Light in the Piazza (film) Light in the Piazza (film) Light in the Piazza is a 1962 American romantic drama film directed by Guy Green and starring Olivia de Havilland, Rossano Brazzi, Yvette Mimieux, George Hamilton, and Barry Sullivan. Based on the 1960 novel "The Light in the Piazza" by Elizabeth Spencer, the film is about a beautiful but mentally disabled young American woman traveling in Italy with her mother and the Italian man they meet during one leg of their trip. Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, "Light in the Piazza" is notable for its extensive location shooting in 1960s Florence and Rome by the award-winning cinematographer
The Light in the Piazza (novel) A secondary plot resembles a comedy of manners as it examines the national differences between Americans and Italians, both represented in a somewhat stereotypical fashion. Screenwriter Julius J. Epstein adapted Spencer's book for a 1962 film, directed by Guy Green. The cast included Olivia de Havilland, Yvette Mimieux, Rossano Brazzi, and George Hamilton, who was nominated for a BAFTA Award for his performance. In 2003, the book inspired a musical adaptation, written by Craig Lucas and composed by Adam Guettel. The Light in the Piazza (novel) The Light in the Piazza is a 1960 novella by Mississippi writer Elizabeth Spencer.