The Golden Coach
Encyclopedia
The Golden Coach is a 1952 film directed by Jean Renoir
that tells the story of a commedia dell'arte
troupe in 18th century Peru
. The screenplay
was written by Renoir, Jack Kirkland, Renzo Avanzo and Giulio Macchi and is based on the play, Le Carrosse du Saint-Sacrement by Prosper Mérimée
. It stars Anna Magnani
, Odoardo Spadaro and Duncan Lamont
.
troupe arrives in a small Peru
vian town in the 18th century. The chief aristocrat in the town, the Viceroy, has acquired a fabulous golden coach from Europe. He is planning to give it to his mistress, but then falls in love with Camilla, leading actress of the troupe, and gives it to her instead. Camilla, enjoying the high life of being the Viceroy's mistress, is also loved by the leader of the troupe, and by the local star toreador
. The Viceroy’s ministers are shocked by his profligacy, and threaten to depose him. Camilla eventually solves the problem by donating the coach to the Bishop of Lima
. Camilla returns to the theatre troupe, and the film ends with a celebration of theatre's superiority over life.
in Rome
. A French-Italian co-production, it was filmed in three different versions: English, Italian and French. Renoir reputedly preferred the English version.
Jean Renoir
Jean Renoir was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. As a film director and actor, he made more than forty films from the silent era to the end of the 1960s...
that tells the story of a commedia dell'arte
Commedia dell'arte
Commedia dell'arte is a form of theatre characterized by masked "types" which began in Italy in the 16th century, and was responsible for the advent of the actress and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. The closest translation of the name is "comedy of craft"; it is shortened...
troupe in 18th century Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. The screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
was written by Renoir, Jack Kirkland, Renzo Avanzo and Giulio Macchi and is based on the play, Le Carrosse du Saint-Sacrement by Prosper Mérimée
Prosper Mérimée
Prosper Mérimée was a French dramatist, historian, archaeologist, and short story writer. He is perhaps best known for his novella Carmen, which became the basis of Bizet's opera Carmen.-Life:...
. It stars Anna Magnani
Anna Magnani
Anna Magnani was an Italian stage and film actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress, along with four other international awards, for her portrayal of a Sicilian widow in The Rose Tattoo....
, Odoardo Spadaro and Duncan Lamont
Duncan Lamont
Duncan William Ferguson Lamont was a British actor. Born in Lisbon, Portugal, but brought up in Scotland, he had a long and successful career in film and television, appearing in a variety of high-profile productions....
.
Synopsis
An Italian commedia dell'arteCommedia dell'arte
Commedia dell'arte is a form of theatre characterized by masked "types" which began in Italy in the 16th century, and was responsible for the advent of the actress and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. The closest translation of the name is "comedy of craft"; it is shortened...
troupe arrives in a small Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian town in the 18th century. The chief aristocrat in the town, the Viceroy, has acquired a fabulous golden coach from Europe. He is planning to give it to his mistress, but then falls in love with Camilla, leading actress of the troupe, and gives it to her instead. Camilla, enjoying the high life of being the Viceroy's mistress, is also loved by the leader of the troupe, and by the local star toreador
Toreador
Toreador may refer to:* Torero or bullfighter* The Toreador, a musical comedy* The "Toreador Song" from Georges Bizet's opera Carmen* The Daily Toreador, the student newspaper of Texas Tech University...
. The Viceroy’s ministers are shocked by his profligacy, and threaten to depose him. Camilla eventually solves the problem by donating the coach to the Bishop of Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
. Camilla returns to the theatre troupe, and the film ends with a celebration of theatre's superiority over life.
Production
The film was shot at CinecittàCinecittà
Cinecittà is a large film studio in Rome that is considered the hub of Italian cinema.-History:The studios were founded in 1937 by Benito Mussolini and his head of cinema Luigi Freddi for propaganda purposes, under the slogan "Il cinema è l'arma più forte"...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. A French-Italian co-production, it was filmed in three different versions: English, Italian and French. Renoir reputedly preferred the English version.