Roberto Risso Movies

In this suspenseful WW II thriller, the hard-bitten commander of a British battleship stationed in Alexandria Harbor early in the war must force two captured Italian frogmen to tell him whether or not they planted time-bombs upon the ship's hull. The captives are uncooperative and the captain has them wait with the crew for the ship to explode. The minutes tick by and the increasingly nervous British sailors begin questioning their leader's judgment. Eventually, one of the hostages cracks and tells them that there is one mine, but he refuses to divulge its location or the time of detonation. The captain evacuates the ship and leaves the prisoners behind. He remains aboard and surreptitiously eavesdrops upon them. When he learns the mine's location, he attempts to have the bomb removed. Unfortunately he is too late and the ship is badly damaged. Desiring to fool the Italian reconnaissance planes he knows will come, the captain puts most of his crew on deck to make the Italian fliers think their mission failed. Meanwhile other crewmen frantically try to repair the ruined hull below deck. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Based on the Ferenc Molnar play Olympia, A Breath of Scandal serves as an elegant vehicle for a ravishing Sophia Loren. The star plays Princess Olympia, who despite her station in life cannot resist the urge to satisfy her sexual appetites. Exiled to the countryside, Olympia falls in love with American millionaire Charlie Foster (John Gavin). Meanwhile, a marriage of state is arranged between the princess and Prince Ruprecht of Prussia (Carlo Hintermann). Jealous rival Countess Lina (Angela Lansbury) endangers this union by threatening to tell all about Olympia and Foster. A cute, continental plot twist brings this harmless confection to a close. Maurice Chevalier dispenses his usual all-knowing glances and sly smiles as Olympia's understanding father. A Breath of Scandal was directed by Michael Curtiz, who uncharacteristically allows the pace to lag at crucial junctures. Scriptwriter Sidney Howard was credited with the script posthumously, some 21 years after his death. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Screen star Charles Boyer made a rare return to his home turf in the Franco-Italian Paris Palace Hotel. Boyer plays Delomel, a roguish middle-aged husband who uses an attack of gout as an excuse to escape his spouse. While staying at the titular hotel, Delomel gets mixed up with manicurist Francoise (Francoise Arnoul) and garage mechanic Gerard (Roberto Rosso), both of whom are posing as wealthy socialites. Though he's wise to their subterfuge, Delomel takes a liking to Francoise and Gerard and spends the rest of the film helping them pull off their deception. The star power of Charles Boyer makes Paris Palace Hotel seem far more important a film than it really is. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This film boasts clips of numerous acclaimed actors and actresses of Italy's silent cinema: Francesca Bertini, Lyda Borelli, Eleonora Duse, Antonio Gandusio, Elena Makowska (who also acts in this film), Pina Manichelli, Amleto Novelli, Bartolomeo Pagano, and Ermete Zacconi. They're glimpsed in footage from the collection of a former silent-film actor, Ettore Omeri (Umberto Melnati), who shows them at local schools. The performances of Bertini and Borelli draw laughter from some of the younger members of the audience, provoking an incident at the screening. A woman recognizes herself acting in one of the films Omeri exhibits and takes offense at the derisive reactions. She requests the clip from him and sends her son to obtain it, but while he's visiting the film archive, Omeri's secretary accidentally starts a fire. Omeri is arrested for mishandling dangerous materials, but freed by the help of the wealthy producer who is the husband of the silent-film actress; he gives Omeri work and helps endow his film museum. ~ Nicole Gagne, All Movie Guide

The misleadingly titled Italian comedy Luxury Girls is set in an exclusive Swiss finishing school. Rambunctious American lass Lorna Whitmore Susan Stephan is enrolled in the school by her wealthy parents. Before long, Laura has set the institution on its ear with her precocious behavior. Her female partners-in-"crime" spend their waking hours thinking of men and how to trap them, rather than concentrating on their schoolwork. There are a few attempts along the way to inject a note of seriousness now and then, but for the most part Luxury Girls is a chucklesome romp. While the cast is largely comprised of unknowns, Jacques Sernas does box-office duty as a commoner passing himself off as an aristocrat. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This Italian/Spanish swashbuckler was released in Europe as La Vendetta Del Corsaro. In some English-speaking markets, it bore the name Pirates Revenge. No matter how you spell it, this is a strictly formula affair, right down to the Korngoldesque music whenever the pirates attack. Its one distinction is historical. Revenge of the Pirates stars former Hollywood luminary Maria Montez, in what must have been her last film role before her untimely death. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide