Fulvio Palmieri Movies

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, All Movie Guide

Not long before MGM embarked upon its musical biopic The Great Caruso, the Italian Enrico Caruso, Leggenda di Una Voce made the American distribution rounds. Maurizio di Nardo plays famed tenor Caruso as a boy, while Ermanno Randi takes over the role in adulthood. The film makes no pretense at accuracy; indeed, an introductory title describes the plot as "a poetic interpretation of [Caruso's] youth." When it was released in the U.S., Enrico Caruso was retitled to The Young Caruso and promoted on the basis of one of its leading ladies, the fabulous Gina Lollobrigida. In fact, in some markets, the third-billed Lollobrigida was promoted as the film's above-the-title star. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Vespro Siciliano has its roots in a true story. In 1821, the Sicilian people staged a revolt against the provisional leader and his occupying army. In this cinemazation, Roldano Lupi stars as legendary Sicilian patriot Giovanni da Procida. Paul Muller co-stars as the villainous leader, who is drawn in broad, wholly evil strokes. Clearly a labor of love for all concerned, Vespro Siciliano was lavishly produced on the scale of a super-spectacular. By its very nature, the film's audience appeal was limited, though it enjoyed a healthy second life on American television. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Real-life beauty contest winner Gina Lollobrigida is appropriately cast in Miss Italia. The first half of the film is a dramatization of the events leading up to Italy's number-one beauty pageant. The final portion consists of footage from the actual event. Inevitably, the real thing is more fascinating than the soap-operalike plot, though Constance Dowling has some good moments as a prostitute who hopes to escape her sordid lifestyle by winning the Miss Italia crown. Filmed in 1949, Miss Italia made it to the U.S. in 1950, by which time Lollobrigida's star was on the ascent. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This Italian concoction can best be described as a musical mystery. Set in the rarefied atmosphere of the Roman art world, the story concerns a murder, a missing objet d'art, and a beautiful girl. Singer Mario del Monico comes off rather better than most of the film's "official" actors. Though no genius, director Camino Mastronicque was an efficient traffic cop, as his popular films of the 1940s and 1950s bear out. The film's title translates to The Man with the Grey Glove. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide