''Conspiracy of Hearts'' is a 1960 British Second World War film, directed by

Ralph Thomas Ralph Philip Thomas MC (10 August 1915 – 17 March 2001) was an English film director. He is perhaps best remembered for directing the ''Doctor'' series of films. His brother, Gerald Thomas, was also a film director, probably best remembere ...

, about nuns in Italy smuggling Jewish children out of an internment camp near their convent to save them from

The Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...

. It stars

Lilli Palmer Lilli Palmer (; born Lilli Marie Peiser; 24 May 1914 – 27 January 1986) was a German actress and writer. After beginning her career in British films in the 1930s, she would later transition to major Hollywood productions, earning a Golden Glob ...

, Sylvia Syms,

Yvonne Mitchell Yvonne Mitchell (born Yvonne Frances Joseph; 7 July 1915 – 24 March 1979) was an English actress and author. After beginning her acting career in theatre, Mitchell progressed to films in the late 1940s. Her roles include Julia in the 1954 BBC ...

and Ronald Lewis, and was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Film Promoting International Understanding at the

18th Golden Globe Awards The 18th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film for 1960, were held on March 16, 1961. Winners and nominees Film Best Film – Drama ''Spartacus'' *''Elmer Gantry'' *'' Inherit the Wind'' *''Sons and Lovers'' *''Sunrise at Campobello'' ...

in 1961.

Plot

In 1943 Italy, nuns hide and protect Jewish children who have escaped from a concentration camp. The Italian camp has been taken over by German forces with a colonel (

Albert Lieven Albert Lieven (born Albert Fritz Liévin; 22 June 1906 – 22 December 1971) was a German actor. Early life Lieven was born in Hohenstein, East Prussia (Olszynek, Poland). His father was the head physician of the Tuberculosis sanatorium Ho ...

) and his sadistic lieutenant (

Peter Arne Peter Arne (born Peter Randolph Michael Albrecht; 29 September 19241 August 1983) was a British character actor. He made more than 50 film appearances including roles in ''Ice Cold in Alex'', ''The Moonraker'', ''Conspiracy of Hearts'' and '' Vi ...

) in command. When the colonel and lieutenant threaten to execute some of the nuns, including Mother Katharine (

), for helping the Jewish children to escape, the Italian soldiers block the execution and shoot the Germans dead. The Italian soldiers then leave the camp to join Italian partisans in the nearby hills.

Cast

as Mother Katharine * Sylvia Syms as Sister Mitya *

as Sister Gerta * Ronald Lewis as Major Spoletti *

as Colonel Horsten *

as Lieutenant Schmidt *

Nora Swinburne Leonora Mary Johnson (24 July 1902 – 1 May 2000), known professionally as Nora Swinburne, was an English actress who appeared in many British films. Early years Swinburne was born in Bath, Somerset, the daughter of Henry Swinburne Johnson a ...

as Sister Tia *

Michael Goodliffe Lawrence Michael Andrew Goodliffe (1 October 1914 – 20 March 1976) was an English actor known for playing suave roles such as doctors, lawyers and army officers. He was also sometimes cast in working-class parts. Biography Goodliffe was ...

as Father Desmaines *

Megs Jenkins Muguette Mary "Megs" Jenkins (21 April 1917 – 5 October 1998) was an English character actress who appeared in British films and television programmes. Life and career Jenkins was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, the daughter of a construction ...

as Sister Constance *

David Kossoff David Kossoff (24 November 1919 – 23 March 2005) was a British actor. In 1954 he won the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles for his appearance as Geza Szobek in '' The Young Lovers''. He played Alf Larkin in TV sit ...

as the Rabbi *

Jenny Laird Phyllis Edith Mary Blythe (13 February 1912 – 31 October 2001), known professionally as Jenny Laird, was a British stage, film and television actress. Early life and education Born in Manchester, Laird and her parents moved to the south, a ...

as Sister Honoria *

George Coulouris George Alexander Coulouris (1 October 1903 – 25 April 1989) was an English film and stage actor. Early life Coulouris was born in Manchester, Lancashire, England, the son of Abigail (née Redfern) anNicholas Coulouris a merchant of Greek o ...

