Edoardo Anton Movies
- 1961
L'Improvisto is a suspenseful, effective drama by Alberto Lattuada about the careful planning and execution of a kidnapping. The "ringleader" and instigator of the clever plan is Tomas, a professor from a provincial town. His two cohorts are Claire (Anouk Aimée), his wife, and Juliette (Jeanne Valerie), his mistress. The trio make a rather different ménage à trois with objectives ranging far afield from the romantic. The circumstances of the preparation and carrying out of the deed keep tension coiled throughout. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tomas Milian, Anouk Aimée, (more)
- 1958
Five romantic and funny vignettes comprise this Italian anthology that is set amidst the beauty and fun of the famed French coastline. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylva Koscina, Franco Fabrizi, (more)
- 1955
Star Dennis O'Keefe doubles as director in Angela. O'Keefe plays a GI who falls in love with Mara Lane in postwar Rome. Lane kills her boss, forcing her to flee the law. O'Keefe goes along for the ride so that he won't be knocked off by Lane's husband. Just when it looks as though O'Keefe is willing to go to any lengths to protect the woman he loves, he discovers that she frankly isn't worth it. Filmed on location, Angela lacks the pacing and punch necessary to sustain audience empathy with the two characters; still, O'Keefe knows how to frame a scene and get the most out of his largely unknown cast. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis O'Keefe, Mara Lane, (more)
- 1955
Nannina (Silvana Pampanini) is planning to marry Mario (Antonio Cifariello), but the nuptials hit a snag when he's put in prison for hitting a policeman. She goes to work as a cashier in a bar owned by Oreste (Paolo Stoppa), an older man who falls in love with her. She wants to open a restaurant with him, but he severs contact with her once he realizes that she still loves Mario. Nevertheless, when Mario finally returns, Nannina is there as the proprietress of the restaurant. And she tells him that she sleeps safely at the convent until she's married! ~ Nicole Gagne, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Silvana Pampanini, Alberto Sordi, (more)
- 1953
This Italian crime melodrama may remind some viewers of the methodical American TV series Dragnet. In trailing a gang of counterfeiters, the authorities follow the trail of clues to a small town. Here the creation of "funny money" is the principal industry --and the job is made easier because the counterfeiters have been able to get their hands on the same type of paper used for legal tender. Police inspector Moroni (Fosco Giachetti) continues to dog the criminals' trail to Naples, where the film comes to a rousing conclusion. A few arbitrarily inserted dance sequences involving a sexy young girl were added to hype the film's box-office appeal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fosco Giachetti, Doris Duranti, (more)
- 1953
Il Segno di Venera (The Sign of Venus) offers an earthier Sophia Loren than American audiences would later become accustomed to. Agnese (Loren) has no trouble attracting men, which is more than can be said for her plain-Jane friend Cesira (Franca Valeri). The two girls embark on a search for an appropriate mate for Cesira, despite the fact that all eligible males instantly gravitate to Agnese. Some of the choices -- petty thief Alberto Sordi, impecunious poet Vittorio De Sica -- are frankly not good enough for either girl. Alternating between humor and pathos, Il Segno di Venera is light, forgettable entertainment. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Franca Valeri, Vittorio De Sica, (more)
- 1952
Alida Valli delivers one of her finest performances in the Italian Ultimo Incontro. Based on La Biondina, a 19th-century suspense novel by Marco Praga, the script has been updated to the Milan of 1951. Valli plays Lina, the faithless wife of wealthy Piero (Amadeo Nazzari). After entering into an affair with race-car driver Michele (Jean Pierre Aumont), Lina is blackmailed into selling her sexual services to others. Eventually, she is hired to satisfy the desires of -- guess who? The operatic denouement seems less hokey than it is, thanks to the combined skills of star Alida Valli and director Gianni Franciolini. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alida Valli, Amedeo Nazzari, (more)
- 1936
This Italian murder mystery is set against the backdrop of an exclusive girl's school. A much-hated teacher is killed, and everyone had ample reason to commit the deed. Among the suspects are two students who'd been plotting to poison the teacher for humiliating one of their classmates. Naturally, these kids aren't the guilty parties, as inspector Nino Benzoni proves in the action-packed final reel. The film was apparently designed as a group "screen test" for several promising young starlets, none of whom went on to bigger things. The title, incidentally, translates as The Serpent's Fang. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andreina Pagnani
