing in his studio.
Three people on a passenger ship recall love stories..
I thought the first story (Moira Shearer and James Mason, Ballet) was pretentious and dull.
I wish the TCM commentator would not pronounce her name as Moria.The second story (Leslie Caron) was done better by Big, even though I love watching Leslie Caron.The third story (Kirk Douglas and Pier Angeli as trapeze artists) was well-written, well-acted, well-filmed and very moving, better than the other two put together.