as Petrelli *

Phyllis Neilson-Terry Phyllis Neilson-Terry (15 October 1892 – 25 September 1977) was an English actress. She was a member of the third generation of the theatrical dynasty the Terry family. After early successes in the classics, including several leading Shakesp ...

as Sister Elisaveta *

Maureen Pryor Maureen St John Pook (23 May 1922 – 5 May 1977), known professionally as Maureen Pryor, was an Irish-born English character actress who made stage, film, and television appearances. ''The Encyclopaedia of British Film'' noted, "she never playe ...

as Sister Consuela

TV production

The film was originally a

teleplay A teleplay is a screenplay or script used in the production of a scripted television program or series. In general usage, the term is most commonly seen in reference to a standalone production, such as a television film, a television play, or a ...

credited to Dale Pitt, a writer who was acting as a "front" for blacklisted Hollywood screenwriter

Adrian Scott Robert Adrian Scott (February 6, 1911 – December 25, 1972) was an American screenwriter and film producer. He was one of the Hollywood Ten and later blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses. Life and career Early life Scott was born ...

. This teleplay was set in 1946 and concerned nuns helping Jewish children to get to Palestine. It aired in 1956 as an episode of '' Goodyear Playhouse'' directed by

Robert Mulligan Robert Patrick Mulligan (August 23, 1925 – December 20, 2008) was an American director and producer. He is best known for his humanist dramas, including ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' (1962), '' Summer of '42'' (1971), ''The Other'' (1972), '' Same ...

Production

The film version was written by Robert Presnell Jr., who set the story in 1943. Presnell was reportedly a front for

Dalton Trumbo James Dalton Trumbo (December 9, 1905 – September 10, 1976) was an American screenwriter who scripted many award-winning films, including ''Roman Holiday'' (1953), ''Exodus'', ''Spartacus'' (both 1960), and ''Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo'' (1944) ...

. The script was optioned by Albert C. Gannaway in 1958, but he could not get financing to make the picture. Betty Box became enthusiastic about the movie and wanted to make it. She took it to the Rank Organisation. Box says Rank did not want them to make the movie but allowed her because of the success of the ''

Doctor in the House ''Doctor in the House'' is a 1954 British comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and produced by Betty Box. The screenplay, by Nicholas Phipps, Richard Gordon and Ronald Wilkinson, is based on the 1952 novel by Gordon, and follows a group of s ...

'' series. "They said, 'It's religion, it's nuns, it's wartime, who wants to know? Tell you what, make us another ''Doctor'' and you can do it!"Brian McFarlane, ''An Autobiography of British Cinema'', Metheun 1997 p86 Box and Thomas made ''

Doctor in Love ''Doctor in Love'' is a 1960 British comedy film, the fourth of the seven films in the ''Doctor'' series, starring James Robertson Justice as Sir Lancelot Spratt and Michael Craig as Dr Richard Hare. This was the first film in the series not t ...

'' (1960) as a pay off for Rank financing the movie. The film was shot on location in Italy and at Pinewood Studios in London. Some filming took place at La Certosa di Galluzzo monastery near Florence.

Reception

The film was a financial success, being the 5th most popular film at the British box office in 1960. (''Doctor in Love'' was even more popular.) US rights were bought by

Barney Balaban Barney Balaban (June 8, 1887 – March 7, 1971) was an American film executive who was the president of Paramount Pictures from 1936 to 1964 and an innovator in the cinema industry. Life and career Barney Balaban (formerly Birnbaum) was the el ...

of Paramount. Thomas says Balaban paid the largest amount Rank had received for a picture until then.Brian McFarlane, ''An Autobiography of British Cinema'' 1997 p 559 ''Filmink'' magazine argued it was arguably the best film from the team of Ralph Thomas and Betty Box.

References

*Box, Betty, ''Lifting the Lid'', 2001

External links

* * * * {{Ralph Thomas 1960 films 1960 drama films British black-and-white films British drama films 1960s English-language films Films about Catholic nuns Films about Catholicism Films based on television plays Films directed by Ralph Thomas Films produced by Betty Box Films set in Italy Films shot at Pinewood Studios Holocaust films Paramount Pictures films Films scored by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino 1960s British films English-language drama films