W. Somerset Maugham - Up At The Villa - A Gem

I love sharing very good authors and W. Somerset Maugham is one. He wrote a little gem called Up At The Villa which over a handful of days in 1938, a penniless English widow, on vacation near Florence, considers the marriage proposal of an aging British aristocrat who is the newly-appointed governor of Bengal, accepts a pistol that he presses on her for safety, takes pity on an Austrian refugee, stands up to a Fascist police chief, and gets in harm's way with an American playboy. After a good deed results in tragedy, she must choose between dependability and love, between her reputation and her feelings. Even that choice doesn't work out as she imagined. It was very good but much like his many other works. Many of his works were made into film adaptations as listed below. I have highlighted some good ones to really watch. Up At The Villa was made into a film in 2000 but not on DVD. I would love to see it.

Film adaptations

The Circle (1925) Directed by Frank Borzage, based on the 1921 play of the same name.
The Magician (1926) Based on the 1908 novel of the same name.
Sadie Thompson (1928), a silent movie starring Gloria Swanson and Lionel Barrymore. Based on the short story "Miss Thompson", which was later retitled "Rain".
The Letter (1929) featuring Jeanne Eagels, O. P. Heggie, Reginald Owen and Herbert Marshall. Based on the play of the same name.
Rain (1932), the first sound version of the story, with Joan Crawford and Walter Huston.
Of Human Bondage (1934) starring Leslie Howard and Bette Davis. Based on the book of the same name.
The Painted Veil (1934) featuring Greta Garbo and Herbert Marshall. Based on the novel of the same name.
Secret Agent (1936) with John Gielgud, Peter Lorre, Madeleine Carroll, and Robert Young, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Based on Ashenden.
The Vessel of Wrath (1938) starring Charles Laughton; released in the USA as The Beachcomber. Based on the novella of the same name.
The Letter (1940) featuring Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, James Stephenson, Frieda Inescort and Gale Sondergaard. Based on the play of the same name.
Too Many Husbands (1940) featuring Jean Arthur, Fred MacMurray, and Melvyn Douglas. Based on the play "Home and Beauty".
The Moon and Sixpence (1942) with George Sanders. Based on the novella of the same name.
Christmas Holiday (1944) starring Deanna Durbin and Gene Kelly, based on the novel of the same name.
The Hour Before The Dawn (1944) starring Veronica Lake, based on the novel of the same name.
Dirty Gertie from Harlem U.S.A.(1946). Unauthorized film version of "Miss Thompson" with an all-black cast, directed by Spencer Williams.
The Razor's Edge (1946) featuring Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney. Based on the book of the same name.
Of Human Bondage (1946) version starring Eleanor Parker.
Quartet (1948) Maugham appears as himself in introductions. Based on four of his short stories.
Trio (1950) Maugham appears as himself in introductions. Another collection based on short stories.
Encore (1951) Maugham appears as himself in introductions. A third collection of Maugham short stories.
Miss Sadie Thompson (1953), a semi-musical version, featuring Rita Hayworth and José Ferrer.
The Seventh Sin (1957) with Eleanor Parker. Based on the novel The Painted Veil.
The Beachcomber (1958). Based on the novella The Vessel of Wrath; not to be confused with the 1938 film.
Julia, Du bist zauberhaft (1962) starring Lilli Palmer and Charles Boyer. Based on the novel Theatre.
Of Human Bondage (1964) with Laurence Harvey and Kim Novak.
The Letter (1969) starring Eileen Atkins. Based on play of the same name. (made for television)
The Theatre (1978) starring Vija Artmane. Based on play of the same name.
The Letter (1982) featuring Lee Remick, Jack Thompson and Ronald Pickup. Based on play of the same name. (Made for Television)
The Razor's Edge (1984) with Bill Murray. Based on the novel by the same name.
Up at the Villa (2000) starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Sean Penn, directed by Philip Haas. Based on the novella of the same name.
Being Julia (2004) featuring Annette Bening. Based on the novel Theatre.
The Painted Veil (2006) with Naomi Watts and Edward Norton. Based on the novel of the same name.
My next venture I'm reading is: "The Host" by Stephenie Meyer