The Rose Tattoo
Written by Tennessee Williams and Hal Kanter
Directed by Daniel Mann
Starring Anna Magnani, Burt Lancaster, Marisa Pavan and Ben Cooper
Runtime 1 hour and 57 minutes
Available from Kino Lorber on special edition Blu-ray here

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport and Editor in Chief

Back of the box synopsis:
When Tennessee Williams (A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) wrote The Rose Tattoo, he had one actress in mind—Anna Magnani (The Fugitive Kind). Williams’ sense of casting proved as sharp as his ear for dialogue. Magnani won an Oscar (Best Actress, 1955) for her bravura portrayal in this torrid drama that also earned Academy Awards for Best Cinematography (James Wong Howe, Hud) and Art Direction. Magnani plays Sicilian seamstress Serafina Delle Rose, who retreats from the world when her beloved husband dies. But Serafina reawakens to life’s joys when she meets Alvaro (screen icon Burt Lancaster, The Rainmaker), a happy-go-lucky truck driver who has the same sunny openness her husband had, even the same occupation. And on his chest is the same symbol of love, The Rose Tattoo. Masterfully directed by Daniel Mann (Come Back, Little Sheba), this lusty, passion-filled classic garnered a total of 8 Academy Award nominations including Best Supporting Actress (Marisa Pavan, The Midnight Story), Costumes (Edith Head), Editing (Warren Low), Score (Alex North) and Motion Picture (Hal B. Wallis).

Features that make it special…

2021 HD Masters by Paramount Pictures from 4K Scans
Audio Commentary by film historian & writer Julie Kirgo and writer & filmmaker Peter Hankoff

Why you need to add it to your video library…

If you have been following along with our Disc Dispatch column, I recently recommended another title from Kino Lorber Come Back, Little Sheba. Much like that picture, The Rose Tattoo stars Burt Lancaster, was directed by Daniel Mann, and shot by James Wong Howe. This is not all the two have in common… it also is another example of Lancaster being outshined by his costar.

When Sicilian seamstress, Serafina Delle Rose’s (Anna Magnani) husband suddenly passes away, she is faced with the realization that the person she adored was not who she thought. Given that the film is adapted from a Tennessee Williams play, it should not be any surprise that the performances are the strongest aspect on display. Williams had originally written the part for Anna Magnani. However, at the time the play went to the stage, she was not confident enough with her English. When it came time for the movie to go into production, she was ready and this would be her first English speaking role in Hollywood. All of her work paid off, so much so that she would inevitably take home an Academy Award for her portrayal. The Rose Tattoo would score eight nominations in total, taking home three Oscars. Along with best actress the other two were for cinematography and art direction both of which shine with this restoration.

Not only this but, one should not sneeze at the depiction from Lancaster. He holds his own, however, in terms of a lasting impression, Magnani and Marisa Pavan - who plays her daughter, Rosa Della Rose - steal the show. This was yet another flick that I was unaware of until given the opportunity to view from Kino Lorber and I am pleased that I was able to witness masters at work. Amazing films such as this could easily be forgotten or lost, which truly shows the importance of physical media. This may not be a disc that finds regular rotation in my watch pile, but now that I am aware of its existence I am able to tell others about it and share the disc if one of my pals is so inclined to borrow it.