The Black Orchid is a moderately enjoyable romantic melodrama that features the high-powered pairing of Anthony Quinn and Sophia Loren. This duo gives Orchid a great deal of its appeal, yet the casting of Loren also mitigates its ultimate effectiveness. Both stars are in fine form, turning in captivating performances and exuding a sensual chemistry that is highly effective and very necessary in terms of the story. Quinn, very well cast, gives the role his all and is basically irresistible. He's also one of the few men strong enough to compete with Loren, who at this time easily blew away many of her co-stars with her sheer presence. Loren, for her part, clearly relishes the challenge that Quinn presents, and she is very effective in many of her dramatic moments. However, Loren doesn't totally convince as a lower-class immigrant; she's too sophisticated, too polished, lacking the rough edges that the script calls for. The screenplay is also problematic – it's rather too melodramatic, and the psychological situation with Quinn's daughter is unconvincingly delineated and much too patly resolves. Loren's obsessive guilt also is stretched a bit too far, and her supposedly "at-risk" son comes across as too safe. Fortunately, director Martin Ritt plays up the strengths of his cast to help mask the flaws in the screenplay – and the result is a movie that, while definitely flawed, is also easy to enjoy.