Anna Maria Pier Angeli Movies

A scientific expedition to a remote Mexican fishing community discovers unhealthy amounts of radiation in the local waters. They also find a small mutant octopus with nearly-human eyes that can crawl on land and make mewling sounds like a baby. In order to receive further funding for their project, Dr. Rick Torres travels back to the States to make a deal with circus owner Johnny Caruso, who is interested in the bizarre mutation as a carny act. They return to the camp to discover that their crew has been slaughtered by someone (or something) and the octopus specimen is missing. A young man from the village says that a local legend about a creature said to be half man and half sea serpent is true, and offers to take the scientists to the lake where it is purported to live. What they find is a seven foot tall walking octopus with amazing strength and a lust for killing, and soon the expedition realizes that the monster is now hunting them. ~ Fred Beldin, All Movie Guide

James Daly plays an American special operative who goes behind enemy lines during WW II. His mission: sabotage. Pier Angeli, Michael Wilding and Peter Van Eyck number among Daly's possible friends and foes. It's familiar territory, but suspenseful. We prefer the film's original title: Red Roses for the Fuhrer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Set in the wilds of South Africa, this Italian adventure chronicles the travails of three fugitive killers who search the jungle for a fabulous gold mine. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Dependable American character actor Fred Beir is afforded a rare starring role in this Italian spy yarn. Beir plays an 007-ish secret agent on the trail of a murderer. The victim was a prominent scientist who may have been carrying secret papers. Beir nearly ends up on a slab himself before tracking down the mystery villain. Pier Angeli, an ingenue who'd seen better days, costars. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this Italian mystery-adventure, a government agent is assigned to look into a mysterious outbreak of a deadly virus in Southeast Asia. While attending a party, he meets an enemy agent and his pretty sister. Later the enemy captures the agent and his own sister who has fallen for the American. Soon the Yankee operative discovers that the evil agent is planning the genocide of all races he deems inferior. In their place, he is trying to engineer a race of superhumans. Fortunately, the American and the sister escape. He eventually finds the lab where the virus is cultivated and is again captured. This time, the sister and her friend save him and set the lab afire. The woman's friend is killed. Later her brother accidently falls into a pit filled with infected rats. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this adventure, a dozen imprisoned women are sent to America to become slaves. The year is 1675, and the women must sail aboard the ill-fated Albatross. A few well-heeled passengers are also aboard the ship, and among them is a political prisoner. Somehow the prisoners escape and commandeer the ship. Exciting mayhem on the high seas ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Five passengers on a seaplane find that a crash has stranded them on an island used for nuclear testing in this disaster movie. Just to get to the island, they had to endure many hardships including a hurricane, a gun-battle, shark-infested seas, and a fire on the plane. Panic ensues when the diverse group learns that in five hours, another bomb will be tested there. While the story is action-based, most of the time is spent looking at the individual characters and the way they cope. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Though Merry Andrew is more subdued than earlier Danny Kaye efforts, it's still a lot of fun. Kaye is cast as Andrew Larabee, a mild-mannered but highly unorthodox archeology professor at a British boy's school. While on an expedition in Italy, Andrew allows a traveling circus to pitch camp on his archeological site. Falling in love with Selena (Pier Angeli), the acrobat daughter of carnival owner Antonio Gallini (Salvatore Baccaloni), Professor Larabee soon finds himself participating in their show as a clown, ringmaster, and (accidental) lion-tamer. When time comes for Andrew to return to his stuffy academic existence -- not to mention his equally stuffy fiancée (Patricia Cutts) -- he chooses instead to hit the sawdust trail in the company of the fair Selena. The five Saul Chaplin-Johnny Mercer songs are enjoyable, but the engaging "patter numbers" written by Kaye's wife, Sylvia Fine, are sorely missed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Adapted from a novel by Bernard Victor Dyer, Port Afrique offers an unusual screen romantic team in the form of two-fisted Phil Carey and ethereally beautiful Pier Angeli. Carey plays Rip Reardon, a WW2 veteran who returns to his "second home" in Morocco for a reunion with his wife. Upon arrival, Reardon discovers that his wife was murdered, though the police insist that she died by her own hand. Smelling a cover-up, Reardon conducts his own investigation, which leads him through some of the seedier portions of Port Afrique. Along the way, he meets and briefly romances nightclub singer Ynez (Angeli), who may or may not have had something to do with his wife's death. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Mam'zelle Nitouche represented Fernandel's only 1954 film vehicle. The horse-faced comic actor is cast as Celestin, an organist at a girl's school. By day, Celestin is the meek and mild target of the girls' incessant practical jokes. By night, however, he is the celebrated composer of popular operas -- and the romantic vis-à-vis of a celebrated stage star. When schoolgirl Denise (Pier Angeli) stumbles onto Celestin's secret, she threatens to tell all -- but only if Celestin refuses to escort her to the opening night of his latest opera. As a result, Denise falls in love with a handsome young soldier, while Celestin is accidentally shipped off to an army camp. A series of silly coincidences brings happiness to all concerned by fade-out time. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Filmed on location in Europe, Flame and the Flesh is nothing more nor less than a vehicle for the glamorous Lana Turner. The plot finds Madeline (Ms. Turner) stranded in Italy with nary a lire to her name. But this doesn't bother her, because she's always depended upon the kindness of strangers--handsome, wealthy strangers. Madeline's present target is singer Nino (Carlos Thompson), who is engaged to Lisa (Pier Angeli). Throwing Lisa over, Nino weds Madeline, only to discover that she hasn't any intention of giving up her amorous lifestyle. Ultimately, Madeline comes to the realization that Nino is the only man in her life, but she seems to have a lot of fun sampling the alternatives. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This anthology film tells three stories of love involving the passengers of an ocean liner at sea. In the first, "The Jealous Lover," James Mason plays Charles Coudray, a well-known ballet director. When someone asks Coudray why he staged his masterpiece, "Astarte," only once, he tells the story of Paula Woodward (Moira Shearer), a superb dancer he found practicing in his theater. He was awestruck by her technique and her beauty, but he discovered that she had a secret -- due to a cardiac condition, she has been forbidden to dance too strenuously, as it could tax her heart and eventually kill her. Charles urges Paula to perform for him, so he may use her movements to choreograph his next great work; she agrees, but the exertion proves too much for her and she dies. He arranges for the work she inspired to be performed only once, in hopes that she will somehow see it from on high. In the second segment, "Mademoiselle," Tommy (Ricky Nelson) is a 12-year-old boy travelling with his French governess and tutor (Leslie Caron); she's tired of spending her days watching over a child, and he'd like to get away from Teacher for a while. Mrs. Pennicott (Ethel Barrymore), a older woman who happens to be a witch, hears Tommy wishing he could be a grown-up, and she grants his request: suddenly Tommy is a grown man (played by Farley Granger), but only for the next four hours. The Governess meets the mysterious stranger Tommy has become, and soon they fall in love. In the final segment, "Equilibrium," Kirk Douglas plays Pierre Narval, a high-wire artist who retired from performing after his partner died while performing a trapeze act, an accident Pierre blames on himself. He begins to reconsider his decision when he saves the life of Nina (Pier Angeli), a woman who attempted to drown herself; her husband died in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II, and she feels she is to blame for his death. Their shared fatalism equals fearlessness in Pierre's eyes, and he teaches Nina the art of the trapeze; however, when he begins to fall in love with her, he's no longer so certain that he wants her to risk her life. "The Jealous Lover" and "Equilibrium" were directed by Gottfried Reinhardt, while "Mademoiselle" was directed by Vincente Minnelli. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Filmed on location in Italy, The Light Touch served as a showcase for MGM's newest female star Pier Angeli. The title refers to the nimble-fingered technique utilized by art thief Sam Conride (Stewart Granger). Sam is a cog in the wheel of the operation controlled by illegal art peddler Felix Guignol (George Sanders). Angeli plays Anna Vasarri, a young painter who'd like to reform Sam but who is unavoidably sucked into the illicit activities orchestrated by Guignol. Sam endangers Anna's life as well as his own when he masterminds a solo theft, intending to leave Guignol in the lurch. An unexpected jolt of religiosity forces Sam to mend his ways, much to Anna's relief. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide