Terminal Station
Encyclopedia
Terminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica
. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival
.
. Truman Capote
was credited with writing the entire screenplay, but later claimed to have written only two scenes. The film was an international co-production
between De Sica's own company and the Hollywood producer David O. Selznick
, who commissioned it as a vehicle for his wife, Jennifer Jones.
The production of the film was troubled from the very beginning. Carson McCullers
was originally chosen to write the screenplay, but Selznick fired her and replaced her with a series of writers, including Paul Gallico
, Alberto Moravia
and Capote. Disagreements ensued between De Sica and Selznick, and during production, Selznick would write 40- and 50-page letters to his director every day, even though De Sica spoke no English. After agreeing to everything, De Sica has said, he simply did things his way.
Montgomery Clift
sided with De Sica in his disputes with Selznick, claiming that Selznick wanted the movie to look like a slick little love story, while De Sica wanted to depict a ruined romance. "Love relationship are ludicrous, painful, and gigantically disappointing. This couple loves each other but they become unconnected."
During the filming, Jones lamented the recent death of her former husband, actor Robert Walker
, and badly missed her two sons, who were in school in Switzerland. She had been married to Selznick less than two years at that point, and they were having difficulties in the marriage.
The original release of the film ran 89 minutes, but it was later re-edited by Selznick down to 64 minutes and re-released as Indiscretion of an American Wife (and as Indiscretion in the UK). Clift declared that he hated the picture and denounced it as "a big fat failure." Critics of the day agreed, giving it universally bad reviews.
The two versions have been released together on DVD by The Criterion Collection
. A 1998 remake of the film was made for television under the title Indiscretion of an American Wife.
Vittorio de Sica
Vittorio De Sica was an Italian director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement....
. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival
1953 Cannes Film Festival
-Jury:*Jean Cocteau *Louis Chauvet *Titina De Filippo *Guy Desson *Philippe Erlanger *Renée Faure *Jacques-Pierre Frogerais *Abel Gance *André Lang...
.
Production
The film is based on the story Stazione Termini by Cesare ZavattiniCesare Zavattini
Cesare Zavattini was an Italian screenwriter and one of the first theorists and proponents of the Neorealist movement in Italian cinema.-Brief biography:...
. Truman Capote
Truman Capote
Truman Streckfus Persons , known as Truman Capote , was an American author, many of whose short stories, novels, plays, and nonfiction are recognized literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's and the true crime novel In Cold Blood , which he labeled a "nonfiction novel." At...
was credited with writing the entire screenplay, but later claimed to have written only two scenes. The film was an international co-production
International co-production
An international co-production is a production where two or more different production companies are working together, for example in a film production...
between De Sica's own company and the Hollywood producer David O. Selznick
David O. Selznick
David O. Selznick was an American film producer. He is best known for having produced Gone with the Wind and Rebecca , both of which earned him an Oscar for Best Picture.-Early years:...
, who commissioned it as a vehicle for his wife, Jennifer Jones.
The production of the film was troubled from the very beginning. Carson McCullers
Carson McCullers
Carson McCullers was an American writer. She wrote novels, short stories, and two plays, as well as essays and some poetry. Her first novel The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter explores the spiritual isolation of misfits and outcasts of the South...
was originally chosen to write the screenplay, but Selznick fired her and replaced her with a series of writers, including Paul Gallico
Paul Gallico
Paul William Gallico was a successful American novelist, short story and sports writer. Many of his works were adapted for motion pictures...
, Alberto Moravia
Alberto Moravia
Alberto Moravia, born Alberto Pincherle was an Italian novelist and journalist. His novels explored matters of modern sexuality, social alienation, and existentialism....
and Capote. Disagreements ensued between De Sica and Selznick, and during production, Selznick would write 40- and 50-page letters to his director every day, even though De Sica spoke no English. After agreeing to everything, De Sica has said, he simply did things his way.
Montgomery Clift
Montgomery Clift
Edward Montgomery Clift was an American film and stage actor. The New York Times’ obituary noted his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men"....
sided with De Sica in his disputes with Selznick, claiming that Selznick wanted the movie to look like a slick little love story, while De Sica wanted to depict a ruined romance. "Love relationship are ludicrous, painful, and gigantically disappointing. This couple loves each other but they become unconnected."
During the filming, Jones lamented the recent death of her former husband, actor Robert Walker
Robert Hudson Walker
Robert Hudson Walker was an American actor. He is probably best known for his role as Bruno Anthony in Alfred Hitchcock's 1951 thriller Strangers on a Train.-Early life:...
, and badly missed her two sons, who were in school in Switzerland. She had been married to Selznick less than two years at that point, and they were having difficulties in the marriage.
The original release of the film ran 89 minutes, but it was later re-edited by Selznick down to 64 minutes and re-released as Indiscretion of an American Wife (and as Indiscretion in the UK). Clift declared that he hated the picture and denounced it as "a big fat failure." Critics of the day agreed, giving it universally bad reviews.
The two versions have been released together on DVD by The Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection is a video-distribution company selling "important classic and contemporary films" to film aficionados. The Criterion series is noted for helping to standardize the letterbox format for home video, bonus features, and special editions...
. A 1998 remake of the film was made for television under the title Indiscretion of an American Wife.