Bogart, a contractual violation. Bogart had the matter rectified with the addition of a line drawing of his face. Reception The film was praised by many critics for its extravagance, which earned the director many new admirers. Saturday Review stated Ava Gardner was "one of the most breathtaking creatures on earth". Some critics disapproved of the film; the book Feature Cinema in the 20th Century: Volume One: 1913–1950: a Comprehensive Guide called the film "dreadful", remarking that Mankiewicz's "intelligence and ambitious aims too often collide with an astonishing lack of subtlety and aesthetic judgment". Bosley Crowther in The New York Times described it as a "grotesque barren film" about the "glittering and graceless behavior of the Hollywood-international set." However, François Truffaut wrote: "what is beyond doubt is its total sincerity, novelty, daring, and fascination … I myself accept and value it for its freshness, intelligence, and beauty … A subtle and intelligent film, beautifully directed and acted." In 1998, Jonathan Rosenbaum of the Chicago Reader included the film in his unranked list of the best American films not included on the AFI Top 100. Awards and nominations In popular culture The May 1955 issue of Mad (#23) has a parody by Jack Davis entitled "The Barefoot Nocountessa". The Food Network cooking show Barefoot Contessa is named after Ina Garten's best-selling cookbook, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, which in turn was named after her specialty food store which she bought in 1978. The store, which is no longer in operation, opened in 1975 and was named after the film. A tour boat in the TV series Riptide was named Barefoot Contessa. Parts of the movie were featured in Lana Del Rey's music video for "Carmen". Home media The VHS from MGM was first released in 1990 and again in 1999 as part of the Vintage Classics lineup. MGM also released the DVD version in 2001. On December 13, 2016, Twilight Time Movies released The Barefoot Contessa on high-definition Blu-ray. This release is a limited-edition release of 3000 copies.` References External links Films directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz Films about actors 1954 romantic drama films American romantic drama films 1954 films Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award-winning performance Films shot in Rome Films shot in Madrid Films shot in Italy United Artists films Films with screenplays by Joseph L. Mankiewicz Films scored by Mario Nascimbene Films set in Rome Films set