Customer Reviews

A Breath of Scandal

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The movie is quite good if you give it a chance. It actually starts on a very slow pace and one gets the impression that the movie is not very developped. But things pick up as you go along. Maurice Chevalier's remarks are humorous and charming. Olympia's estate has great decor and wonderful furniture. I happen to love John Gavin, and I think he is a good actor. Angela Lansbury does her best to intimidate, but we still love her. She's priceless. And as for Sophia... you have got to watch...

American democracy falls in love with Austrian aristrocracy in "Breath of Scandal," one of Sophia Loren's lesser-known movies. The frothy Hollywood movie takes a look at aristocratic attitudes and class differences, and Loren does a magnificent job with her snobby character.

In 1907, Princess Olympia (Sophia Loren) was banished to her late husband's country manor, after a scandal in Vienna. But while horseback riding, she is knocked off by Charlie Foster (John Gavin), and decides to seduce the sexy American. She ends up passing out, and wakes up the next morning thinking that she and Foster were intimate.

After the emperor forgives her for the scandal, Olympia is to return to Vienna -- for an arranged marriage to a stuffy Prussian prince. But a hint of scandal could derail the whole thing. The problem is that Charlie has also arrived in Vienna to see Olympia's father (Maurice Chevalier), and the prince's spurned mistress (Angela Lansbury) is looking for dirt on Olympia.

"Breath of Scandal" is not a heavy period romance, but then, it never tries to be. You know how it will end, and the fun is watching the drama and frothy romance unfold in the middle of beautiful Vienna, ancestral mansions and royal balls. The subplots rely heavily on European/American viewpoints on love and marriage, but that's about as deep as the movie ever gets.

Director Michael Curtiz was at his best with frothy comedy. And in this film, he did a good job with scenes like Charlie administering first aid while reading from the book, and sharp, light dialogue. What's more, scenes that could have been chokinglt sentimental (like Chevalier's "confession" near the end) manage to be touching instead. The biggest obvious problem in this movie is that Loren looks nothing like either of her screen parents.

Of course, the funny dialogue would fall flat if the actors were bad. Their romance is pretty lightweight, but Loren and Gavin do have some good chemistry as the sultry princess on the hunt for gorgeous men, and a good-boy American who "isn't that kind of man." Nice to see some gender role-reversal in an old movie. Also delightful are Lansbury as the devious ex-mistress and Chevalier for his usual cheery, charming role.

"A Breath of Scandal" is a lightweight romantic comedy, but is boosted up by excellent acting and some very funny dialogue. Charming.

Its 1907 in Vienna , the "city of the Waltz" Beautiful Sophia Loren (1934- ) is the Austrial Princess who , despite her exile from the familiar estate for "Scandalous indiscretions" scorn her mother?s wish to marry a Prince . Instead she sets her sight on a handsome John Gavin (1931- ) a visiting American mining engineer who has garnered the approval of her father: Maurice Chevalier (1888-1972) as well. Michael Curtiz (1886-1962) directs , and Angela Landsbury (1925- ) provide iey snap as a scheming countess . With the elaborade costmes and sumptous decor of Viennese sociaty , A BREAT OF SCANDAL is a breezy , charming and refreshing romantic comedy that sets Emperor Franz Josep (1830-1916) court abuz with unrestraining gossip ! . Made on location in Austria . Breataking scenes from beautiful Austria . Superb Digital trasfer in High Quality picture . Recommended

A breath of scandal is an excellent movie.I looked for this movie in all the shops and could not find it. Amazon.com had it and I have been totally satisfied. Sophia Loren is excellent in this movie. It is refreshing to be able to see old movies and not have all the violence and sex that are in the movies today. Thank you for offering movies and especially old movies with class. Thank You. Freda

If you want to see Austria countryside and great palaces of the 1900's then you must see this. There are 7 premier actors in this movie that are just fantastic. Great story and beautifull scenery. A real treasure.

Fluffy costumer with Sophia Loren, based on Ferenc Molnar's "Olympia" (and originally filmed in 1929 as "His Glorious Night").

Beautiful and unorthodox Princess Olympia (Sophia Loren) throws tradition to the wind and falls in love with handsome American industrialist Charlie Foster (John Gavin).

Fine supporting performances from Maurice Chevalier as Prince Philip and a striking Angela Lansbury as Countess Lina. With Isabel Jeans in a delightful cameo. As one would expect, the costumes are sumptuous; both Miss Loren and Miss Lansbury look radiant in their array of gowns. The DVD offers no extras whatsoever, but the 16:9 transfer looks a treat.

