Martin Ritt was a fine director with movies like Hud and Hombre to his name and The Black Orchid is a film he could be proud of in my opinion. I really enjoyed this unexpected gem fro. 1958. Sophia Loren excels in an early English speaking role for the Italian find of the decade. Beautiful and sensitive in her acting, Sophia radiates charisma in every scene, even when she scowls as she does to begin with as a gangster's widow in mourning who gets hit on by a friend of her next door neighbour called Frank played by the exuberant Anthony Quinn. Quinn pursues her with an almost stalker like enthusiasm which might be frowned on in today's age, but it pays off for him as she gradually comes around, first to liking and then loving the simarlerly widowed man. Then the drama becomes more complicated involving Loren's delinquent son and Quinn's troubled daughter, played by Ina Balin in her introductory screen role. Sadly Balin, a rather beautiful and accomplished actress, died far too young in her early fifties from a chest ailment. Shot in black and white but full screen, I really got into this melodrama and recommend it to anyone who just likes a good story, well told and directed and superbly acted.
Review of The Black Orchid
