Pope Joan (1972 film)

Pope Joan is a 1972 British historical drama film based on the story of Pope Joan.[1] Even though modern consensus generally considers Pope Joan to be legendary,[2] in the film her existence is treated as fact.

Directed by	Michael Anderson
Produced by	Kurt Unger Daniel Unger (uncredited) John Briley (associate producer) Leonard C. Lane (executive producer)
Written by	John Briley
Starring	Liv Ullmann Olivia de Havilland Franco Nero
Music by	Maurice Jarre
Cinematography	Billy Williams
Edited by	Bill Lenny
Distributed by	Columbia-Warner Distributors (UK) Columbia Pictures (US)
Release date	16 August 1972
Running time	132 minutes (original uncut version)
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

It was directed by Michael Anderson and has a cast which includes Liv Ullmann (in the lead role), Olivia de Havilland, Lesley-Anne Down, Franco Nero and Maximilian Schell. The soundtrack was composed by Maurice Jarre with additional choral music provided by The Sistine Chapel Choir, directed by Domenico Bartolucci.[3]

The film was released on DVD in 2003 on Region 1 format disc.[4] It was also re-titled in some areas as The Devil's Imposter, with much material cut.

The version of the film released in 1972 differed significantly from the version that had originally been filmed. Anderson's original was made with flashbacks and flash-forward sequences about a modern-day Evangelical preacher who believes her life parallels that of Pope Joan. In this version psychiatrists try to send her back through her past lives to establish if she is the reincarnation of Pope Joan.[5] However, the distributor decided to have all of the contemporary sequences removed and released the film as a straightforward historical drama. In 2009 the film was re-edited and the previously unreleased footage was re-inserted. It was re-released under the title She… Who Would Be Pope.[6]