They don't make them like this anymore!

I was looking for a light frothy romance and "A Breath of Scandal" fit the bill perfectly. The movie explores the rigid strictures of aristocratic life focusing on Princess Olympia (Sophia Loren). Olympia has already suffered the Emperor's wrath once and was banished to her late husband's country estate when she meets and falls for a rich American businessman Charlie Foster (John Gavin). Well, not wishing to risk another scandal, she tries to keep a distance between them, but fails miserably.

The story itself is run-of-the mill, but what makes it watchable are the wonderful performances by the ensemble cast - Loren shines as the beautiful young aristocrat who finds her mind battling her heart; Maurice Chevalier is incredibly funny as Olympia's father, Prince Phillip who is not a typical stuffy aristocrat; and one of my favorite actresses, Angela Lansbury plays a conniving and ambitious aristocrat!

The period details are well-done and the costumes are simply beautiful. The highlight though was the beautiful shots of Vienna in all its imperial splendor - manor houses, palaces, and of course the scenic countryside. The credible chemistry between Gavin and Loren also add to the charm. I would not classify this as one of Loren's best movies, but it is a light,frothy romance that charms.

I saw this years ago and it was one of the old wonderful " chick"
movies. I love the cast and I think most people will enjoy this
movie besides romance there is the comedy level.
barbara, virginia

C'est l'histoire d'un ingénieur américain, John Foster, qui arrive en automobile en Autriche dans les années 1910 pour convaincre l'empereur d'Autriche d'installer une usine d'électrolyse pour fabriquer de l'aluminium. Au passage, il rencontre une belle inconnue qui est en réalité la Princesse Olympia (Sophia Lauren) qui disparaît mystérieusement. Arrivé à Vienne, il cherche à rencontrer le Prince Philip (Maurice Chevalier) a qui il doit remettre une lettre d'introduction de la part de l'ambassadeur d'Autriche à Washington mais il se heurte au protocole. Le Prince Philip est également le père de la Princesse Olympia. Finalement, après quelques péripéties, la Princesse Olympia se sauve en Amérique avec John Foster.

Starts out like a nice souffle at Demel's and rapidly goes flat. Loren is achingly beautiful in this and given (thanks to the original Molnar play) an actual character to inhabit instead of being relegated to scenery. As the "naughty" Princess Olympia, she crackles in the opening scenes, both with and without the overwhelmed Gavin. Their character pairing attempts to duplicate the success of the then-immensely popular Doris Day-Rock Hudson comedies, only in SCANDAL with the roles reversed.

The film is fraught with enormous gaps in continuity, as if entire scenes were simply discarded without any thought given to what might happen to the storyline. It's basically an excuse to highlight Loren and her cohorts in as many fabulous costumes as possible. Indeed, I kept expecting extras from GIGI (which Chevalier had recently done) to show up. Set in Vienna circa 1907, the city itself is a character in the film...and acquits itself well.

Burdened with absurd dialogue ("I seem to see you everywhere!", he exclaims to Gavin...upon their second meeting)Chevalier manages to retain some dignity. Playing an American mining engineer who crashes parties and breaks protocol with sufficient frequency to get a real person instantly thrown in prison (there actually was security for important personages in those days), Gavin struggles mightily but is undone by an impossible role. An aged priest couldn't resist twenty minutes of Sophia Loren trying her best to seduce him, far less a young American. There is farce, and then there is fantasy, and then there is the unbelievable we are asked to accept here.

The only performer who registers strongly outside Sophia is a superb Angela Landsbury as a conniving countess, almost radiant enough at 35 to give Sophia a run for her money in the beauty sweepstakes. Her appearance here is a long way from that of a mature TV detective and reminds one what a force she could be on the big screen. Michael Curtiz, one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema, hopefully picked up (and cashed quickly) a nice, fat check for this walk-through job. His lack of interest in the project and the material is attested to by a complete absence of any of his trademark directoral brilliance. Throughout BREATH the camera hardly moves, and each setup resembles the next. As for the score, it is omnipresent, irritating, and off in a musical world of its own as opposed to supporting or enhancing the action on screen.

One star for Loren, Landsbury, the costumes and setting. One more for Loren's response to Gavin's question early on in the film when he asks if she'll be there (in an isolated hunting lodge) when he returns. "I will if you're coming back", she replies, in a tone that defines the adjective "husky" and with a look that will reduce the leg muscles of any male over the age of twelve to vanilla pudding.