Neil Doyle While not a flawless film by any means, THE STORY OF THREE LOVES has so many elements in its favor that it's better to talk about them first.MOIRA SHEARER is pure magic as a ballet dancer with a secret and JAMES MASON does well as the man who encourages her to dance again after a long spell of inactivity. Shearer dances to some vibrant music by Rachmaninoff where her versatility is comparable to that displayed in THE RED SHOES. The story itself is on the thin, transparent side.LESLIE CARON plays a governess hired to teach young RICKY NELSON a love for language, stressing French irregular verbs. This sequence is fantasy and has Nelson asking the town witch (ETHEL BARRYMORE) to make him an adult for awhile so he can carry on a fairytale romance with Caron. It's silly and unfortunately Nelson is too peevish as the spoiled boy before he transforms himself into FARLEY GRANGER.But the last story is extremely well acted by KIRK DOUGLAS and PIER ANGELI and interested me the most. Douglas is very convincing as a trapeze artist haunted by the death of a former partner and turning suicidal bent Angeli into his new death defying hire wire performer.Both Douglas and Angeli are obviously performing most of their stunts on the high wire. The scenes which have him instructing her gradually into becoming more secure in the act by demonstrating steps is very adroitly handled. Furthermore, he and Angeli do well in all of their quieter but still intense moments.The stories aren't really linked together very well but each serves its purpose in the scheme of things. Artistically, it's a good show from the standpoint of music, settings and performances.

cuzjackincanuckland I thought the first story (Moira Shearer and James Mason, Ballet) was pretentious and dull. I wish the TCM commentator would not pronounce her name as Moria.The second story (Leslie Caron) was done better by Big, even though I love watching Leslie Caron.The third story (Kirk Douglas and Pier Angeli as trapeze artists) was well-written, well-acted, well-filmed and very moving, better than the other two put together. It was memorable, as a love story, while the other two were very forgettable. Having videotaped this movie, I would have recorded another over it, were it not for the third story. I would give it, the circus story, a 9, the ballet story a 4, and the governess story a 5. Also it was interesting to see the almost-forgotten Pier Angeli. She acts well here.

harry-76 The first of three stories, "Jealous Lover," offers sheer bliss as the great ballerina, Moria Sherer, dances to Rachmaninov's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini." One is reminded of the exquisite beauty of Sherer, who thrilled audiences for many years at the Sadler's Wells. What a treat for moviegoers when she graced the screen, which was all too rare. Of all the prima ballerinas of the 20th century, Sherer stood out. Her light came from within, and her graceful executions became a spiritual experience. James Mason is perfectly cast as Charles Coutray, and their scenes together are richly romantic, under Gotfried Reinhardt's sensitive direction. Vincent Minnelli lovingly guided the remaining two episodes, whose writings were unevenly crafted, yet ardently realized by as fine a cast as MGM could offer. Miklos Rozsa's original score was vibrant and knowing, melodiously underscoring the action. "The Story of Three Loves," remains a good piece of work, unusually artistic coming from a major studio.

nixxnutz I was a college sophomore in 1953 when Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" was near the top of the charts. (Yes, believe it or not, there was a time when good music was popular!) At the time, I knew it was featured in a movie, and I probably knew the title, but I never saw it. Over the years I forgot the movie title, but "Rhapsody" was always a favorite. Occasionally I puzzled over the movie that popularized it, but I couldn't remember what it was. This morning I discovered "The Story of Three Loves" (1953) on Turner Classic Movies, and there was Moira Shearer dancing to Rachmaninoff. I didn't have time to see the movie when it was new, but at least I solved the mystery for myself, and this time I won't forget. I thought the whole thing was charming. Speaking of shades of the future, in the first scene of the aerialist segment, "Equilibrium," Pier Angeli attempted suicide but was saved by Kirk Douglas. In real life, she succeeded in killing herself with a phenobarbital overdose in 1971.