Rapture (1965)

Interesting facts

Rapture is a 1965 drama film directed by John Guillermin, and starring Melvyn Douglas, Patricia Gozzi, and Dean Stockwell. It was written by Stanley Mann based on the 1954 novel Rapture in My Rags by Phyliss Hastings.

Production

The film was based on the novel Rapture in My Rags by Phyllis Hastings published in 1954. The New York Times called it "a touching story". The Los Angeles Times called it "a tremendously worthwhile experience".

The book became a best seller in England. In 1957, film rights were bought by André Hakim, the son in law of Daryl F. Zanuck of 20th Century Fox, where Hakim had a production deal. Hakim beat out Carol Reed and Hecht-Hill-Lancaster who both wanted the novel. Hastings said he wanted Audrey Hepburn and Yul Brynner to play the leads.

Filming began September 1964 in France. It was directed by John Guillermin who signed a four-picture deal with Fox.

Serge Bourguignon, who had directed Patricia Gozzi in Sundays and Cybele later said Zanuck wanted him to direct the film "but I didn't want to do it. He said, "Well, you can do it with the same style," but I refused. So they hired Guillermin, who is a very good director, but Patricia didn't get along with him at all.

Rapture could have been interesting but didn’t turn out to be that interesting. It was a little film with a girl named Patricia Gozzi who had a great deal of success in a film prior to this one. I don’t think she went on to a career after that. But I had a hell of a time working in France, I loved it! The director, John Guillermin, was kind of a maniac. He’s known to be a maniac, and he is! I got along with him pretty well, though.

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