Vittorio Sanipoli Movies

This Italian film was made for the blaxploitation action niche, but sloppy dubbing and unintentionally funny dialogue kept it from packing the kind of action punch needed for box-office success. Father Charlie (Lino Venturi) is an ex-con who has been granted an exemption from canon law to become a priest. When a friend of his gets into trouble which looks suspiciously like a frame-up, Father Charlie decides to investigate, with or without the blessing of his bishop. His friend Lee Stevens (Isaac Hayes) is looking for the real culprit as well, and Father Charlie and Lee soon join forces. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

In this ponderous French mystery-drama, based on an Ellery Queen story, blackmail would seem to be the least of the problems of Charles (Anthony Perkins). His adoptive father Theo (Orson Welles) has a madwoman for a mother, and a gorgeous woman of Charles' age (Marlene Jobert) for a wife. In fact, Charles is deeply attracted to her. In addition, his father encourages the whole family to dress in '20s clothing, which makes them all feel out of place. However, when he wakes in a strange bed with blood on his hands and no memory of anything the night before, he gets a little bit frantic. He calls Paul, his old professor of philosophy (Michel Piccoli), one of the few non-family members he can trust for discreet help. Theo has made his country estate into an eerily independent universe, not like anyplace else. Paul accompanies Charles to the father's strange home, and uses his philosophical training to try to solve the mystery of the bloody hands. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

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, Rovi

Maigret (Jean Gabin) is the detective who investigates a murder conspiracy. Gangsters from the United States try to kill a key government witness whose testimony could help land an influential mobster in jail. Maigret deals with the FBI and a series of shady underworld figures to save the life of the imperiled witness. The main character is a popular French detective taken from a novel by Georges Simenon. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

One of the many Italian sword-and-sandal adventure stories roughly depicting historical events -- sometimes too graphically -- this drama by director Lionello de Felice has its merits. The action moves along at a good clip, as Constantine's (Cornel Wilde) rise to power is depicted, amidst battling armies and political intrigue. All the well-publicized, old Roman entertainments such as feeding Christians to the lions are shown in more detail than might be necessary, leading to one of the main points of featuring Constantine at all -- he was the emperor who gave Christians the freedom to worship as they pleased. His cronies and his enemies, his loves and his successes all have their moment in the sun. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Vittorio Gassman and Alberto Sordi don ill-fitting military uniforms in this anecdotal Italian service comedy. They play a couple of World War I soldiers, adept at sidestepping duty and responsibility, but courageous to the core when in a pinch. The film strives for the boisterous feel of What Price Glory, but at 118 minutes the material wears rather thin. Still, the reputation of director Mario Monicelli helped this uneven production win a Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival. Originally released in Italy in 1959 as La Grande Guerra, The Great War was distributed in the U.S. two years later. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This strangely-christened French film noir was released in the U.S. as Grisbi. Jean Gabin stars as a racketeer known by the Runyonesque nickname of Max the Liar. Seeking out the finer things in life, Max intends to pull one last job and retire. After stealing a fortune in gold, our "hero" is faced with a crisis of conscience when his best friend (René Dary) is kidnapped and held for a huge ransom. Somehow Max manages to turn the tables on the abductors, but his dreams of a life of ease explode in his face. Up-and-coming leading lady Jeanne Moreau plays a pivotal role as the femme fatale who leads Dary into the hands of his kidnappers. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Napolitani a Milano (Neapolitans in Milan) was co-written and directed by Eduardo De Felippo, himself a Naples native. De Felippo also plays the leading role, a slum-dweller named Salvatore. When a new housing project is built, Salvatore and his neighbors are evicted. Five of these neighbors refuse to vacate, and are killed when the building they're living in collapses. Led by Salvatore, a group of friends and relatives (more than the victims actually had!) march to Milan, demanding financial restitution. Despite its seemingly sober subject matter, Napolitani a Milano is essentially a comedy, with a few brief romantic interludes featuring Frank Latimore and Anna Maria Ferrero. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Originally titled Spartaco, Sins of Rome is a highly suspect retelling of the 1st-century B.C. slave revolt which rocked the Roman Empire to its foundations. Spearheading the rebellion is Thracian slave Spartacus (Massimo Girotti), who is no Kirk Douglas but who handles the role with panache. To enhance the film's box-office appeal, the scriptwriters contrive to bestow upon Spartacus two leading ladies: Sabina (Gianna Maria Canale), the sensuous daughter of a Roman aristocrat, and Sabina's personal slave Amitys (played by ballerina Ludmilla Tcherina). There's plenty of gladiatorial combat, exciting battle scenes and out-of-synch English dubbing. Sins of Rome was distributed in the U.S. by RKO Radio Pictures. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Italian historical melodrama Il Diavolo Bianco (The White Devil) is set in the Caucaucus in the mid-19th century. The title character is a masked swashbuckler who intends to free his homeland from a despotic provincial governor. In time-honored fashion, Il Diavolo Bianco spends his days in the guise of a foppish, ring-kissing courtier to the selfsame governor. It's Scarlet Pimpernel Italian style, and it's good. Rossano Brazzi reportedly landed a Hollywood film contract on the strength of his starring performance in Il Diavolo Bianco. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi