The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone

Plots: An aging actress travels to Rome with her husband; after he suddenly dies during the flight, she begins a passionate affair with a young gigolo. Critics and the public say Karen Stone is too old — as she approaches 50 — for her role in a play she is about to take to Broadway. Her businessman husband, 20 years her senior, has been the angel for the play and gives her a way out: They are off to a holiday in Rome for his health. He suffers a fatal heart attack on the plane. Mrs. Stone stays in Rome. She leases a magnificent apartment with a view of the seven hills from the terrace. Then the contessa comes calling to introduce a young man named Paola to her. The contessa knows many presentable young men and lonely American widows. In Rome, the Contessa Magda Terribili-Gonzales is able to live a lavish lifestyle by foisting her small stable of young gigolos on wealthy and unsuspecting lonely women, or perhaps not so unsuspecting. She has a 50/50 agreement with those gigolos for any moneys received. One of those women is middle aged Broadway actress Karen Stone, who is at an age where she can no longer play the ingénue roles that made her famous. In combination with the recent death of her husband en route to Rome, Karen is feeling insecure in her career and life because of her age. The Contessa’s choice for Karen is Paolo di Leo. Although Karen is wary of Paolo, her loneliness does get the better of her as she embarks on a relationship with Paolo. In her somewhat outward happiness, Karen begins to sever ties with her old friends, who she believes will be judgmental. But Paolo is slightly different than the Contessa’s other gigolos. He in turn has an infatuation with Karen, who doesn’t lavish him with money as do most of the other women. This lack of money places a strain between Paolo and the Contessa, who wants her fair share and will do anything needed to make sure Paolo does his “job”, even at the expense of Karen’s mental state.