The other day ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
shalmestere checked out a couple of DVD’s from the library, and the first one we watched was a 1960’s comedy entitled “Cactus Flower”. The plot is pure commeddia, so I’ll describe it in those terms.
The play opens with Flaminia [a very young Goldie Hawn] despondent over being stood up for a date by Dottore Graziano [Walter Matthau], with whom she’s carrying on an affaire. She meets her neighbor Orazio, who tries to comfort her as she does some exposition about how honest Graziano was in telling her he was already married and that she would only be his concubine; she’s OK with that, as long as he's honest about it (it is Renaissance italy, after all).
Scene 2: we see Graziano with his housekeeper, Isabella [Ingrid Bergmann], who is competently taking care of his food, his clothing, his finances, his appointments, etc. His friend Pantalone comes to visit. In the course of their conversation, we learn that Graziano told Flaminia he was already married only to prevent her from trying to pressure him into marriage, but now he’s starting to think he *does* want to marry her after all. Pantalone says that he too is having a fling with a younger woman. Il Capitano shows up, puts the moves on Isabella, and is firmly and repeatedly rejected.
Scene 3: Graziano visits Flaminia and says he wants to marry her. Flaminia points out that he’ll need to divorce his wife; he assures her that his wife is OK with that, because she has a lover on the side herself. Flaminia wants to meet the wife to find out whom she’s cuckolding. Graziano refuses repeatedly, then gives in.
Scene 4: Graziano butters up Isabella and asks her to play the part of his wife long enough to meet Flaminia. She refuses, but later changes her mind.
Scene 5: Isabella goes to meet Flaminia, assuring her that yes, the marriage is effectively over. In the course of their conversation about Graziano, Flaminia decides (a) she really likes and respects Isabella, and (b) Isabella is still in love with her husband Graziano.
Scene 6: Flaminia tells Graziano that Isabella is still in love with him. He brushes this aside as obvious nonsense.
Scene 7: To prove it, Graziano tries to arrange for him and Flaminia to encounter Isabella and her lover in a public place. Isabella refuses, and is even more disgusted when he recruits Pantalone as her lover, but later changes her mind.
Scene 8: Graziano + Flaminia, Isabella + Pantalone all meet. Flaminia concludes that Pantalone is a stingy bum, not nearly good enough for Isabella. To retain Flaminia’s respect, Graziano tells off Pantalone.
Scene 9: Graziano decides he’s got to tell Flaminia the truth, so he buys her an expensive gift to butter her up. He gives her the gift, then loses his nerve and tells her a different lie. She sends the gift to Isabella, complete with its note from Graziano.
Scene 10: Il Capitano is still putting the moves on Isabella, inviting her to a ball. Isabella receives the gift from Graziano and takes it to mean he really does love her. But to prove that she’s not to be trifled with, she agrees to go to the ball with Il Capitano.
Scene 11: Isabella decides to clear everything up, visits Flaminia, and tells her that Graziano never was married in the first place. Isabella leaves, Graziano arrives to clear everything up, loses his nerve, and tells Flaminia a different lie, which she pretends to believe. Orazio shows up, Graziano worries that he’s flirting with Flaminia, she assures him that nothing of the kind is happening, and suggests that all three of them go out together.
Scene 12: At the ball are Isabella with Il Capitano, Flaminia with Graziano and Orazio, and Pantalone with his girlfriend. Flaminia’s opinion of Pantalone is confirmed. Orazio flirts with Isabella; Il Capitano and Graziano are both upset to see this, and leave in a huff.
Scene 13: The next day, Flaminia confronts Orazio about his flirting with the older Isabella. He assures her that Isabella’s a nice lady and they had fun, but nothing untoward happened. Flaminia and Orazio get together.
Scene 14: Isabella tells Graziano how much fun she had with Orazio. Graziano realizes and declares his love for Isabella, and she responds in kind. Curtain.
shalmestere checked out a couple of DVD’s from the library, and the first one we watched was a 1960’s comedy entitled “Cactus Flower”. The plot is pure commeddia, so I’ll describe it in those terms.The play opens with Flaminia [a very young Goldie Hawn] despondent over being stood up for a date by Dottore Graziano [Walter Matthau], with whom she’s carrying on an affaire. She meets her neighbor Orazio, who tries to comfort her as she does some exposition about how honest Graziano was in telling her he was already married and that she would only be his concubine; she’s OK with that, as long as he's honest about it (it is Renaissance italy, after all).
Scene 2: we see Graziano with his housekeeper, Isabella [Ingrid Bergmann], who is competently taking care of his food, his clothing, his finances, his appointments, etc. His friend Pantalone comes to visit. In the course of their conversation, we learn that Graziano told Flaminia he was already married only to prevent her from trying to pressure him into marriage, but now he’s starting to think he *does* want to marry her after all. Pantalone says that he too is having a fling with a younger woman. Il Capitano shows up, puts the moves on Isabella, and is firmly and repeatedly rejected.
Scene 3: Graziano visits Flaminia and says he wants to marry her. Flaminia points out that he’ll need to divorce his wife; he assures her that his wife is OK with that, because she has a lover on the side herself. Flaminia wants to meet the wife to find out whom she’s cuckolding. Graziano refuses repeatedly, then gives in.
Scene 4: Graziano butters up Isabella and asks her to play the part of his wife long enough to meet Flaminia. She refuses, but later changes her mind.
Scene 5: Isabella goes to meet Flaminia, assuring her that yes, the marriage is effectively over. In the course of their conversation about Graziano, Flaminia decides (a) she really likes and respects Isabella, and (b) Isabella is still in love with her husband Graziano.
Scene 6: Flaminia tells Graziano that Isabella is still in love with him. He brushes this aside as obvious nonsense.
Scene 7: To prove it, Graziano tries to arrange for him and Flaminia to encounter Isabella and her lover in a public place. Isabella refuses, and is even more disgusted when he recruits Pantalone as her lover, but later changes her mind.
Scene 8: Graziano + Flaminia, Isabella + Pantalone all meet. Flaminia concludes that Pantalone is a stingy bum, not nearly good enough for Isabella. To retain Flaminia’s respect, Graziano tells off Pantalone.
Scene 9: Graziano decides he’s got to tell Flaminia the truth, so he buys her an expensive gift to butter her up. He gives her the gift, then loses his nerve and tells her a different lie. She sends the gift to Isabella, complete with its note from Graziano.
Scene 10: Il Capitano is still putting the moves on Isabella, inviting her to a ball. Isabella receives the gift from Graziano and takes it to mean he really does love her. But to prove that she’s not to be trifled with, she agrees to go to the ball with Il Capitano.
Scene 11: Isabella decides to clear everything up, visits Flaminia, and tells her that Graziano never was married in the first place. Isabella leaves, Graziano arrives to clear everything up, loses his nerve, and tells Flaminia a different lie, which she pretends to believe. Orazio shows up, Graziano worries that he’s flirting with Flaminia, she assures him that nothing of the kind is happening, and suggests that all three of them go out together.
Scene 12: At the ball are Isabella with Il Capitano, Flaminia with Graziano and Orazio, and Pantalone with his girlfriend. Flaminia’s opinion of Pantalone is confirmed. Orazio flirts with Isabella; Il Capitano and Graziano are both upset to see this, and leave in a huff.
Scene 13: The next day, Flaminia confronts Orazio about his flirting with the older Isabella. He assures her that Isabella’s a nice lady and they had fun, but nothing untoward happened. Flaminia and Orazio get together.
Scene 14: Isabella tells Graziano how much fun she had with Orazio. Graziano realizes and declares his love for Isabella, and she responds in kind. Curtain.
