Silvio Francesco Movies
- 1991
This horror spoof boasts pun-filled dialogue by the always off-center Forrest J. Ackerman, who gained genre fame in the 1960s as the editor of "Famous Monsters Of Filmland" and "Spacemen" publications. Ackerman also has a cameo appearance in the film. Knowledgeable fans of early movies and silents from the horror genre will notice numerous visual tributes to such classics as London After Midnight. In the story, a piece of film from that era is burning, and a vampire from one of those films emerges from it. An additional touch is that the vampire can only communicate by miming, as he is from silent films. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Silvio Francesco, Forrest J. Ackerman, (more)
- 1983
Lou van Burg presents this German language program which features the music of the 1950s and 1960s. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1957
This French-Italian musical starts out in the eponymous French gambling establishment. Vittorio de Sica plays Gordy, an ageing playwright who decides to transform a music-hall singer named Catherine (Caterina Valente) into a dramatic actress. Just as his protegee achieves stardom, Gordy dies. But when Catherine visits her late benefactor's villa, she is romanced by Gordy's ghost, who turns out to be a much younger man (Gilbert Becaud). Rather stagebound, Casino de Paris only comes to life during the all-stops-out musical production numbers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gilbert Becaud, Caterina Valente, (more)
- 1955
Liebe, Tanz und 1000 Schlager (Love, Dance and 1000 Songs) is nothing more nor less than a showcase for popular German-based songstress Caterina Valente. The star plays a small-town girl who is tapped for big-time stardom by talent agent Rudolf Platte. That's about all the plot there is, save for a few peripheral scenes involving Caterina's disapproving father (Williy A. Kleinau, whose film career flourished on both sides of the Iron Curtain during the mid-1950s). Ms. Valente's singing is superb; as for her acting. . .well, at least she doesn't bump into the furniture. Liebe, Tanz und 1000 Schlager enjoyed a healthy second life in the then-thriving German-language cinema circuit in the United States. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Caterina Valente, Peter Alexander, (more)
