Virna Lisi Movies
In European films from 16, ash-blonde beauty Virna Lisi was required to do little beyond display her physical attributes. Lisi's appearances in Duel of the Titans (1961) and Casanova 70 (1965) were the ones best known to American audiences. She made her U.S. film bow in George Axelrod's satirical How to Murder Your Wife (1966), delivering a well-timed comic performance despite her unfamiliarity with English. Lisi was then co-starred with Frank Sinatra in Assault on A Queen (1966), and Tony Curtis in Not With My Wife, You Don't (1967). Though she never openly expressed any displeasure at being typed in sexy roles, Lisi returned to Europe in hopes of securing three-dimensional character parts. More recently, Virna Lisi has been playing ice-blooded villainesses and predatory "cradle robbers," undoubtedly relishing every opportunity to be more than just a (fabulously) pretty face. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
The "doll"in this Italian seriocomedy is played by Virna Lisi. Craving attention, Virna claims that she has been robbed and assaulted. Thanks to this artifice, she becomes a celebrity, and then a high-priced model. Her chickens come home to roost when three innocent men are arrested and charged for the non-existent robbery and rape. Virna is all for keeping her mouth shut, but her resolve is weakened by Haya Harareet, the wife of one of the accused. Doll That Took the Town was originally released as La Donna Del Giorno. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
- PG
In this comedy, a medical assistant and his strange childhood friend fall in love. Unfortunately, the girl is unable to make a permanent commitment. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Italo Bombolini (Anthony Quinn) is the mayor of the hillside village of Santa Vittorio. The wine-loving town leader erases a pro-Mussolini slogan when he hears of the fascist being killed and hanged from a meathook. His wife Rosa (Anna Magnani) throws him out of their wine shop when he and his friends celebrate and he gives away too much wine. When he hears the retreating Nazi Army will soon be in town, hundreds of villagers turn out to hide the wine in an old Roman cave. The people work day and night, hiding 1 million bottles just before the Nazis enter the town. SS officers threaten death to anyone who withholds the wine. Italo presents a single bottle to the irate general (Hardy Kruger), as the hapless Germans are powerless to force the villagers to produce the coveted bottles. Not even a pistol to the head of their beloved mayor is effective as the town stands by, watching in complete silence. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Quinn, Anna Magnani, (more)
- 1971
- R
David Niven is Alex, a scholar who has won the Nobel Prize for developing a universal language. The U.S. State Department has decided to honor him with a statue, to be displayed in London's Grosvenor Square. The commission for the project went to Alex's wife Rhonda (Virna Lisi), who has designed a statue that is completely nude, without even a fig leaf. Husband Alex sees that is it a perfect replica of himself, except for the part usually covered by fig leaves. He accuses his wife of using one of her lovers as a model and begins a hilarious search for the original. Robert Vaughn has some good lines as the American Ambassador, discussing the couple's controversy with the President. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Helmut Berger is Alain, a real sicko, who may be so because his mother was a prostitute. He can only make love with a "decent" woman when she is drugged senseless, though he can manage one-time encounters with prostitutes and also gladly suffers the abuse of his boyfriends. He seems to have deliberately driven his first wife to suicide, and now he has married Nathalie (Virna Lisi). A police inspector (Charles Aznavour) has gotten wind of these doings, and attempts to intervene before a second tragedy can occur, but his superiors will not allow him to. This is a French language film, with no dubbing or subtitles. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1996
The complicated travails of several generations of Italian women provide the basis for this drama that is based on a novel by Susanna Tamaro. It begins with the peaceful death of Olga, the elderly family matriarch. Marta, her granddaughter returns from the US to attend the funeral and once in Olga's villa in Trieste, begins reading her grandmother's diary. Olga's story unfolds via flashback. As a young woman, Oldga had to marry Antonio a man she didn't love. Later she became passionately involved with a handsome doctor at the local spa. He impregnates her and shortly thereafter dies in a terrible car wreck. The result of their love is Illaria, who grows up to be terribly neurotic. She bears Marta and then she too dies in an automobile accident, leaving Marta to be raised by Olga. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Virna Lisi, Margherita Buy, (more)
- 1972
- PG
This Yukon adventure is yet another telling of Jack London's tale of a prospector and his loyal sled dog as they battle avaricious villains during their search for gold. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Franco Nero, Virna Lisi, (more)
