Olivia (film)

Olivia
Movie poster
Directed by	Jacqueline Audry
Written by	Pierre Laroche
Starring	Edwige Feuillère Simone Simon Marie-Claire Olivia
Cinematography	Christian Matras
Distributed by	Filmsonor (France) Arthur Davis Associates (USA)
Release date(s)	April 27, 1951 (France) April 8, 1954 (USA)
Running time	88 minutes
Country	France
Language	French

Olivia (also known as Pit of Loneliness) is a 1951 French film directed by Jacqueline Audry. It is based on the 1950 semi-autobiographical novel by Dorothy Bussy.^[1] It has been called a "landmark of lesbian representation".^[2]

Plot

Olivia arrives at a finishing school and falls in love with headmistress Mlle. Julie. Mlle. Julie feels the same, but tries to suppress her desire.^[3]

Cast

• Edwige Feuillère as Mlle. Julie
• Simone Simon as Mlle. Cara
• Marie-Claire Olivia as Olivia Dealey
• Yvonne de Bray as Victoire
• Suzanne Dehelly as Mlle. Dubois
• Marina de Berg as Mimi
• Lesly Meynard as Frau Riesener
• Danièle Delorme as Une ancienne élève
• Rina Rhéty as Signorina
• Tania Soucault as Georgie
• Elly Norden as Laura
• Nadine Olivier as Cécile

Reception

For her part as Mlle. Julie, Edwige Feuillère was nominated for a BAFTA award for Best Foreign Actress in 1952.^[4]

References

1. ^ Kedward, Harry Roderick; Nancy Wood (1995). The Liberation of France: Image and Event. Berg Publishers. pp. 105. ISBN 1859730876. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=-dpIT3UV0T4C. 
2. ^ Mayne, Judith (2000). Framed: Lesbians, Feminists, and Media Culture. University of Minnesota Press. pp. xix. ISBN 0816634564. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=emGeAcZPLeIC. 
3. ^ Darren, Alison (2000). Lesbian Film Guide. Continuum International Publishing Group. pp. 156. ISBN 030433376X. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=6ef_efGtpoYC. 
4. ^ "Film Nominations 1952". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. http://www.bafta.org/awards/film/nominations/?year=1952. Retrieved 2008-04-06. 

External links

• Olivia at the Internet Movie Database
• Olivia at AllRovi