Maria Fiore Movies

Carefully side-stepping a full condemnation of Italy's notorious, 1980's cult leader Ebe Giorgini, this docudrama tells the story of her rise to religious power from the point of view of a distraught father of one of Ebe's cult members. The father was never around to develop much of a relationship with his daughter, and for that reason she has taken up as a novitiate with "Mamma Ebe," whose dubious lifestyle includes two husbands, at least one probable lover, and champagne cruises on her yacht. Worse than these private details of her life are the examples of sadistic physical abuse that millionaire "Mamma Ebe" meted out to her charges when she was displeased by their actions, or the fact that she makes her novitiates work 18-hour days. After this docudrama wrapped, Ebe Giorgini was sentenced to serve time for her activities, a sentence later commuted to house arrest. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Vittorio Gassman stars as different characters in each of the nine episodes of this unusual Italian comedy. Playing everything from a practical joker to a prisoner, he comments upon romance, love and women in general, as referred to by the title. Prior to this feature, Gassman had worked with both screenwriter Ruggero Maccari and Ettore Scola (who also co-wrote rather than directed) in the 1962 feature Il Sorpasso from director Dino Risi. It was Risi and Maccari's teamwork which helped Gassman win a "Best Actor" award at Cannes Film Festival in 1974 for Profumo di Donna/Scent of a Woman. Gassman would later work with Maccari and Ettore again in episodic fashion with Signore e Signori Buonanotte/Goodnight, Ladies and Gentlemen (1976) and yet again in the drama Famiglia (1987). ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide

In this fantasy/actioner, beefy Thor takes on Amazon women and their wicked Queen Nera. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide

Unlike many multistoried films of the 1950s, Gran Varieta is the handiwork of a single solitary director--though five writers collaborated on the screenplay. The film is divided into five separate playlets, all unified by a "backstage" theme. In the first, Maria Fiore plays an aspiring singer who gets more than she bargains for upon attaining stardom. The second tale involves quick-change artist Alberto Sordi, who is successful in love only when he decides to be "himself". Carlo Croccolo stars in the third segment as a variety performer whose "soldier act" results in his early demise. The fourth (and best) story features Vittorio DeSica as a once-famous actor, now on the skids. Gran Varieta concludes with a satirical story about a fascist-government censor, played by Renato Rascal, who has his work cut out for him when he tries to clean up a girlie show. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Melody of Love was designed as a showcase for the splendid singing of Roman radio star Giacomo Rondinella. The star plays an impecunious young man whose romance with Maria Fiore is jeopardized by Maria's wealthy father Giovanni Grasso. Papa has selected handsome, apparently respectable Mirko Ellis as a potential son-in-law, but Maria is steadfast in her love for Rondinella. When it turns out that Ellis is actually a notorious drug smuggler, Grasso has an instantaneous change of heart. There's also a "funny" subplot involving an obscure Italian comedy team, of which the less said the better. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This Italian anthology is comprised of five separate episodes. In the first tale, two impoverished parents must leave their baby because they cannot afford to feed it. The second concerns two aristocrats who have fallen into poverty and end up reunited when they both are cast as extras in a movie. The third tale centers upon a priest as he attempts to counsel a suicidal woman. The next tale looks at a happy cabby. Finally, a beautiful woman tries to evade an obsessed stalker with a video camera. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide