''The Light Touch'' is a 1951 American

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Richard Brooks Richard Brooks (born Reuben Sax; May 18, 1912 – March 11, 1992) was an American screenwriter, film director, novelist and film producer. Nominated for eight Academy Awards in his career, he was best known for ''Blackboard Jungle'' (1955), '' ...

and starring

Stewart Granger Stewart Granger (born James Lablache Stewart; 6 May 1913 – 16 August 1993) was a British film actor, mainly associated with heroic and romantic leading roles. He was a popular leading man from the 1940s to the early 1960s, rising to fame thr ...

, Pier Angeli 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 ...

. It was produced and released by Metro Goldwyn Mayer.

Plot

Art thief Sam Conride (

) steals a Renaissance-era painting on loan to an Italian museum by a Catholic church. He has been financed by his partner, Felix Guignol (

). Felix has an obsessed client named Aramescue (

Kurt Kasznar Kurt Kasznar (born Kurt Servischer; August 13, 1913 – August 6, 1979) was an Austrian-American stage, film and television actor who played roles on Broadway, appearing in the original Broadway productions of '' Waiting for Godot'', ''The ...

) who has agreed to pay $100,000 for the artwork. However, Conride stages a boating accident on the way to the rendezvous in

Tunis Tunis (, ') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Tunisia. The greater metropolitan area of Tunis, often referred to as "Grand Tunis", has about 2,700,000 inhabitants. , it is the third-largest city in the Maghreb region (after Casabl ...

and tells Felix the painting has been destroyed in a fire. Knowing that Sam is as unscrupulous and self-serving as he, Felix suspects otherwise. Nonetheless, he accepts Sam's suggestion that they create half a dozen forgeries to sell to unsuspecting art lovers. Felix recommends Anna Vasarri ( Pier Angeli) as a painter good enough and poor enough to consider doing the work. When Sam approaches her, however, she is appalled and refuses, especially since the painting is believed by Catholics (and Aramescue) to work miracles. Felix tells Sam to get her to change her mind by romancing her. It works. She falls in love with him. Meanwhile, Sam contacts R. F. Hawkley (

Larry Keating Lawrence Keating (June 13, 1899 – August 26, 1963) was an American actor best known for his roles as Harry Morton on ''The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show'', which he played from 1953 to 1958, and next-door neighbor Roger Addison on ''Mis ...

), one of the few art fences capable of selling the famous painting. After his forgery expert, MacWade ( Rhys Williams), confirms that the work is genuine, he agrees to pay $100,000. However, he does not have that much money with him, and Felix learns of their meeting. Sam and Anna get married and travel to Italy for their honeymoon, financed by Felix. There, Anna learns by accident where her husband has hidden the real painting. Felix and his men watch and wait for Sam to meet Hawkley. On his own initiative, Charles ( Mike Mazurki), one of Guignol's thugs, tries beating the information out of Anna, but she refuses to betray Sam. Police officer Lt. Massiro tells her that if she knows where the real painting is, it must be returned, or he will arrest Sam. Anna asks for time to consider what to do. She then switches the painting with the fake that Sam had her create. When Sam shows Aramescu the painting, the man immediately spots it as a copy. Sam confronts Anna. When he discovers she has remained true to him despite being beaten, he comes to the realization she truly loves him, despite his many flaws, and that he loves her. Giving up, she reveals where the painting is hidden and leaves him. Sam arranges for Massiro to arrest Felix and his men, though they have to be released when it is revealed that the painting they took from Sam is a forgery. However, this gives Sam the time he needs to return the work to its rightful place in the church. Anna returns to him as a result. As the couple walk away, arm in arm, Felix stops Charles from shooting his former partner.

Cast

as Sam Conride * Pier Angeli as Anna Vasarri *

as Felix Guignol *

as Mr. Aramescu *

Joseph Calleia Joseph Calleia ( ; born Joseph Alexander Caesar Herstall Vincent Calleja, August 4, 1897 – October 31, 1975) was a Maltese-born American actor and singer on the stage and in films, radio and television. After serving in the Merchant Navy (Un ...

as Lt. Massiro *

as Mr. R. F. Hawkley * Rhys Williams as Mr. MacWade *

Norman Lloyd Norman Nathan Lloyd (''né'' Perlmutter; November 8, 1914 – May 11, 2021) was an American actor, producer, director, and centenarian with a career in entertainment spanning nearly a century. He worked in every major facet of the industry, inc ...

as Anton, one of Felix's henchmen * Mike Mazurki as Charles * Ben Astar as Hamadi Mahmoud *

