Twist of Fate (1954 film)

Twist of Fate
Twist of Fate
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	David Miller
Screenplay by	Carl Nystrom; Robert Westerby;
Story by	David Miller; Alford Van Ronkel;
Produced by	Maxwell Setton; John R. Sloan;
Starring	Ginger Rogers; Herbert Lom; Stanley Baker; Jacques Bergerac;
Cinematography	Edward Scaife
Edited by	Alan Osbiston
Music by	Malcolm Arnold
Production; companies	British Lion Films; Marksman Productions Ltd.;
Distributed by	United Artists (US); British Lion Films (UK);
Release dates	July 13, 1954 (London); November 5, 1954 (United States);
Running time	89 minutes
Countries	United Kingdom; United States;
Language	English

Twist of Fate is a 1954 British and American mystery film noir directed by David Miller and starring Ginger Rogers and Herbert Lom. In the UK it was released as Beautiful Stranger.^[1]

Plot

Joan Victor, an actress known as "Johnny" to her friends, is living in Cannes, France, where she and financier Louis Galt plan to marry as soon as he gets a divorce.

Louis's wife Marie and her brothers control Louis's firm and have become suspicious of his business methods. Marie is unaware that Louis is the ringleader of a gang that deals in counterfeit gold coins.

In a casino Johnny runs into Emile Landosh, an acquaintance. He claims a need for money due to his wife's medical bills, so Johnny offers him a loan. Emile, however, is a criminal and in debt to Louis.

Johnny overhears Marie at the beauty salon and realises Louis might be lying about the divorce. Johnny confronts him, then angrily leaves and drives her car off the road, leaving it damaged. She seeks help at the home of Pierre Clement, an artist. The two begin seeing each other, with Pierre teaching her how to use a pottery wheel.

Luigi, a thug who works for Louis, is pressuring Emile to repay what he owes. In desperation, Emile breaks into Johnny's villa and steals a bracelet. When he gives it to Luigi as settlement of his debt, it arouses suspicions from Louis that his lover and Emile must be having an affair, because he'd given it to Johnny as a gift.

Pierre proposes marriage to Johnny, and she accepts. Emile overhears an argument between Johnny and Louis and eventually realises that she believes Louis has found out about Pierre, whereas he suspects Emile.

Louis catches Emile trying to crack a safe. During a struggle with him, Louis is shot with his own gun. Johnny and Pierre arrive just as Emile is trying to hide the body. They tie up Emile and are driving him to the police when they are intercepted by Luigi. Emile slips free of his bonds and runs for a bay where Louis' associates arrive with a boat. Pierre pursues him, leading to a running fistfight on the coastal cliffs. Meanwhile, the police have been investigating Louis and Johnny; a policeman shoots Luigi, but he is still able to kill Emile. Johnny and Pierre are absolved of all suspicion by Emile's dying confession.

Cast

Ginger Rogers as 'Johnny' Victor
Herbert Lom as Emile Landosh
Stanley Baker as Louis Galt
Olive Lucius as Mademoiselle Pletsier
Yves Aysage as Croupier
John Le Mesurier as 1st. Man at Casino
Tony Spear as Attendant
Dino Galvani as Cshier, Casino
Bernard Rebel as Engraver
Marcella De Cleve as Hairdresser's Receptionist
Jacques Bergerac as Pierre Clement
Margaret Rawlings as Marie Galt
Eddie Byrne as Luigi
Coral Browne as Helen
Lisa Gastoni as Yvette
Lily Kann as Nicole
Ferdy Mayne as Police Chief
Keith Pyott as Georges
John Chandos (actor) as Nino, The Hairdresser
Keith Pyott as Georges
Elizabeth Digby-Smith as Cecile
Alexis Chesnakov as Guitarist, Roger
Marianne Stone as Annabelle
Nicholas Bruce as Robert
Rudolph Offenbach as Yacht Captain
Pierre Chaminade as 1st. Sailor
Carl Duering as 2nd. Sailor
Amando Guinle as 1st. Fisherman
Andreas Malandrinos as 2nd. Fisherman, (billed as Andre Malandrinos)
Guy De Monceau as Policeman
Paul Sheridan as Galt's Manservant
Ferdy Mayne as Chief of Police
Roger Delgado as Police Officer
Jack Taylor as Policeman
Paul Brogdan as Customs Officer
John Martin as Coast guard

Production

The film was known during production as Lifeline. Walter Rilla was originally cast as the male lead but he and Rogers did not get along. Said Rilla at the time, "According to the script I – a man of 52 – am supposed to have an affair with a girl of 24, who is Miss Rogers. Which is somewhat ridiculous. She may feel 24, but really . . .^[2] Rilla was really sixty, at the time, and Rogers was forty-three.

Rumours were rife about Rogers' temperament and Rilla's dissatisfaction with the size of his role in comparison to Jacques Bergerac, who was Rogers' husband at the time. Ten days into production Rilla left the film and was replaced by Stanley Baker.^[2]

Bergerac and Rogers met in France, and she was responsible for his casting.^[3]

Exteriors of the film were shot in Cannes.

Reception

TV Guide rated the film 2/4 stars and wrote that Rogers was too old to play the lead character.^[4]

The film did poorly at the box office.^[5]

References

^ Twist of Fate at IMDb
^ ^a ^b "News from the studios". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 24 February 1954. p. 50. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
^ Barnes, Mike (25 June 2014). "French Actor Jacques Bergerac Dies at 87". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
^ "Beautiful Stranger". TV Guide. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
^ Harper, Sue; Porter, Vincent (2003). British Cinema of the 1950s: The Decline of Deference. Oxford University Press. pp. 178–180. ISBN 9780198159346.

External links

Twist of Fate at IMDb
Twist of Fate at the TCM Movie Database

[1] Twist of Fate at IMDb

[AWW-2] "News from the studios". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 24 February 1954. p. 50. Retrieved 19 May 2012.

[3] Barnes, Mike (25 June 2014). "French Actor Jacques Bergerac Dies at 87". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 April 2015.

[4] "Beautiful Stranger". TV Guide. Retrieved 8 April 2015.

[5] Harper, Sue; Porter, Vincent (2003). British Cinema of the 1950s: The Decline of Deference. Oxford University Press. pp. 178–180. ISBN 9780198159346.

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