Francis of Assisi (Perseus; 20th Century-Fox) is only a medium-sized religious picture; there are plenty of horses and a couple of cheetahs but no elephants. Still. Producer Plato Skouras took pains to please Papa Spyros. To tell the story of St. Francis, he took color cameras, cast and Director Michael Curtiz to Assisi.
Townspeople and Franciscan monks were persuaded to take minor roles, and the city was authenticked up by set designers. Crews scouted the Umbrian landscape for inspirational vistas, and cameramen photographed yards of Giotto frescoes on which to superimpose the screen credits. With all the activity, it was natural that...
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