Raf Vallone Movies
Educated at the University of Turin, Raf Vallone was a professional soccer player and jack-of-all-trades journalist before making a spectacular film acting debut in the neorealist classic Bitter Rice. While Vallone has never wanted for roles of depth and meaning (Giovanni in De Sica's Two Women [1961], Eddie Carbone in Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge [1962]), some producers insist upon casting him only as a jet-setting playboy, nattily attired in the latest fashions, a beautiful girl on each arm. In addition, Vallone has played so many unsavory characters like Mario Bello in 1964's Harlow that one wonders if his first name shouldn't be "Raffish." The actor began curtailing his film work in 1990, not long after his well-rounded portrayal of Cardinal Lamberti in The Godfather III (1990). Raf Vallone is the husband of his one-time co-star, actress Ellen Varzi. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Based on a Solzhenitsyn book, this is the story of a Moscow official in Stalinist Russia whose future freedom depends on a technological break-through. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Season of Giants succeeds more in ambition than in execution. This 195-minute TV movie proposes that a great professional rivalry existed between Renaissance geniuses Michelangelo (Mark Frankel) and Leonardo da Vinci (John Glover). While the Florentine and Roman scenery is authentic, certain elements of the story cause the viewer to doubt its credibility. For starters, both Michelangelo and Da Vinci weather several years' time without either aging or changing their clothes; also, the "creative process" is minimized, with both artists going from inspiration to final product in what seems to be a matter of hours (maybe Michelangelo used a roller on the Sistine Chapel). Season of Giants was originally shown in two parts over the TNT Cable service, with a surprising paucity of advertising fanfare. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
In this religious horror-story, Father Juan (Fernando Guillen Cuervo) is being interviewed by the Holy Office (Inquisition) in 16th century Spain. He tells a chilling tale of having been born to a woman who has conceived him through the intervention of the devil. However, until the woman was on his deathbed, he was a pretty good priest. It is only when she commends him to her husband, his father, the devil, that he (eventually) gives in to temptation and becomes the focal point for a series of unnatural manifestations (such as snow in the summer) which call attention to his peculiar birth. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fernando Guillen Cuervo, Lola Forner, (more)
- 1985
Leading man Gabriel Byrne adds a "Harlequin Romance" dash to the two-part, six-hour TV movie Christopher Columbus. Seeking out a swifter route to the lucrative Indies, Genoa-born Columbus begs King John of Portugal (Max Von Sydow) to finance a westbound expedition. Failing this, he turns to Spain's Queen Isabella (Faye Dunaway), who is entranced by Columbus' near-religious fervor. After the famous 1492 expedition, Columbus is bankrolled for future forays into the New World, which win him both adulation and vilification. Originally telecast May 19 and 20, 1985, Christopher Columbus was filmed on location in Spain, Malta and the Dominican Republic, making full use of a $15 million budget. It isn't an earth-shattering cinematic experience, but is lots more worthwhile (and less ponderous) than the brace of Columbus biopics inflicted upon movie audiences in 1992. Those concerned with political correctness should be satisfied with the film's second half, which explores the more sinister elements of chauvinistic colonization. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
In a befuddling look at the nature of evil (apparently linked with how much money one has), a young idealist finds himself in hot water by sticking with his beliefs. Hubert (Benjamin Voelz) is studying theology supported by a grant from a weapons manufacturer (Vittorio Gassman) -- the first crack in the student's ideals. Next, after he saves his sponsor's wife Sylvie (Marie-Christine Barrault) from suicide, the two start an illicit affair -- the second crack. Finally, Sylvie gets pregnant and convinces Hubert to face her husband with the truth. Her secret motivation is to cause her husband's weak heart to give out so she can inherit his fortune. It does, and lo and behold, it is Hubert who inherits the fortune. Sylvie manages to connive a solution to her dilemma that eventually helps Hubert heal those cracks in his virtue but leaves him as penniless as the day is long. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marie-Christine Barrault, Vittorio Gassman, (more)
Gregory Peck had made scattered television appearances before, but the 3-hour Scarlet and the Black was his first starring assignment in a made-for-TV movie. Peck plays Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty, a real-life cleric who, during World War II, rescued thousands of escaped POWs from the Gestapo. Christopher Plummer co-stars as the Rome-based SS official who tries to catch O'Flaherty in the act. The film won several industry and religious awards, and earned three Emmy nominations. Based on J. P. Gallagher's book The Scarlet Pimpernel in the Vatican, The Scarlet and the Black premiered on February 2, 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Libyan leader Moummar Quaddafi financed this desert epic about a Libyan hero who helped his nation fend off an Italian invasion in 1929. Anthony Quinn stars as Omar Mukhtar, who organizes Libyan forces to hold off the encroaching Italian troops under General Rodolfo Graziana (Oliver Reed), who are trying to gain a foothold on Libyan soil under direct orders from the Italian dictator Mussolini (Rod Steiger). With the persistence of Mukhtar, the Libyans, battling the tanks and guns of the Italian army with their Bedouin troops on horseback, managed to hold off y the Italians for twenty years, until Mukhtar was finally captured and executed. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Quinn, Oliver Reed, (more)
- 1981
A Yugoslavian man meets a woman in Paris, where he has come to do some research, and their mutual attraction leads to a liaison and shared adventures, not many good. They are both survivors from Nazi concentration camps which automatically gives them a kindred understanding. Their past comes back to haunt them though as they run into an ex-German soldier who shows them a skull from a person that had been tortured - an act that infuriates them so much that they knock down the German and steal the skull to finally put it in the French memorial for deportees. As they travel around the streets of Paris, they are constantly reminded of the previous Nazi presence, or run into Nazi-like behavior. There is a reprieve from Paris, however, as they separately go to Normandy where her family lives. Once together there, they go for a walk and come across some inane adults playing war games in German bunkers on the beach, reminders of the D-day landing on Normandy. By now it seems that their unwanted run-ins with a painful past have got to end, one way or another. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maria Schneider, Dragan Nikolic, (more)
Inside jokes about the film industry dominate this slight tale of ambition and romance at the Cannes Film Festival. Keith Carradine plays a first-time director who has sunk two years and all his money into a movie about the execution of murderer Gary Gilmore. With his last bit of cash, he flies himself and his picture to Cannes, but the film is seized by French customs. The wife of an Italian producer (Monica Vitti) helps him retrieve his work, and the two become embroiled in a passionate, yet ultimately ill-fated, affair. Carradine gets the first-time, self-important director mostly right, but the movie is so specific to the film industry that viewers may lose interest. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keith Carradine, Monica Vitti, (more)
- 1975
Lee J. Cobb's last film is in this light romantic comedy starring Roger Moore as Michael Scott, an arms dealer who comes complete with a sophisticated playboy patter for the ladies. During war games, Michael attempts to sell weapons to NATO forces by trying to interest NATO general Steedman (Lee J. Cobb) in his wares. Opposing his sale is feminist reporter Julia Richardson (Susannah York), who is not impressed with either his job or his come-hither endearments. But, as happens to most movie feminists, she ends up putting her values on the back burner and she falls in love with Michael. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roger Moore, Susannah York, (more)
- 1973
Made for television, The Small Miracle is based on a story by Paul Gallico. Little Pepino (Marco Della Cava) hopes to cure his dying donkey. The boy is convinced that he can save his pet if only he can bring it to the crypt of St. Francis of Assisi. However, the Father Superior (Raf Vallone) will not allow the tomb to be so desecrated. Pepino's only hope lies in the intervention of kindly Father Damico (Vittorio de Sica). Filmed on location in Assisi and Rome, the 90-minute Small Miracle debuted April 11, 1973, as a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
In this drama, a conservative Catholic priest representing the Pope is sent to Ireland to settle down a few influential radical priests whose doctrine is contrary to standard church guidelines. AKA The Conflict. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Sheen, Trevor Howard, (more)
Gay Talese's bestseller Honor Thy Father is given a superb, albeit slightly expurgated, treatment in this made-for-TV movie. Joseph Bologna plays Bill Bonanno, the son of New York City Mafia-don Joe "Bananas" Bonanno (Raf Vallone). When his father disappears in 1964, Bill is compelled to take over the "family business." This proves well-nigh impossible as several Mafiosi fall over themselves trying to stake their own claims within the Bonanno empire. Lewis John Carlino, the script writer for the 1968 Mafia flick The Brotherhood, adapted the Talese novel for television. Joseph Campanella "appears" as the slyly noncommittal off-screen narrator. Honor Thy Father was first telecast March 1, 1973. The producers sagaciously withheld the film from the critics until that night to make certain no reviewer would spoil the audience's enjoyment by prematurely cataloging the differences between the film and the book. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brenda Vaccaro, Joseph Bologna, (more)
- 1972
This multinational crime action film also boasts an international cast. During his childhood, a boy (Chris Mitchum) sees four men drown his father; now, the grown young man makes it his business to kill each member of the foursome. His last killing presents him with some challenges, as his victim is only wounded. He kidnaps the man's daughter (Claudine Auger) and goes to a hideout. In the meantime, an ex-cop (Karl Malden) has been tracking them down. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Though not a giallo film in the strictest sense, this crime/revenge film merits attention by fans for its genre cast and an unusual approach to familiar themes. Raf Vallone plays anguished father Avanzio Berzaghi, whose 25-year old daughter Donatella has been kidnapped. Donatella has the mind of a toddler, and her beauty and agreeable naivete make her a perfect choice for Milan's seedy prostitution racket. Frank Wolff is a dedicated Inspector with bad sinuses who shakes down a sleazy pimp and a desperate black prostitute (Beryl Cunningham of The Snake God), as well as visiting scores of local brothels for clues. Tragically, he is too late, and Donatella's corpse is found in a field, still smoking from having been burned alive. Wolff redoubles his efforts, but it is Vallone, using nothing more than his daughter's teddy-bear and a father's lust for justice, who finally tracks down the killers. His laundromat vengeance is brutal, but unsatisfying, leaving him a broken man. Director Duccio Tessari, best known for westerns and a memorable giallo called The Blood-Stained Butterfly, imbues this story with a great deal more humanity than is typical for the genre. The plot, adapted from G. Scerbanenco's novel The Milanese Kill on Saturday, has its problems, but Tessari's focus on character minimizes the inconsistencies, presenting a gritty, powerful portrait of a dehumanizing urban Hell. This neglected gem suffers only from Gianni Ferrio's inexplicably bouncy music, but is otherwise a winner all the way. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Raf Vallone, Frank Wolff, (more)
The quintessential British caper film of the 1960s, The Italian Job is a flashy, fast romp that chases a team of career criminals throughout one of the biggest international gold heists in history. Michael Caine is Charlie Croker, a stylish robber and skirt-chaser just out of British prison. Shunning rehabilitation for recidivism, Croker takes over "The Italian Job," a complicated plan to hijack gold bullion from Italy -- right from underneath the noses of the Italian Police and the Mafia. The job, whose original mastermind was murdered, clearly requires the sponsorship of a richer, more established criminal than Croker. He turns to the auspices of the eccentric Mr. Bridger (Noël Coward in his last film role), a suave, regal, incarcerated English crime boss with a peculiar fascination with the Queen. Bridger provides Croker with a quirky group of Britain's most infamous computer hackers (including a lascivious Benny Hill), bank robbers, hijackers, and getaway drivers -- the ex-con is soon well on his way to relieving Italy of the gold. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Caine, Noël Coward, (more)
- 1968
In this drama, two Polish brothers escape from a Russian labor camp and try to join the exiled Polish Army in Afghanistan. While awaiting the man who will sneak them over the border, they rent a room. There, one of them falls in love with the landlord's wife, and the other for a local waitress. The Russian secret police are everywhere around them, so every action is taken with great anxiety. The pressure of waiting mounts as the days stretch on. One of the brothers was injured in labor camp and is rapidly losing his vision. The other is struck down by typhoid on the day they are to leave. He must immediately have adrenaline or he will die and so begs the landlord to get it for him. While the landlord is gone, the almost-blind brother makes love to the landlord's wife, and afterwards the guilt-filled wife attempts suicide but is saved by the ailing brother. The landlord returns, and the brothers attempt their escape. The landlord, his wife, the smuggler, and his family go too, but, unfortunately, they are spotted at the border. The brother with typhoid makes one final sacrifice to assure the safety of the others. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maximilian Schell, Raf Vallone, (more)
- 1968
The Spanish Thousand and One Nights brings a new slant to an old story. Several Arabian Nights legends are blended together into a single coherent continuity. Evidently certain that this sort of stuff was too hokey to take seriously, the producers handle the material with tongue firmly in cheek. Jeff Cooper plays the ingenuous hero Oman, while the villainy is in the capable hands of Raf Vallone. And, yes, there are plenty of undulating harem girls and veiled princesses; foremost among these is the dazzling Luciana Paluzzi. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Henry Hathaway's film is based on a character from Harold Robbins' The Carpetbaggers, who, in turn, based it on cowboy actor Ken Maynard. Set in the West of the 1890s, the film opens with the torture and murder of the parents of Max Sand (Steve McQueen) by a trio of gunslingers seemingly motivated by their hostility toward the mixed nature of the marriage, since the wife is a Native American. Swearing revenge, the young cowhand enlists the help of itinerant gunsmith Jonas Cord Brian Keith, who teaches him how to shoot while counseling against revenge. Nonetheless, Sand doggedly scours one town after the other before finally running up against one of the murderers, Jesse Coe (Martin Landau). He finally kills Coe in a vicious knife fight, but is severely wounded himself and has to be nursed back to health by Neesa (Janet Margolin), a young Kiowa woman. He next heads for Louisiana where another of the murderous trio, Bill Bowdre (Arthur Kennedy), is serving a prison sentence in a remote swamp. In order to get close to the man, Sand stages a robbery, and is soon among the prison inmates. This was the only film on which McQueen worked with Landau, the only other person admitted to the Actor's Studio out of thousands of applicants in 1957. ~ Michael Costello, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve McQueen, Karl Malden, (more)
- 1966
An evil scientist attempts to use his newly designed satellite to sterlize everyone on earth. Fortunately two savvy secret agents are set on the case to stop him. Basically this is a low grade, low budget Italian mish-mash of comedy and spy films. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Connors, Dorothy Provine, (more)
- 1965
Of the two competing Jean Harlow biopics released in 1965, producer Joseph E. Levine's Harlow is the more slickly professional, though neither film is exactly a cinematic landmark. Carroll Baker plays 1930s "platinum blonde" Jean Harlow, who, in keeping with the portrait painted by biographer Irving Schulman and Arthur Landau (upon whose book this film is based) was a forlorn waif tossed around like a football by the predatory males of wicked old Hollywood. Prodded by a hellish stage mother (Angela Lansbury) and an implicitly incestuous stepfather (Raf Vallone), Harlow rises to the pinnacle of movie stardom but never finds true happiness. The wedding-night revelation that her new husband, producer Paul Bern (Peter Lawford), is impotent is just another devastating blow for the poor girl. After all she goes through in the film, Harlow's premature death at age 26 is almost a relief. The only person who truly, deeply, sincerely cares about her is her lovable agent Arthur Landau (played by lovable Red Buttons) who, it will be remembered, co-authored the original Harlow book. Movie buffs will derive some perverse pleasure by the script's many distortions of the facts. Whatever its shortcomings, Harlow posted a huge profit for Joe Levine and Paramount Pictures. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll Baker, Martin Balsam, (more)
Producer/director Roger Corman briefly abandoned Edgar Allan Poe for The Secret Invasion, a commendable attempt to make a war epic on a "B" budget. The story is a scaled-down precursor to The Dirty Dozen: Five criminals are given a chance at a pardon by agreeing to participate in a suicide mission for British Intelligence. They are smuggled into Yugoslavia (where this film was made) to conduct several commando raids against the Nazi invaders. The quintet is comprised of veterans of internationally-produced war films: Stewart Granger, Raf Vallone, Mickey Rooney, Edd "Kookie" Byrnes and Henry Silva (observe the cast and guess who gets killed first). Corman's skill at generating excitement through quick cutting and careful camera composition is given an exhilarating workout in The Secret Invasion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stewart Granger, Mickey Rooney, (more)
Tom Tryon plays the title role in this Otto Preminger version of the Henry Morton Robinson novel. In his matriculation from Monsignor to the College of Cardinals, Stephen Fermoyle (Tom Tryon) must undergo several grueling life experiences: standing up to bigots in Georgia, defying Nazis in Austria, and so on. The film boasts cameo appearances by Dorothy Gish, Cecil Kellaway, John Saxon, John Huston, Robert Morse, Burgess Meredith, Raf Vallone, Ossie Davis. Incidentally, Tryon eventually quit acting and became a popular novelist. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Tryon, Carol Lynley, (more)
