External Sites. Once you’ve seen the film it’s apparent that Connery would have made a superb Bond villain if he was given half the chance but he was forced into heroic roles throughout most of his career. For having the distinction of presenting one of cinema’s first interracial relationships between a black man and a white woman, I’d never heard of this gem of a British production; now it goes on my list of highly recommended titles. The Films of Sean Connery by Lee Pfeiffer & Philip Lisa A single eventful weekend traces the fates of a half-dozen young people, the women that like the sailors, and the sailor that gets mixed up in a deadly serious crime. | His performance is somewhat reminiscent of Charles Boyer in GASLIGHT (1944) and Rex Harrison in MIDNIGHT LACE (1960). Sean Connery in a promotional shot from WOMAN OF STRAW (1964). But he was also worried about being typecast as the suave and handsome spy so he jumped at the chance to play the ruthless money hungry Anthony. Directed by Basil Dearden. Imperial Gina: The Strictly Unauthorized Biography of Gina Lollobrigida by Luis Canales After being bitten by one of his pets, Charles demands that his nephew hire a nurse to look after his wound, and much to their surprise, a lovely Italian woman by the name of Maria (Gina Lollobrigida) arrives at the door. The handsome Scottish actor with a deep gravelly voice and piercing dark eyes has appeared in more than 65 films during his long career but WOMAN OF STRAW is one of the few films where Connery was given the opportunity to shed his heroic good-guy image and portray a ruthless villain. A brief excerpt from my post: “What I admire most about Connery’s memorable performance in WOMAN OF STRAW is the way he underplays his character early in the film before … Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Tyrannical but ailing tycoon Charles Richmond (Ralph Richardson, The Fallen Idol) becomes obsessed with his attractive nurse, Maria (Gina Lollobrigida, Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell). Further reading: Both actors were masters at disguising their true intentions. Connery had just finished starring in his second James Bond film, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1963), and he was riding high on his success and sudden superstardom. in this one, Ralph Richardson plays a tyrannical, wealthy tycoon, and Gina Lollobrigida plays a hapless nurse who gets pulled into a scheme hatched by Sean Connery's character to marry the wealthy old tycoon for his … Complaints aside, Connery has had the kind of success that most actors only dream about and I think WOMAN OF STRAW is one of the most interesting films in his impressive filmography. The nurse, in turn, falls in love with Charles' ne'er-do-well nephew Anthony, who plots ways to gain control of his uncle's fortune. Blu-ray . Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy. Sean Connery plays a very conniving S.O.B. Tyrannical, but ailing, tycoon Charles Richmond becomes very fond of his attractive Italian nurse, Maria. I may return at the end of November once the US elect…, For election week I’ve uploaded my reviews of MEDIUM COOL (1969) & THE STRAWBERRY STATEMENT (1970) to…. Subscribe to the TCM Shop newsletter for discounts and exclusives. Extra calcium is stored in bone and dental tissue, and the body retrieves calcium from the bones and teeth if more is needed. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! He convinces Maria to stay and seduce his uncle so they can both benefit from his fortune. You want to like him so his villainous turn is particularly jarring. With Gina Lollobrigida, Sean Connery, Ralph Richardson, Alexander Knox. Both Charles and his nephew are charmed by Maria’s natural beauty and gentle manner. British crime-mystery drama featuring Sean Connery, Ralph Richardson and Gina Lollobrigida. We use cookies to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyze our traffic. IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This effective mystery takes place on a lavish British estate ruled by the cruel hand of Charles Richmond (played brilliantly by Ralph Richardson). in this 'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation' star Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt 'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation' trailer: Movie stunt combo "Desperate times. I just finished watching this jazz-infused 1962 psychodrama from British filmmaker, Sean Connery Appreciation: The Man With A Midas Touch For Making Some Favorite Movie Memories, Breaking News: Sir Sean Connery Dead At Age 90, Man of Straw: Dearden’s Racially Charged Film Noir “Pool