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The Affairs of Cellini

"Hanging is too good for Cellini...declared the Duchess, so she smothered him...in her arms!"

The 16th-century sculptor woos the Duchess of Florence despite the duke.

Top Cast

  • Constance Bennett

    Constance Bennett

    Duchess of Florence

  • Fredric March

    Fredric March

    Benvenuto Cellini

  • Frank Morgan

    Frank Morgan

    Alessandro, Duke of Florence

  • Fay Wray

    Fay Wray

    Angela

  • Vince Barnett

    Vince Barnett

    Ascanio

  • Jessie Ralph

    Jessie Ralph

    Beatrice

  • Louis Calhern

    Louis Calhern

    Ottaviano

  • Jay Eaton

    Jay Eaton

    Polverino

  • Paul Harvey

    Paul Harvey

    Emissary

Overview

The 16th-century sculptor woos the Duchess of Florence despite the duke.

Rating

5.2 / 10
14 Reviews
1 Popular

1 Reviews

  • CinemaSerf
    CinemaSerf
    7 Jul 19, 2025

    “I offer you love as you ask for cake! I prefer death to a cold woman!” That’s one of the many quotes from Florentine artist and Lothario Benvenuto Cellini (Fredric March) as he woos his way around the city in the style of Casanova or Don Juan. Unlike those gents, though, this one is also a talented sculptor and has attracted the attention of the Medici. The Duke (Frank Morgan) is sort of being manoeuvred by his Duchess (Constance Bennett) to find him work, but she has designs that don’t appear on his etchings. Whilst these two are playing a bit of cat and mouse, one of this artists former friends (Fay Wray) is being courted by a Duke who locks his wife into her suite of an evening ostensibly to protect her honour but more likely so he can play away himself! March delivers well enough but the plaudits really belong to Bennett and to Morgan who between them offer us a degree of frosty disdain as well as a slightly unexpected element of hapless but frequently quite dastardly mischief. It is a quality production with loads of attention to the detail, the writing allows everyone to have their moment in the sun and there is even a sospetto of swordplay amongst the lacy costumed finery. It’s not the best, but I like the genre and quite enjoyed this.

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