Arturo Bragaglia Movies

If Hollywood could put the names of Abbott and Costello in the titles of the team's pictures, why couldn't Italy honor its favorite actors in a similar fashion. Toto, Vittorio e la Dotoressa stars that matchless Italian comic actor Toto, matinee idol/director Vittorio De Sica, and, as Dotoressa, sultry American songstress Abbe Lane. The plot concerns the misadventures of Dotoressa, a Neopolitan doctor who is pursued by a pair of her wackiest patients (DeSica and German Cobos). Frantically, Dotoressa turns to private detective Toto for help--and that's her first mistake. Adding to the general hilarity is up-and-coming slapstick comedian Darry Cowl in a supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Mio Figlio Nero boasts one of the most eccentrically diverse casts in motion picture history. Silent movie queen Gloria Swanson hams it up as Agrippina, the mother of infamous 1st-century Roman emperor Nero. Her little boy grows up to become Alberto Sordi, who plays the notorious lyre-plucker and firebug for laughs. Nero's milk-bathing paramour Poppea is portrayed as a doe-eyed nymphet by Brigitte Bardot, while Roman statesman Seneca is given a satirical slant by Vittorio de Sica. It goes without saying that historical accuracy is not the strong suit of Mio Figlio Nero, which was released in the US as Nero's Big Weekend. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

An all-star cast graces this Italian "omnibus" feature. The film consists of eight short stories, each based on nostalgic literary efforts. Linking the various stories is bookseller Aldo Fabrizi, who passes the time by reading the works dramatized herein. In "The Excelsior Ball," dancer Alba Arnova arouses the libido of several observers. In "Less Than a Day," a three-hour train delay wreaks havoc on the romance between Arnova and Andrea Checchi. In "Sardinian Drummer Boy," the title character (Enzo Cerusico) becomes an unexpected hero on the battlefield. In "Matter of Interest," two farmers (Arnoldo Foa and Folco Lulli) quarrel over a compost pile. In "The Idyll," two very young people (Maurizio Di Nardo and Geraldina Pariniello) fall in love. "Potpourri of Songs" delivers on its title through the musical versatility of Barbara Florian and Elio Pandolfi. "The Trial of Frine" finds accused murderess Gina Lollobrigida being defended by colorful lawyer Vittorio De Sica. And in "The Trap," an accusatory husband (Amedeo Nazzari) drives his far-from-innocent wife (Elis Cegani) into an act of extreme desperation. Also known as In Olden Days, Altri Tempi was distributed worldwide by RKO Radio. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This early Luchno Visconti drama stars Anna Magnani as an overbearing stage mother. Magnani's daughter (Tina Apicella) has zero talent, but Magnani raises such a ruckus at the studio after the girl's abortive screen test that the producers eventually find work for the girl. By this point, Magnani has renounced show business and, with daughter in tow, returns to her patient husband, who has been waiting for his wife to get her dreams of vicarious stardom out of her system. Based on a story by famed Italian scenarist (and frequent Fellini collaborator) Cesar Zavattini, Bellissima seems too trivial a story to be given the tender loving care provided by Visconti. Originally released at 130 minutes, the film was honed down to 90 minutes for American consumption. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi