Daniela Rocca Movies
In one of those strange quirks of cinema, Italian actress Daniela Rocca became a star not for portraying the glamorous beauty she really was, but for playing the part of the frumpy, dumpy wife that Marcello Mastroianni is desperate to escape in Pietro Germi's international box-office hit Divorzio all'Italiana (1962). Rocca was born and raised in Catania, a working-class area plagued by poverty. It was her unusual beauty that helped her escape a life of drudgery, for she was discovered after competing in a beauty contest. She made her film debut in French director Maurice Cloche's Marchants de Filles (1957). More film roles followed, but Rocca did not find fame until Divorzio. She subsequently appeared in ten more films through 1967, but then her looks faded and by age 35, Rocca was a has-been. Deeply depressed, and labelled a nutcase by the tabloids after a suicide attempt, Rocca would spend the rest of the decade in and out of mental institutions. She eventually recovered and occasionally acted on stage and in television. Rocca also turned to writing and penned three novels, a poetry book and a non-fiction look at psychoanalysis. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1967
In this mysterious crime drama, a down-and-out Parisian woman finds herself entangled in a white slavery-narcotics ring. They send her on a boat for South America. There she gets engaged to a sailor, and upon her arrival decides to fight against those who have enslaved her. She suffers terribly, but eventually she learns that the mysterious stranger who has been causing friction between rival rings is a clever Interpol agent on assignment to destroy the gang. This allows the woman to return to her beloved; happiness ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1965
In this French comedy, a clever fellow proves himself smarter than the gangsters who would exploit him. The trouble begins in Paris when the vacationing hero accidentally gets into an auto accident with a smuggler. The crook is most apologetic for the mishap and kindly offers to let him drive his Cadillac to Bordeaux and continue with his holiday. The poor traveler doesn't know that the vehicle is a black market on wheels carrying everything from jewels to heroine. He is pursued by the smuggler and by a rival gang. He is so busy enjoying himself that he doesn't bother to look back at the gun battles raging behind him. He ends up picking up two hitchhiking women and continuing his leisurely journey. When he finally realizes that they are using him, he drives the crooks right to the police station. Later he discovers that the steering wheel of the car contains the largest diamond in the world. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Louis de Funès, Bourvil, (more)
- 1964
This Italian domestic drama stars Daniela Rocca as the young wife of an industrialist. Though there's temptation aplenty while she's on vacation, Rocca vows to remain faithful to her husband. Then she discovers that he has been fooling around. Familiar plot, lovely scenery. Hollywood expatriates Mark Damon and Elaine Stewart also appear. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
By 1964, it was possible for a major studio to make a film touching upon the Spanish Civil War without having to answer to some senate investigating committee or other. Based on Emeric Pressburger's novel A Mouse on Sunday, Behold a Pale Horse stars Gregory Peck as a war veteran who continues waging a one-man offensive years after hostilities have officially ceased. Exiled to France, Peck is lured back to Spain by vengeful police captain Anthony Quinn. Priest Omar Sharif advises Peck that he's being tricked, but Peck is determined to return to Spain to bid farewell to his dying mother Mildred Dunnock. Halfway through, the film bogs down into ponderous preachifying and moralizing, but overall the film is worth a glance. In 1966, Behold a Pale Horse was scheduled to be telecast on a major American network, but was cancelled at the last minute, reportedly at the behest of the Spanish government. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, (more)
- 1964
In this sword-and-sandal epic, it is up to the plucky sister of a Roman emperor to figure out how to keep the barbarians from invading her land. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1964
Horst Bucholz plays Dino, a painter who realizes he has no artistic vision and decides to move back into his wealthy mother's (Betty Davis) home. Just before he does this, however, he falls in love with beautiful and self-serving Cecilia (Catherine Spaak). Though Dino diligently attempts to convince her to marry him, she refuses, but offers to be his lover until someone better strikes her fancy. When that becomes an actuality, Dino does not fare well under the emotional trauma and has a nervous breakdown. With the help of his mother, Dino recovers to find he may not be completely devoid of talent after all. Based on La Noia, an Italian novel by Alberto Moravia. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bette Davis, Horst Buchholz, (more)
- 1963
In a theme which seems to have been popular at this time in Italian cinema (as in La Parmigiana, for instance), country-born-and-bred woman Daniela (Daniela Rocca) comes to the big city to look for a wealthy man. Her dream is to one day live in a penthouse, that ultimate urban symbol of having "arrived" financially. Putting her ideal before all else, even her moral standards, she goes from bad to worse as she tries to realize her dream. This otherwise routine drama is interspersed with a few comic moments and sharp observations. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniela Rocca, Tomas Milian, (more)
- 1963
Trouble begins when five Frenchmen pool their money in an attempt to pull off a huge drug deal. One intercepts the money and kills his friend to cover his tracks. The others are haunted by doubt and innuendo to the point where they all point fingers and guns at each other. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michel Auclair, Claude Dauphin, (more)
To fully appreciate the international box-office bonanza Divorce, Italian Style (Divorzio All'Italiana), one must remember that back in 1962, divorce was illegal in Italy. Ferdinando Cefalú(Marcello Mastroianni) would love to unload his demanding, sex-starved, monumentally unappealing wife, Rosalia (Daniela Rocca), but he can't take the legal means open to his American counterparts. Ferdinando can, however, kill off his wife and receive a light sentence...provided he catches the lady committing adultery. The trick now is to make his plate-of-potatoes spouse attractive enough so that some other man will accommodate Ferdinando by cuckolding him. Divorce, Italian Style not only cleaned up financially, but also won several international film awards, as well as an Oscar nomination for Marcello Mastroianni. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marcello Mastroianni, Daniela Rocca, (more)
- 1962
Filmed in 1962 but not released in the US until 1966 (with 20 of its 108 minutes removed), Conquered City is an all-star World War II drama financed in Italy and filmed in Greece. An Athens hotel, full of refugees and expatriates of all nationalities, is captured by Allied troops in the closing days of the War. British Major David Niven has been ordered to prevent a cache of weapons hidden in the hotel from falling into the hands of renegade troops. He cannot allow himself to trust anyone--not even the most innocent-looking (or attractive) of guests. Originally titled La Citta Prigioniera. Conquered City was released in English-speaking countries outside the U.S. as Captive City. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Niven, Lea Massari, (more)
- 1962
In this western, an outlaw ring leader falls in love with a Spanish princess and prays that his predecessor will remain in prison. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1960
Two gladiators are captured by an Amazon army, and are forced to fight against invading pirates. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
Just over a decade before she would gain fame and some fortune as Alexis Carrington in television's Dynasty series, Joan Collins starred as Esther in this melodramatic, routine Biblical story. The setting is Persia in the 4th century BC, as Esther comes to the attention of the recently widowed King Ahasuerus. The king has been trying to stifle and defeat the campaign of hatred fomented against the Jews by his evil minister Haman (Sergio Fantoni). Before the King can pair off with Esther and defeat the villainous Haman, there are several intervening adventures and an additional, attractive woman who competes for attention. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Collins, Richard Egan, (more)
- 1960
In what must be the longest lapse of time between a film and its sequel, 70-year-old Abel Gance continues his nearly legendary, 1927 historical drama Napoleon with this tale of Napoleon's life after his victories in Italy. The first half of Austerlitz delves into the private life of Napoleon Bonaparte (Pierre Mondy), the prodigal son of Corsica. The supreme commander of the French armed forces goes about his family life and dallies with Josephine (Martine Carol) and mistress Mlle. de Vaudey (Leslie Caron). He occasionally displays bursts of temper that presage some of the macho violence of the battle scenes in the second half of the film, after Napoleon has proclaimed himself Emperor. This sequel shows that Gance has not lost his directorial touch. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierre Mondy, Rossano Brazzi, (more)
- 1959
Released not long before a much more spectacular Cleopatra came along to make Elizabeth Taylor even more famous, this routine drama by Vittorio Cottafavi, a director who favors historical epics, is no competition. The prelude to Cleopatra's demise is the main focus of attention, but in this drama Mark Antony's presence is usurped by the Roman envoy Curridius (Ettore Manni). Curridius travels all the way from Rome to warn Antony that the powers-that-be are not thrilled with his behavior. Along the way, he faces one danger after another and then encounters Cleopatra (Linda Cristal) to make it all seem worth the effort. Gladiators in combat, underwater fights, and other impressive action scenes enliven the story. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Linda Cristal, Georges Marchal, (more)
- 1959
Two members of an expedition into the ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Tikal go into a hidden groto -- only one, Nieto (Arturo Dominici), returns, raving about the ancient Mayan goddess Caltiki. The expedition leader, Dr. John Fielding (John Merivale), follows their trail and finds the missing man's camera in the ruins of an ancient Mayan temple, along with high radiation readings -- the film shows the two men suddenly threatened by something out of the camera shot. A diver (Daniele Vargas) goes into the one unexplored part of the temple, the sacred lake within, and finds its floor littered with human remains and ancient treasure -- on a second dive, he is attacked by something that burns most of the flesh from his body. Suddenly, a huge shapeless, writhing mass rises from the lake, nearly killing Max Gunther (Gerard Herter), whose hand is caught by the creature. Fielding hacks off the fragment holding Max and destroys the main body of the monster by incinerating it. The scientific community is astonished by the fragments of the creature retrieved from Gunther's arm, which is revealed to be a single-celled animal at least 20 million years old; additionally, the fragments, though seemingly inert, are still radioactive and dangerous to the touch, and they react to the presence of atomic radiation by growing at an alarming pace. Gunther gradually loses his sanity as the tissues in his body deteriorate, and he goes on a murderous rampage that takes him to Fielding's home. Meanwhile, the doctor establishes a link between the legends surrounding Caltiki, the Mayans' abandonment of Tikal in the year 607, and a comet that passed the Earth that same year. He learns almost too late that the same comet is making a return visit, putting all of humankind in danger from Caltiki. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
Rather than telling a dramatized version of the exploits of the Greek runner Phidippides (or Philippides, as used here), this standard Italian costume drama has the great athlete almost single-handedly defeating the Persians. Set in 490 B.C. when the Persian armies were ready to finish conquering Greece and head into Europe, Phidippides (Steve Reeves, who else?) rallies the Athenians and they fight a series of spectacular, massive battles. In reality, Phidippides had run 140 miles to Sparta and back to ask for their help before any battles began. The Persians had already landed on the plains of Marathon, 26 miles from Athens but thanks to Phidippides forewarning, they were defeated by advancing Athenian forces. Phidippides' final run from Marathon back to Athens to warn them about a second attack by the Persian forces is not depicted in this drama -- that last run on top of the futile, 280-mile round trip to Sparta, cost him his life. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Reeves, Mylène Demongeot, (more)
- 1958
In this spectacle, the Assyrians launch a siege against the Asian city of Bethulia to force the city dwellers to stop worshipping God, and begin paying homage to an idol. This causes great restlessness among the residents who begin a conspiratorial underground, plotting the death of the Assyrian leader. They make one attempt and fail. The despotic leader then demands that the perpetrators turn themselves in. If they do not, the rest of the city will suffer. A beautiful sister of one of the rebels decides to join her brother and kill the leader herself. Unfortunately, she falls in love with the leader until she learns that he is planning to destroy her city just to win the admiration of his troops. Her patriotism exceeds her love and she cuts off his head, causing his Assyrian army to flee in terror. As she holds up the leader's head, a bolt of lightning strikes the pagan idol. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Massimo Girotti, Isabelle Corey, (more)
- 1957
The title Marchands de Filles translates to Girl Merchants. This doesn't mean that the characters are female businessmen. Far from it: the "protagonists" are the heads of a white slavery ring, "merchandising" girls to salacious customers. The plotline is the old one about the innocent young aspiring dancer who is sweet-talked into selling her sexual favors, only to be rescued from a Fate Worse Than Death But Better Than Starving by the timely arrival of the authorities. Agnes Laurent plays the imperiled heroine. Marchands de Filles contains a few rough scenes, but the film seems rather restrained when seen today. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Georges Marchal, Agnes Laurent, (more)