Hans Conried Hans Georg Conried Jr. (April 15, 1917 – January 5, 1982) was an American actor and comedian. He was known for providing the voices of George Darling and Captain Hook in Walt Disney's '' Peter Pan'' (1953), Snidely Whiplash in Jay Ward's ...

as Leopold * Renzo Cesana as Father Dolzi * Vito Scotti as Hotel Clerk *

Mario Siletti Mario Giovanni Siletti (22 July 1903 – 19 April 1964) was an Italian actor. He was born in Turin. He performed in more than 160 films from 1932 to 1964. He began appearing in American films no later than 1946. From 1962 to 1964, he also portra ...

as Hotel Manager

Production

The original story by famous Broadway producer Jed Harris and Tom Reed was called "Crown of Thorns" and was purchased by MGM in April 1950 for $60,000. (The story has some resemblances to the real-life theft of the

Mona Lisa The ''Mona Lisa'' is a half-length portrait painting by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. Considered an archetypal masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance, it has been described as "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, ...

.) Pandro S. Berman was assigned to produce. The script was written by Richard Brooks, who also directed. This was Richard Brooks' second film as director. His first, ''Crisis'', had starred

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English and American actor. Known for his blended British and American accent, debonair demeanor, lighthearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing, he ...

and Grant was originally announced for the lead. Eventually the lead roles were signed to

and Pier Angeli, who had both just signed long-term contracts with MGM. Granger had done location shooting for a movie ''Constable Pedley'' (which later became ''The Wild North'') – filming on that was halted so Granger could make ''The Light Touch''. George Sanders made the film as the first of a 3-picture deal with MGM. Stewart Granger later wrote in his memoirs he had to make the film or go on suspension:

I wasn't particularly enamored of the thought of working with ichard Brooksas I had heard he had reduced a small-part actor to tears. That actor was
Ramon Novarro Ramón Gil Samaniego (February 6, 1899 – October 30, 1968), known professionally as Ramon Novarro, was a Mexican actor. He began his career in American silent films in 1917 and eventually became a leading man and one of the top box-offic ...
. The thought of anyone reducing one of my childhood heroes to tears filled me with anger, but that's Hollywood. When a star is down he's fair game for anyone. I had to agree in order to avoid suspension and went along to meet Brooks. His opening words
ere Ere or ERE may refer to: * ''Environmental and Resource Economics'', a peer-reviewed academic journal * ERE Informatique, one of the first French video game companies * Ere language, an Austronesian language * Ebi Ere (born 1981), American-Nigeria ...
'I have to tell you that I wanted
Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English and American actor. Known for his blended British and American accent, debonair demeanor, lighthearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing, he ...
... e then introduced the leading lady.That's Anna Maria Pierangeli who'll play opposite you. Doesn't speak very good English but we'll get round that.' I spoke very good English but wondered how the hell I would get round his dialogue.

Filming started April 1951 and took place on location in

Taormina Taormina ( , , also , ; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Messina, on the east coast of the island of Sicily, Italy. Taormina has been a tourist destination since the 19th century. Its beaches on the Ionian Sea, incl ...

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

, and Tunis, before returning to the MGM studios for two weeks. Writer

Truman Capote Truman Garcia Capote ( ; born Truman Streckfus Persons; September 30, 1924 – August 25, 1984) was an American novelist, screenwriter, playwright, and actor. Several of his short stories, novels, and plays have been praised as literary classics ...

was living in Taorima at the time of filming and persuaded Brooks to place him in a street scene. However, while screening the rough cut, Berman spotted Capote's face and had him edited out. Granger recalled, "Making ''The Light Touch'' was fairly uneventful and I knew as I made it that it would add nothing careerwise to anybody connected with it. Pier Angeli was adorable with an anxious mother in attendance at all times and Brooks was his apparently usual, unpleasant self."The Light Touch"
''Turner Classic Movies'', accessed 26 September 2022

Reception

According to MGM records, the movie earned $438,000 in the US and Canada and $843,000 internationally, leading to a loss of $406,000. It recorded admissions of 10,277 in France.Box office information for Stewart Granger films in France
at Box Office Story

References

External links

*
''The Light Touch'' at AllMovie
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Light Touch, The American crime drama films American heist films American romantic drama films American black-and-white films 1950s English-language films Films directed by Richard Brooks Films with screenplays by Richard Brooks Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films 1951 romantic drama films 1951 crime drama films 1950s American films Films about art forgery English-language crime drama films English-language romantic drama films