Phaedra is a poor Greek sponge diver on the island of Hydra. She works from the boat of her boyfriend, Rhif, an immigrant from Albania. She accidentally finds an ancient Greek statue of a boy riding a dolphin on the bottom of the Aegean Sea. Her efforts to sell it to the highest bidder lead her to two competing individuals: Dr. James Calder, an honest archaeologist who will surrender it to Greek authorities, and Victor Parmalee, an aesthete and an unscrupulous dealer in historic artifacts. Calder and Parmalee each try to win Phaedra's cooperation. She works in concert with Parmalee, while developing feelings for Calder. When she seems to waver, Rhif decides to make the deal with Parmalee work. The film reaches a happy conclusion, with virtue rewarded, the statue celebrated by the people of Hydra, and Phaedra and Calder in each other's arms. Parmalee, a man with no apparent national loyalties or heritage, sets course for Monte Carlo.
The film was loosely based on David Divine's novel by the same name which was published in 1955, which presents as rivals an English archeologist and an impoverished Greek student. 20th Century Fox bought the film rights prior to publication. Sam Engel was assigned to produce and Alec Coppel to write. Clifton Webb and Joan Collins were announced as stars. Then Leon Uris was signed to work on the script and Henry Koster to direct. Dwight Taylor wrote a version of the script. Henry Koster was originally meant to direct. However he was delayed on D Day the Sixth of June and was replaced by Jean Negulesco. The female lead eventually went to Sophia Loren. Alan Ladd signed on shortly before shooting commenced.
Shooting
Much of the film was shot on location on the Greek Saronic Islands, notably Hydra. Establishing shots of Athens, Rhodes and Delos add to the vérité, while matte shots and some interiors were done at Cinecittà in Rome. One scene uses the Eastern Orthodoxmonastery complex at Metéora, which was later used as a location in the James Bond filmFor Your Eyes Only. Webb fell ill with pneumonia during the shoot. Filming went relatively smoothly, despite the fact it was the first Hollywood movie shot in Greece. Webb later sponsored two Greek children. The dissimilarity in heights between the Loren and Ladd led to complications in filming. Some of their scenes together required him to stand on a box, while another forced a trench to be dug for Loren when the pair walked along the beach.
Songs
Sophia Loren sings "What is this thing they call love" with an uncredited. The theme song sung by Julie London is heard over the underwater title sequence: There's a tale that they tell of a dolphin And a boy made of gold. With the shells and the pearls in the deep, He has lain many years fast asleep What they tell of the boy on a dolphin, Who can say if it's true? Should he rise from the depths of the ocean, Any wish that you wish may come true. You say "he's only a statue, and what can a statue achieve?" And yet, while I'm gazing at you, My heart tells my head to believe. If the boy whom the gods have enchanted Should arise from the sea, And the wish of my heart could be granted, I would wish that you loved only me.
