Sylva Koscina Movies

Yugoslav-born actress Sylva Koscina was an Italian resident from the age of 12. In films from 1955, Koscina gained international attention for her leading-lady stints in Steve Reeves' first two Hercules films. She went on to appear in so many films in so many roles that it's difficult to "type"her: she was an adventurous acrobat in Judex (1960), a socially conscious nun in The Little Nuns (1962), "herself" in Fellini's Juliet and the Spirits (1965), a lesbian assassin in Deadlier Than the Male (1967) and so on. Retiring from films in 1987, Sylva Koscina returned before the cameras in the year just prior to her death: her last appearance was in the tantalizingly titled Kim Novak is on the Phone (1994). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
1971  
R  
A film-industry makeup man (Mickey Rooney) goes crazy in Manipulator, kidnapping an actress and holding her hostage on a back lot. The film is R-rated for violence and nudity. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide

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1970  
 
Marc (Marcel Bozzuffi) is a hood who is hunted down by his boss when he fails to execute a man who happens to be his friend. He is hidden by a woman (Sylvia Koscina) whose husband has murdered his business associate and wants Marc to take the rap for the crime. Michel Constantine is the friend targeted for murder, and Jean Lucciani and Daniel Moosman also appears in this suspenseful action feature. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Marcel BozzuffiSylva Koscina, (more)
1970  
PG  
Captain Turner (Rock Hudson) is the American paratrooper who employs Italian children to blow up a strategic dam controlled by the Nazis. He is the only survivor of his unit gunned down during the jump. Rescued by the moppets, he slaps and rapes German medico Bianca (Sylva Koscina), which implausibly leads her to trust Turner and help in the clandestine mission. Aldo (Mark Colleano) is the youthful leader who helps Turner carry out the bombing in exchange for an attack on his village. When the Nazis control the small town, their allegiance quickly changes as they fight the Germans they once considered allies. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Rock HudsonSylva Koscina, (more)
1970  
 
A husband (Maurice Ronet) recalls his past experiences as he travels by train to Rome from Paris. He has just left his wife (Emmanuela Riva) for his mistress (Sylva Koscina), and flashbacks are employed to tell his story. He thinks of his future in Rome with the mistress as he fondly remembers the highpoints of his past relationship. Taken from the novel by Michel Butor, this marks the directorial debut for Michel Worms. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Maurice RonetEmmanuelle Riva, (more)
1969  
 
Originally released as The Battle of the Neretva, this sprawling epic is a tribute to the Yugoslav partisan fighters of World War II. Yul Brynner stars as a guerilla leader whose mission in life is to eradicate all Nazis from his homeland (recently revealed instances of Yugoslav collaboration are dispensed with in this uncomplicated actioner). Hardy Kruger costars as Brynner's principle German antagonist. Originally released at 175 minutes, this $12 million spectacular was ruthlessly whittled down to 102 minutes by its American distributors. The resultant film looks like a series of outtakes in search of a story, but the action scenes more than compensate for the overall incoherence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Yul BrynnerHardy Kruger, (more)
1969  
 
The love-hate relationship between a poet and his mistress provides the basis for this metaphorical drama. The trouble seems to come from the fact that the two have very different approaches to their relationship. The poet is interested in a more traditional romance while his hot-blooded lover would rather spend all their time having sex. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Laurence HarveySylva Koscina, (more)
1968  
 
This 99-minute film constitutes the first half of Robert Siodmak's mammoth two-part epic Der Kampf um Rom (Fight for Rome). The film depicts the Goths' sacking of Rome in 526 AD. No expense was spared in bringing this story to the screen: for example, Siodmak utilized six companies of Rumanian cavalry for the battle sequence, and the epic packs in an all-star cast including Laurence Harvey as Celhegus, Orson Welles as Justinian and Sylva Koscina as Theodora. The film carefully lays a groundwork of corruption and infighting, suggesting that the siege of Rome was virtually justified. Screenwriter Ladislas Fodor (a former government agent best known for his espionage yarns) adapted his script from the best-selling novel by Felix Dahn. The second half, Der Kampf um rom 2: Der Verrat (which also clocks in at just over 1.5 hours) was issued in 1969, a year after the first; Four years after that (c. 1973), the two parts of Der Kampf um Rom were edited together, cut down to 94 minutes, and distributed as a single entry in the United States.
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Laurence HarveyOrson Welles, (more)
1968  
 
In this comedy, a casino owner in Barcelona absconds with a gangster's fortune and is chased to Monte Carlo where he impersonates a millionaire. While there he weds a wealthy American widow. When the gangster learns of the marriage, he and the thief's ex-mistress team up and head for Monte Carlo where they plan on winning back the mobster's missing fortune. Meanwhile the thief thinks about murdering his bride for her money. Unfortunately, the vengeful gangster does it first and frames her new husband for the death. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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1968  
 
Schuyler (Kirk Douglas) is a hard-boiled detective who turns in his badge when he believes the criminals are being handled with kid gloves and too much respect. He is hired by prominent attorney Fredericks (Eli Wallach) as a bodyguard for his client Rena (Sylva Koscina), who is accused of murdering her husband. Her playboy boyfriend Fleming (Kenneth Haigh) is also under suspicion. Schuylur keeps one eye on his beautiful suspect while trying to uncover more information about the murder. Fredericks displays a disarming, folksy nature which belies his shrewdness. The detective soon comes to believe that Rena is being framed for the murder. Singer Jackie Wilson delivers the song "A Lovely Way To Die" during the opening credits of this murder mystery. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Kirk DouglasSylva Koscina, (more)
1968  
 
This World War II comedy finds Harry Frigg (Paul Newman) as the unwilling volunteer slated to rescue five generals from the clutches of the Germans and Italians. Frigg would rather spend his time goofing off than fighting the war, but his superiors make him a fake general and pack him off to retrieve the top brass. He has a romantic interest in the Countess (Sylva Koscina), an Italian beauty who helps Harry locate the missing officers. Tom Bosley, Andrew Duggan, Charles D. Gray, Jacques Roux and John Williams are the five generals who carry most of the comedy. Normal Fell and Buck Henry excel in small roles as well. General Prentiss (James Gregory) is the brains behind the plan that finds the frustrated Frigg rise to the occasion when he reluctantly accepts his assignment. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Paul NewmanSylva Koscina, (more)
1968  
 
An enterprising reporter takes along four willing adventurers to interview and photograph a young Sardinian criminal in hiding. Under intermittent gunfire, they make their way to the mountain hideout of the bandit. After a leisurely conversation and photo session, the encampment comes under fire from a group of armed citizens acting as police. Bullets fly and violence overtakes the criminal's two henchman, as the thrill-seeking group and the wanted criminal find themselves under attack. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Sylva KoscinaJean Sorel, (more)
1967  
 
Made in Italy is a multistoried film, set...in Italy, of course. An all-star cast appears in brief seriocomic vignettes about rich and poor, tourist and native. Director Nanni Loy exhibits the realistic and somewhat earthy technique he'd used on his earlier documentaries, with heavy emphasis on ironic punch lines. Filmed in 1965 by a Franco/Italian production team, Made in Italy received the best possible exposure upon its 1967 American release when clips were showcased on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. Best bit: The "give to the poor" poster in an impoverished Italian mountain village. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Anna MagnaniMarina Berti, (more)
1967  
 
In this lightweight comedy, David McCallum stars as Stanley Thrumm, a retiring British tour guide who strikes it rich one night in a casino on the Riviera. He's not sure that he wants to take the cash back to England, because he'll have to pay taxes on it, so he decides to put it in a Swiss bank account. But Carla Moretti (Sylva Koscina), an apparently helpful woman whom he has met, has designs on the loot, and she enlists her ex-husband in an effort to get it. Thrumm takes his winnings on a roundabout trek to Switzerland while Carla and her husband pursue, and the result is a long car chase with many comic diversions and a lot of Alpine scenery. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
David McCallumSylva Koscina, (more)
1967  
 
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In this 1967 drama, resourceful British agent Bulldog Drummond, who appeared onscreen in a series of spy stories between 1929 and 1951, returned to duty in the wake of James Bond. Here, Drummond (Richard Johnson) is on the trail of Carl Petersen (Nigel Green), a corrupt industrialist who has a bad habit of stealing the ideas of others and then killing them so he can reap their profits. The nefarious Petersen has a team of female assistants willing to kill on command, led by Irma (Elke Sommer) and Penelope (Sylva Koscina). One more Bulldog Drummond vehicle, Some Girls Do, followed in 1969 before the series was retired again. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Richard JohnsonElke Sommer, (more)
1966  
 
Fulbert (Robert Hirsch) is a sidewalk artist who is duped into working for a counterfeiter in this slapstick situation comedy. He accompanies a woman posing as a grieving widow on a trip to Spain in a hearse. Unaware she is the mistress of a notorious gangster, Fulbert is chased by thugs who want him to help in their scheme in passing the bogus bills. In a reoccurring gag, he often hides out in the empty coffin to escape danger. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Dr. Robert HirschSylva Koscina, (more)
1966  
 
Plastic surgery allows a notorious criminal to continue his trade. ~ All Movie Guide

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1965  
 
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Juliet of the Spirits is a fantastical showcase for Federico Fellini's vibrant imagery, starring his wife, Giulietta Masina, as the titular leading character. Juliet is a wealthy housewife who constantly fears her husband, Giorgio (Mario Pisu), is cheating on her. While she yearns for a peaceful intimate evening on the night of their 15th anniversary, the egotistical Giorgio has forgotten about it and instead arrives home with his eccentric friends. After a trip to a séance, Juliet is haunted by images from the spirit world, including obsessions from her past involving religion and her late relatives. With her sisters and mother prying into her life, Juliet seems to be seeking an inner peace amidst all the sexual temptations surrounding her. She meets her neighbor, Suzy (Sandra Milo), a showy pleasure-seeker who lives in a sensual playhouse. It appears that all of Juliet's family, friends, and fantasies demand that she loosen up and embrace sexual freedom, yet she remains chaste and dowdy, lamenting over her unfaithful husband. The reasons for Juliet's repression are not clearly defined by the narrative, despite glimpses into her supposed imagination. Forced to endure the constant bombardment of sexually charged imaginings, the demure Juliet retreats on her own. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Giulietta MasinaMario Pisu, (more)
1965  
 
Director Alessandro Blasetti used an all-star Italian cast for this satirical comedy that pokes fun at the selfishness of humans and uses one character to link a series of comic vignettes. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Gina LollobrigidaSilvana Mangano, (more)

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