Pope Joan

Starring: Liv Ullman, Olivia De Havilland, Lesley-Anne Down, Keir Dullea, Trevor Howard, Jeremy Kemp, Patrick Magee, Franco Nero & Maximilian Schell Director: Michael Anderson

Description by OLDIES.com:

Only once in history has a woman ascended to the chair of St. Peter and become Pope...

Pope Joan, is it fact or fiction? Did a woman ascend to the Chair of St. Peter and become Pope in the 9th Century?

Belief in Pope Joan was widespread throughout Europe, and the story passed from generation to generation by word of mouth. Not until the 13th century was it written down. The girl who was to become Pope was said to have been born in Mainz, Germany. She learned to read and write and had the reputation as a persuasive speaker. She became a nun, went through harrowing experiences with Saxon invaders and traveled as far as Greece before ending up in Rome at the court of Pope Leo, disguised as a monk. She became the Pope's secretary and, on his death, was elected Pontiff. An angry crowd tore her to pieces in front of the Lateran Palace when it was discovered she was a woman.

Cast and Crew: