Ellen Kessler Movies

This gang-directed comedy combines the talents of Dino Risi, Franco Rossi, and Luigi Filippo Sonego. In "A Decisive Day," Nino Manfredi plays a shy company employee who wins the heart of a longtime flame only to discover she is married. Franco Rossi directs "Complex Of The Nubian Slave" starring Ugo Tognazzi and Claudie Lange. An Italian bigwig faces social ruin when he discovers his wife once appeared nude in a sword-and-sandal epic. Luigi Filippo directs "Toothsome Guglielmo" starring Alberto Sordi in the final episode. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

This 153-minute Biblical epic about salt and sin is directed by Robert Aldrich and has enough dynamic interactions between its chief protagonists to sustain interest in-between climactic scenes. Stewart Granger is Lot, the Hebrew leader who takes his people to camp in the Valley of Jordan only to find that they are caught between the Helamites on the one hand, and the wicked Queen Bera (Anouk Aimee) on the other. She rules over the twin cesspools of Sodom and Gomorrah and is beleaguered by a crafty brother who wants the scepter she now wields. The Queen makes a pact with Lot that he can stay with the Hebrews in the valley as long as he defends it -- she wants to use him and the Hebrews as a first line of defense against the Helamites. To seal the pact, she gives Lot her best slave Ildith (Pier Angeli) to be his wife. Adventures and excitement prevails as Lot and the Hebrews brave one challenge after the other -- until Lot realizes that his people are being corrupted by the environment of Sodom and Gomorrah and eventually receives a Divine vision and knows he has to lead the Hebrews away from here. Special effects are impressive and take much of the impact away from the fate of Ildith, as she turns one last time to look back at the crumbling cities. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Murder, illusion, and lies form the basis of this convoluted drama that centers around twin sisters and the man that loves one of them. The girls work as a circus illusionist. People love their act because the girls are adept at making the audience believe that there is only one of them. To keep the illusion alive, the girls sign a contract that keeps them publicly separated. A man falls in love with one of the twins without knowing that she has a sister. The other sister becomes terribly jealous of the affair. The man's alcoholic mother is also jealous of the affair and murders one of the twins. Unfortunately, she murdered the wrong one. Meanwhile, news of the murder is kept secret to preserve the illusion. The poor man, in a confused rage, thinking his love to be the jealous twin, kills her. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The Beggar Student is based on Der Bettelstudent, the evergreen operetta by Carl Milloecker (previously filmed in 1936). Set in the 18th century, the story focuses in on the Countess Laura (Waltraut Haas), who has spurned the affections of wicked Colonel Ollendorf (Gustav Knath). Seeking revenge, the Colonel flimflams the Countess into marrying an impoverished student named Symon (Gerhard Riedmann). Little does he know that the beggar student is really of noble lineage (in this, he's three steps behind the audience). The Beggar Student is highlighted by the dancing of the Kessler Twins, a shapely duo then enjoying a vogue of popularity on American TV. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This musical presentation is the story of common people who revolt against the government in Krakaw, Poland. ~ Rovi

This German language film is about a man illegally broadcasting his commercials and the bumbled attempts of the police to stop him. ~ Rovi