Madame X (1966 film)

Madame X is a 1966 American suspense drama film directed by David Lowell Rich and starring Lana Turner, John Forsythe, Ricardo Montalbán, Burgess Meredith, Constance Bennett, and Keir Dullea. Based on the 1908 play of the same name by French playwright Alexandre Bisson, it follows Holly Anderson, the wife of a wealthy American diplomat who, under the pressure of her mother-in-law, fakes her death after the demise of her lover. Holly spends the following fifteen years abroad under a false identity before becoming embroiled in a legal battle after she commits a murder, during which she is unknowingly represented by the son—now a successful attorney—whom she was forced to abandon.

The film rights to the project were purchased from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer by Turner herself, who entered a co-production agreement with producer Ross Hunter. The screenplay was adapted from Bisson's play by Jean Holloway. Filming of Madame X took place on the Universal Studios Lots in the spring of 1965, with eighty-four film sets being constructed for the production.

Released by Universal Pictures in the spring of 1966, Madame X received mixed reviews from film critics, though many remarked Turner's lead performance as a key strength. In Italy, Turner's performance won her the David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actress at the 1966 David di Donatello Awards as well as the award for Best Foreign Actress at the Taormina Film Festival.