Andrea Checchi Movies

An all-star cast graces this Italian "omnibus" feature. The film consists of eight short stories, each based on nostalgic literary efforts. Linking the various stories is bookseller Aldo Fabrizi, who passes the time by reading the works dramatized herein. In "The Excelsior Ball," dancer Alba Arnova arouses the libido of several observers. In "Less Than a Day," a three-hour train delay wreaks havoc on the romance between Arnova and Andrea Checchi. In "Sardinian Drummer Boy," the title character (Enzo Cerusico) becomes an unexpected hero on the battlefield. In "Matter of Interest," two farmers (Arnoldo Foa and Folco Lulli) quarrel over a compost pile. In "The Idyll," two very young people (Maurizio Di Nardo and Geraldina Pariniello) fall in love. "Potpourri of Songs" delivers on its title through the musical versatility of Barbara Florian and Elio Pandolfi. "The Trial of Frine" finds accused murderess Gina Lollobrigida being defended by colorful lawyer Vittorio De Sica. And in "The Trap," an accusatory husband (Amedeo Nazzari) drives his far-from-innocent wife (Elis Cegani) into an act of extreme desperation. Also known as In Olden Days, Altri Tempi was distributed worldwide by RKO Radio. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this drama, a notorious robber mistakes a newspaper reporter for another thief. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This Italian version of Dostoyevsky's Brothers Karamazov understandably suffers in comparison with the lavish internationally produced 1958 remake. Still, the earlier film has much to offer, especially in terms of acting and directing. Reasonably faithful to the original, the film recounts the doleful story of a domineering Russian landowner and the effect his death has on his four sons. Singled out for critical praise was Giulio Donnini as the epileptic Smerdiakov. I Fratelli Karamazov successfully manages to pack most of the novel into 116 minutes, while the more celebrated remake was half an hour longer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Two Anonymous Letters (originally Duo Lettere Anomine) was the first postwar directorial effort by Italian filmmaker Mario Camerini. While his colleagues were immersed in neorealism, Camerini relies on traditional cinematic techniques in unfolding his story of a star-crossed wartime romance. When her sweetheart Bruno (Andrea Checchi) joins the Italian army, Gina (Clara Calamai), bored by her lack of social life, weds Tullio (Otello Toso). She comes to regret her decision when Tullio proves to be a Nazi collaborationist. Casting her lot with the Resistance movement, Gina is forced into a difficult decision when the safety of ex-lover Bruno is endangered by the treachery of Tullio. Completed in 1945, Two Anonymous Letters was released in the U.S. in 1947, with English-language subtitles provided by erudite film critic Herman G. Weinberg. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A cat burglar, a suicidal veteran, and a starving typist-turned-prostitute are brought together by fate and propelled through the streets of Rome in director Marcello Pagliero's lyrical look at life in Italy following liberation by the Allies. As the rain falls in Rome, a prowling cat burglar (Nando Bruno) prepares for his next job. His mission interrupted by a distraught veteran (Andrea Checchi) whose fiancée had been unfaithful while he was away at war, the sympathetic burglar talks the suicidal man off of his precarious ledge before inviting him out for a night on the town. Later, as police attempt to rescue an impoverished typist who has turned to prostitution as a means of paying rent, the kindly veteran intervenes and the trio share their stories over cognac before coming into the company of an eccentric amnesiac (Vittorio De Sica) with no sense of self. As the unlikely group of new friends make their way to an illegal private casino, their lives each take an unexpected turn as fate stirs up old love, forgotten grudges, and bittersweet memories. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

In this Italian drama, a wealthy snob of a college girl is the head of her sorority, but turns out to be a wretched student. To save herself from failing chemistry (she had already failed almost every other class), the girl makes a pass at her handsome professor. The girl finds a rival in another co-ed who also wants the professor. Things are tense for a while, but when the rival is involved in an accident, it is the socialite who shares her blue blood for a life-saving transfusion. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide