''Dark Purpose'' is a 1964 film directed by

George Marshall George Catlett Marshall Jr. (31 December 1880 – 16 October 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army under pres ...

and starring

Shirley Jones Shirley Mae Jones (born March 31, 1934) is an American actress and singer. In her six decades in show business, she has starred as wholesome characters in a number of musical films, such as ''Oklahoma! (film), Oklahoma!'' (1955), ''Carousel (fi ...

, Rossano Brazzi, and

George Sanders George Henry Sanders (3 July 1906 – 25 April 1972) was a British actor and singer whose career spanned over 40 years. His heavy, upper-class English accent and smooth bass voice often led him to be cast as sophisticated but villainous charac ...

Plot

American secretary Karen Williams travels to Italy with her employer, art appraiser Raymond Fountaine, to assess the valuable collection of Count Paolo Barbarelli at his villa overlooking the sea. The count lives there with Cora, a young woman suffering from memory loss, whom he claims to have taken in like a daughter after her skiing accident. Karen falls in love with the count, but Cora wants her gone. She later confides to Karen that she is not Paolo's daughter but his wife. He is slowly poisoning her so he ultimately can inherit her family's money, Cora says, but Karen isn't sure whether to believe her story. Cora is found dead. The police believe it to be a suicide, but evidence at the scene leads Karen to believe that Paolo was indeed responsible for the young woman's death. It leads to a confrontation and violent struggle. A vicious watchdog tries to protect his master, but instead knocks Paolo into a fountain, where he drowns.

Cast

as Karen Williams * Rossano Brazzi as Count Paolo Barbarelli *

as Raymond Fountaine * Giorgia Moll as Cora Barbarelli * Micheline Presle as Monique Bouvier * Emma Baron as Gregoria * Mathilda Calnan as Mrs. Thompson * Fanfulla as The Florist * Charles Fawcett as Martin

References

External links

* {{George Marshall 1964 films 1960s thriller films Films directed by George Marshall Films scored by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino Films set in Italy American thriller films Universal Pictures films 1960s English-language films 1960s American films English-language thriller films