Excellent but underrated film

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

American girls dream of finding romance in Rome, but there is none for secretaries, Anita tells her replacement at the USDA. But Maria soon meets Prince Dino de Cessi at a party at her boss's home who invites her to fly to Venice in his private plane.Bosley Crowther wrote, "A nice way to take the movie audience on a sightseeing tour of Rome, with a flying side trip to Venice, through the courtesy of CinemaScope, has been devised in "Three Coins in the Fountain," a handsomely colored romance that Twentieth Century-Fox delivered to the Roxy yesterday. The trick is to underpin the picture with flimsy and harmless accounts of the plainly romantic adventures of three American girls in Rome and then chase them with the camera around the Eternal City as they pursue their destinies." Crowther is right. The story is rather dated and somewhat silly, but the scenery is timeless. In fact, if anything, it is an important document of the city of Rome in a color we no longer use. Are all these sights still around? Some surely are, but not all. And that makes the film worth watching for those who love Italy.

I hadn't seen this film since 1962 when it was on NBC's "Saturday Night At The Movies"...51 years ago! What surprised me most in re-seeing it is that there really isn't one star of the film...it's very much an ensemble cast.And, it's a darned good cast. You've got Clifton Webb as an American author living in Rome, who has a relationship he doesn't even realize with his secretary -- Dorothy McGuire. Then you have Jean Peters as one of the coin tossers. That famous French actor Louis Jourdan plays an Italian prince (yes, I know...I guess they couldn't find a real Italian). And Rossano Brazzi -- an Italian -- as an Italian who works for the American government. And then there's Maggie McNamara -- who may remind you just a little bit of Audrey Hepburn -- as another American coin tosser.I always liked Clifton Webb, and he's very good here, although this is not his finest film. Dorothy McGuire almost steals the show. Jean Peters is very good, as is Louis Jourdan. Rossano Brazzi is good here, although he is somewhat shortchanged by his screen time. Maggie McNamara is very good, and I'm surprised she didn't become a bigger star. And as the song asks -- which one will the fountain bless? Lest you think this is one of those movies where it's all one big happy ending...well, one major character is unexpectedly dying. So, the fountain doesn't bless everyone in this film, although for most of the main players, it does lead them to happiness.The script isn't a somewhat typical romance, and it's pretty pleasant. The extensive photography of Rome and Italy is absolutely stunning, and its worth watching the film for that alone. And you get a sense of the happy-go-lucky nature of Italy back in the day. The story line will hold your attention, although it's nothing unique. And, there is the (oddly uncredited) Frank Sinatra singing the title song. This is definitely worth a watch...at least once.

I miss those days, even though I wasn't even born yet. This film is an obvious attempt to lure tourists from America to visit post-War Europe. However, the filming and scenery is enough to calm anyone's nerves. Italy is no more beautifully displayed. The life of Italy is no more romantically displayed.The plot of the movie revolves around three beautiful American women hired to work in offices in Italy. Two of the women meet Italians, and one meets an American ex-patriot writer. Each has their romance and their adventures. Rossano Brazzi plays a struggling law student. Louis Jourdan plays a wealthy art collector/businessman. No one could have played the European in more gentile a manner than he did.The best part was how Jourdan's lover tried to showoff by learning everything about him and agreeing with him. He was so idealistic and naive that he believed that they were completely compatible. His mother, however, is very smart, and figures out her game. Of course, he is mad when he finds out that she was trying to play on what he liked. Of course, in the end they all meet and fall in love by the fountain where they had wished at the beginning with their coins.While it was not as realistic as Roman Holiday, this corny movie stands the test of time. It was a time when European tourism was opening the doors to American tourists. It was a vibrant time in Europe, and fully captured in this film.P.S. - When I hear "Three Coins In The Fountain", I always think of Steve Martin in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, singing that song to pass the time on the bus. The fellow passengers glare at him about this corny, unknown song. John Candy starts singing the more familiar "Flintstones".

Forget about being an intellectual(though this picture certainly offers some surprising intelligent lines in its dialog). Just enjoy the film! It is very well done. The reason "Three Coins" was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar(as opposed to similar films like "How to Marry a Millionaire") is because of its cinematography, careful direction, fine acting, and the fact that it was adapted from a successful novel by John Secondari and the screenplay was smartly written by John Patrick, a Pulitzer Prize Winner. The cinematography (by Milton Krasner) won an Oscar, and so did the title song. It was the first in Cinemascope produced almost entirely on location and one of the ten most successful films of the 50s decade, so if you watch it, do it just for the fun of it and enjoy the beauty of its setting, eternal Rome. "Three Coins" is certainly a better movie than "Millionaire" and all those films with similar topics that were made during the 50s and 60s. Out of all the players, as it is signaled out in the DVD's special features, the gorgeous Jean Peters had the highest box office draw. She was a top star at the time (why she was billed third in the cast is a puzzlement). Her story is the most daring in sexual content (for the era). It is the most interesting, too, and carries the best performances. Female audiences became aware of Rossano Brazi in this film, and he was later selected as one of the ten "handsomest" leading men of the decade. Peters married Howard Hughes two years after this picture was released and retired from movies in the heat of stardom and fame. As a producer noted, "Jean Peters had a lot of fire which she kept hidden inside." It's a shame Fox never gave her the chance to show us her acting talent on a bigger scale. Clifton Webb could deliver lines. He wasn't a handsome actor, but he and Dotty MacGuire have some great and very funny scenes in this film. Although Jordan and MacNamara have to tackle the least believable roles, their story has a very funny premise (the American girl doing her best to charm a bachelor Italian prince by pretending to enjoy everything he likes), and it becomes credible thanks to their acting efforts. If you enjoy romance, having fun, traveling through Italy and seeing some outstanding players at work, you must see this film.