The Talented Mr. Ripley (film) locations included the Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps and Piazza di Spagna in Rome, and the Caffè Florian in the Piazza San Marco, Venice. To prepare for the role of Ripley, Damon lost 30 pounds and learned to play the piano. Jude Law gained weight and learned to play the saxophone for his character; he also broke a rib when he fell backward while filming the murder scene in the boat. Roger Ebert gave the film four-out-of-four stars, calling it "an intelligent thriller" that is "insidious in the way it leads us to identify with Tom Ripley ... He's a
Willie Piazza their abilities to sing and play musical instruments; jazz pianist Jelly Roll Morton sometimes played her upright white piano. The average annual income for a Willie Piazza octoroon was thought to be $1,000-$2,000. Piazza herself became known as "Countess Willie Piazza" and cultivated an image of European sophistication. She used a “two foot ivory, gold and diamond” cigarette holder to smoke Russian cigarettes. After the closer of Storyville in 1917, Piazza continued to work as a prostitute and procuress. Piazza was one of the main characters (played by Virginia Mayo) in the 1978 Dennis Kane film "French Quarter". Willie Piazza