Star of India (film)
| Star of India | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Arthur Lubin |
| Produced by | Raymond Stross |
| Starring | Cornel Wilde |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release date | 1954 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Star of India (Stella Dell'India' in Italy) is a 1954 British swashbuckling adventure film in Technicolor from United Artists, produced by Raymond Stross, directed by Arthur Lubin, that stars Cornel Wilde, Jean Wallace, Herbert Lom, and Walter Rilla.[1]
Plot
A French nobleman (Wilde) is enlisted by a wealthy widow (Wallace) to retrieve a priceless star sapphire, The Star of India, that has been stolen from her jewel collection. He is aided by a Dutch spy, posing as a noblewoman, who has secret designs on the jewel. Both have to contend with the cunning villain (Lom) who stole the gem with the support of the French king, who also seeks to own the fabled jewel.
Cast
- Cornel Wilde as Pierre St. Laurent
- Jean Wallace as Katrina
- Herbert Lom as Narbonne
- Yvonne Sanson as Madamoiselle de Montespan
- John Slater as Emile
- Walter Rilla as Van Horst
- Basil Sydney as Louis XIV
- Arnold Bell as Captain
- Leslie Linder as Moulai
Production
Producer Raymond Stross arrived in Hollywood in March 1953 seeking directors. Arthur Lubin signed and went to Britain to make the film the following month. Robert Morley was originally meant to be in the cast.[2]
Director Arthur Lubin called the film "a disaster. Wilde wrote the script, he wanted to act, he wanted to direct. We had a producer who had never made a movie before, and I was stuck in the middle of Italy with a bad script".[3]
References
- ↑ http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/52592
- ↑ Pryor, Thomas M (17 April 1953). "LUBIN WILL DIRECT MOVIE IN ENGLAND: Cornel Wilde Heads Cast in 'Star of India' -- Morley Set to Portray Louis XIV". New York Times. p. 31.
- ↑ Davis, Roland L. (2005). Just Making Movies: Company Directors on the Studio System. University of Press Mississippi. pp. 184–185.