Irene Cefaro Movies
- 1958
Told in anecdotal fashion, this lightweight comedy examines the amorous activities of husbands who remain in the city while the wives and kiddies are shipped off to summer vacation resorts (shades of The Seven Year Itch!) Most of the individual episodes are obvious in their humor and outcome. The best sequence involves a wandering husband, played by Renato Salvatori, who carries on a flirtation with shapely artist Giorgia Moll. Also good for laughs is the scene in which an errant hubby follows his wife to a seaside resort, convinced that she's been unfaithful. Mariti in Citta was released in English-speaking countries as Husbands in the City. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Giorgia Moll, Nino Taranto, (more)
- 1957
Uomini e Lupi was released outside of Italy as Men and Wolves. Pedro Armendariz and Yves Montand star as a pair of courageous wolf-hunters in the Abruzzi region of Italy. When Montand returns to his village with a dog instead of a wolf, he is branded a coward. He redeems himself by teaming with Armendariz' wife Sylvia Magnano to kill the wolf who claims the life of her husband. It's a simple story, imbued with powerful visual dynamics by Giuseppe De Santis. Especially impressive is the climax, staged during a blinding snowstorm (it's the real thing, too!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Silvana Mangano, Yves Montand, (more)
Swindle and The Swindlers are both English-language titles for 1955's Il Bidone, a lesser-known effort from Federico Fellini. Broderick Crawford, Richard Basehart, and Franco Fabrizi play a trio of con artists who victimize the Italian bourgeoisie (who are shown to be no better than the crooks). Giueletta Masina (Fellini's wife), who had previously costarred with Richard Basehart in La Strada, here plays Basehart's wife. Humphrey Bogart had been intended for the role played by Broderick Crawford; one wonders how Crawford's self-deprecating curtain speech about the hollowness of his existence would have played in Bogart's hands. Swindle was not released to the US until nine years after its completion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Broderick Crawford, Richard Basehart, (more)
- 1954
Cronaca di Poveri Amani (Chronicle of Poor Lovers) was based on the novel of the same name by Vasco Pratolini. The scene is the Vico de Corno, a well-populated alleyway in the low-rent district of Florence. Set in the 1920s, the film recalls the tinderbox political climate of the era. The eponymous "poor lovers" include Milena (Antonella Lualdi), whose husband dies at the hands of the fascists; cynical prostitute Elisa (Cosetta Greco); and lonely but comparatively well-off invalid Gesuina (Anna Maria Ferrero). Marcello Mastrioanni also appears, though the emphasis is clearly on the women of the piece. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anna Maria Ferrero, Cosetta Greco, (more)