of London” (1951) | Blu-ray Review, Sir Ken Adam, Oscar-winning Production Designer, Dead At Age 95, Cruise Performs Laugh-Out-Loud Stunts in MI5 Trailer (with Bonus Teaser), Flashback To 1962 – Basil Dearden’s “All Night Long” (“Othello” With A Jazz Twist), Rare Movie Alert! – Kimberly Lindbergs. According to various witnesses on set, there was some genuine animosity between Sean Connery and his female costar. British crime-mystery drama featuring Sean Connery, Ralph Richardson and Gina Lollobrigida. She blogs at Cinebeats.com and has contributed to numerous websites and publications including Turner Classic Movies, FilmStruck, Publishers Weekly, Cineaste, Fandor, Paracinema, Cinedelica and The Cultural Gutter. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. By Lee Pfeiffer Turner Classic Movies (North America) is capitalizing on their acquisition of the broadcast rights to the James Bond films by screening Sean Connery triple features every Friday night in May. Sean Connery plays a very conniving S.O.B. MYSTERY & MELODRAMA: THE BLETCHLEY CIRCLE (2012-2014), I’m getting off Facebook & Twitter for the rest of the month. Needless to say, Connery is an imposing man when he’s playing a good guy so his bad-tempered take on a truly nasty character is more than a little chilling. Gina Lollobrigida was a world-renowned actress at this point in her career but she had a reputation for being temperamental and difficult to work with. As the body ages, particularly among postmenopausal women, bone loss exceeds bone repair if there is not enough dietary calcium intake. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. Calcium is very tightly regulated in the bloodstream. Showtimes Charles is a cantankerous old man who gets his kicks insulting his servants and tormenting his dogs while his live-in nephew Anthony (Sean Connery) looks on in bemused disgust. Director Basil Deardon's 'WOMAN OF STRAW'- 1964 had a leading man in actor Sean Connery feeling the heat of the James Bond craze. Woman of Straw (1964), shown on TCM. Woman of Straw Blu-ray Qty: Add to Cart . It’s a difficult trick to manage but the Scottish actor has rarely looked as good as he does in this film and his masculine confidence is disarming. When filming ended Connery wasn’t shy about expressing his dislike for her and announced publicly that he would “never work with that woman again.”. Despite difficulties on set, Connery’s hostility towards Lollobrigida may have benefited his performance because he directs some particularly venomous lines at her with lots of vim and vigor. Director Basil Deardon's 'WOMAN OF STRAW'- 1964 had a leading man in actor Sean Connery feeling the heat of the James Bond craze. To those of a certain generation, James Bond 007 will forever be defined by the way the original movie Bond. These herbs are horsetail and oat straw. TM & © 2020 Turner Classic Movies, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. Connery and Lollobrigida on the set of Woman of Straw, which airs at midnight tonight on TCM. What I find so fascinating about Connery’s memorable performance in WOMAN OF STRAW is the way he underplays his character early in the film before transforming into a murderous monster. Kimberly Lindbergs is a freelance writer & member of the Alliance of Women Film Journalists. List Price: $29.95. Price: $23.96. You Save: $5.99 (20%) Share. Although Charles is an utterly despicable human being, Maria eventually marries him and ends up developing real feelings for the old man before he drops dead. DirectToU, LLC is the seller of all TCM merchandise and is solely responsible for all aspects of your purchase. In one scene where Connery was asked to slap his costar, he reportedly delivered the hit with more force than was necessary causing a minor uproar on set. Sean Connery is celebrating his 81st birthday today so I thought it would be a great time to share my appreciation for his terrific performance in Basil Dearden’s entertaining thriller, WOMAN OF STRAW (1964). Charles is eager to employ Maria as his fulltime nurse but his nephew has other plans. Sean Connery is celebrating his 81st birthday today so I thought it would be a great time to share my appreciation for his terrific performance in Basil Dearden’s entertaining thriller, WOMAN OF STRAW (1964). The handsome Scottish actor with a deep gravelly voice and piercing dark eyes has appeared in more than 65 films during… And this is where the plot really gets interesting and takes some surprising twists and turns. A dock area on the Thames is ‘the pool,’ and the sailors that disembark from the cargo ships are susceptible to the temptations of black market trade.