That Lady in Ermine

That Lady in Ermine (DVD) (*)

~~$24.99~~ $18.97

Screened, competed or awarded at:
Oscar Academy Awards
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
Spanish ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
Spanish ( Subtitles )

Product Origin/Format:
Spain ( PAL/Region 2 )

Running Time:
86 min

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen

Special Features:
Interactive Menu
Scene Access

Movie filmed in 1948 and produced in:
United States ( USA, Canada )

Directed By:
Ernst Lubitsch

Written By:
Samson Raphaelson
Rudolph Schanzer

Actors:
Betty Grable ..... Francesca / Angelina
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. ..... Col. Ladislas Karolyi Teglas / The duke
Cesar Romero ..... Mario
Walter Abel ..... Maj. Horvath / Benvenuto
Reginald Gardiner ..... Alberto
Harry Davenport ..... Luigi
Virginia Campbell ..... Theresa
Whit Bissell ..... Giulio

Synopsis:

That Lady in Ermine tells two parallel stories, both taking place in the small Mittel-European duchy of Bergamo, but one set in the 19th century and the other in the 16th. In 1861, the Countess Angelina (Betty Grable) and her newlywed husband, Baron Mario, have just entered the bridal chamber when a Hungarian army regiment under the command of Colonel Teglash (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.) invades. Mario flees the castle, leaving Angelina to face the invaders, just as her 16th --century ancestor Francesca (also Betty Grable) was forced to protect her turf under similar circumstances. Colonel Teglash is struck by a portrait of Francesca (the lady in ermine of the title), and the resemblance between her and Angelina makes it difficult for him to rule with his customary iron fist. Meanwhile, Francesca haunts the dreams of both Angelina and Teglash. She appears to advise Angelina to pretend interest in the colonel and then kill him, much as she herself did so many years ago. At the same time, Teglash dreams that Francesca/Angelina overcomes the desire to kill him and falls in love with him. The 19th-century couple play out their story against the backdrop of Francesca's own tale, but with the twist that Angelina really does find herself caring for Teglash. Although the direction is credited to Ernst Lubitsch, he died after 8 days of filming; the film was completed by Otto Preminger

In 1861, Countess Angelina, ruler of Bergamo in southeastern Europe, marries Mario, a baron she has known since childhood. When the castle is threatened by Hungarian hussars led by Colonel Teglash on their wedding night, Mario flees. At midnight, the paintings in the ancestral gallery come to life, and their subjects ask Francesca, Angelina's great-great-great-great-grandmother, to save the castle just as she did in the 16th century. Through a spyglass, Francesca observes Teglash leading the advancing army and finds herself attracted to him. When he sees her portrait, Teglash is puzzled by the fact she is wearning an ermine coat but no shoes. Angelina greets Teglash, who flirts with her when he learns her bridegroom has escaped, but she makes it clear she respects her marriage vows and is concerned about her husband's safety. Angelina's servant Luigi, seeing how smitten the colonel is with his mistress, tells Teglash how three hundred years earlier, Francesca retained control of the castle when a tyrannical duke attempted to seize it.

Circa 1861, Angelina, ruling countess of an Italian principality, is at a loss when invaded by a Hungarian army. Her lookalike ancestress Francesca, who saved a similar situation 300 years before, comes to life from a portrait to help her descendant. Complicating factor: the newlywed countess feels strangely drawn to the handsome invader...

This product was added to our catalog on Tuesday 08 September, 2009.

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