Rome Adventure
| Rome Adventure | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Delmer Daves |
| Produced by | Delmer Daves |
| Screenplay by | Delmer Daves |
| Based on |
Lovers Must Learn by Irving Fineman |
| Starring |
Troy Donahue Angie Dickinson Rossano Brazzi Suzanne Pleshette |
| Music by | Max Steiner |
| Cinematography | Charles Lawton |
| Edited by | William H. Ziegler |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
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Release date
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Running time
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119 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Rome Adventure, also known as Lovers Must Learn, is a 1962 romantic drama film, based on the 1932 novel Lovers Must Learn by Irving Fineman. It was directed by Delmer Daves and stars Troy Donahue, Angie Dickinson, and Suzanne Pleshette.
New England librarian Prudence Bell (Suzanne Pleshette) recommended a book, Lovers Must Learn, to one of her students. After defending herself and the book, she resigns telling the school board she's going to Rome where she will encounter people who really know the meaning of love. Sailing from New York she picks the wrong man as a protective consort, providing two potential romantic interests. Albert Stillwell, a student of Etruscan history is a perfect gentlemen, while Roberto Orlandi (Rossano Brazzi) is the perfect mature Roman lover.
In Rome, Prudence checks into her boarding house and meets a self-centered American architect, Don Porter (Troy Donahue) whose former lover is the manipulative Lyda Kent (Angie Dickinson). Prudence lands a job at The American Book Shop near one of Rome's famous fountains,working for Constance Ford and her sheepdog.
Don is a confidant of Roberto and discusses his troubled relationship with Lyda, an artist staying in Italy with financial support from her wealthy father. Before Lyda leaves, Don confronts her on a train, but she is unmovable, finally saying she may return to Italy later. Coincidentally, Lyda leaves for Switzerland just hours after Prudence arrives at the villa (boarding house) in Rome where she and Porter reside.
While in Switzerland, Lyda meets a wealthy older man in exile there. Mr. Barkely asked Lyda to accompany him on his yacht to "paint his portrait". Lyda soon loses interest in this romance and returned to Italy, followed by a spy on Barkley's payroll.
Meanwhile, Prudence runs into Don at an outdoor cafe near the American Bookshop. Prudence cheers Don up with her fresh perspective on the beauty of the Roman square, and they go sightseeing around Rome in horse-drawn carriages and his Vespa scooter. While at lunch late in the afternoon overlooking Rome, Don buys a candelabra from a peddler, a symbol of Don's integrity because the candelabra appears to be pure gold.
At dinner, Emilio Pericoli sings "Al Di Là" (a song that reached number 6 after the movie's release in 1962). They find themselves holding hands and cuddling during the performance, then meet a musician (played by trumpeter Al Hirt) who Don knows, who invites them to a jazz joint for a late evening performance, at the end of which Al Hirt and a patron get into a fistfight over a beautiful woman. Don and Prudence leave in a horse-drawn carriage and kiss in the darkness, arriving home at 3 AM.
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Wikipedia