Rossano Brazzi Movies
Bologna-born Rosanno Brazzi abandoned his law studies at San Marco University when his parents were killed by fascists. Becoming an actor, Brazzi rapidly rose to matinee-idol status after his film debut in 1939; but while making faces before the Mussolini-controlled cameras by day, he was tirelessly active in the Resistance by night. He made his first Hollywood film, Little Women, in 1949, but it was his multi-hued portrayal of the impotent Count Vincenzo Toriato-Faurini in The Barefoot Contessa (1954) that won him international stardom. He went on to play such suave Europeans as Renato di Rossi in Summertime (1955) and Emile DeBecque in South Pacific (1958), after which his film roles tended to become routine and repetitive. An occasional visitor to television after his first small-screen appearance on a 1960 episode of The June Allyson Show, Brazzi was a regular on the Harold Robbins-created series The Survivors (1969), playing Onassis clone Antaeus Riakos. Turning to directing in the mid-1960s (sometimes under the nom de film of Edward Ross), Brazzi's best-known effort in this capacity was the modest family-oriented film The Christmas That Almost Wasn't (1966). From 1940 to 1981, Rosanno Brazzi was the husband of actress Lidia Bartalini; after her death, he married another actress, Ilse Fischer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 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
This horror film takes place in Boston at the home of Joanna, a paraplegic (Christina Nagy). The wealthy Joanna lives with a companion, Ruth (Carroll Blumenberg), who helps take care of her needs. When young Craig (David Warbeck) comes in to help train Joanna to enter a special athletic competition for the wheelchair-bound, the two of them fall in love and make plans to marry. Craig knows that Joanna lost the use of her legs when she fell down the stairs, chased by a rapist who disguised himself as a priest. So when he starts dressing up as a priest and scaring her, the story takes a sinister turn for the worse. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christina Nagy, David Warbeck, (more)
The lavishly produced three-part telemovie The Far Pavilions was adapted from the best-selling novel by M.M. Kaye. Set in colonial India during the second Afghan war, the film concerns the exploits of Ashton Pelham-Martyn (Ben Cross), a British officer. Born and raised in India, Pelham-Martyn finds himself a victim of his own divided loyalties as he leads a campaign against the rebellious tribal leaders on the northwestern frontier. The meat of the drama is Pelham-Martyn's "forbidden" romance with his lifelong friend, half-caste Hindu princess Anjuli (Amy Irving). The supporting cast includes the illustrious likes of Omar Sharif and Christopher Lee. Filmed on location on a budget of $12 million (the most costly made-for-cable movie up to 1984), The Far Pavilions originally aired over the HBO service on April 22, 23 and 24, 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1982
Mario (Enrico Montesano) works as a hospital orderly whose lucky win in a lottery for a new luxury car turns out to be his greatest misfortune. His first mistake was to hide the car from his wife (Edwige Fenech) in an effort to hang on to it, rather than sell it off for the money as she would want. His next mistake was to inadvertently pose as a doctor when seen with the car. And from that point onward, the mistakes multiply until he is even accused of terrorist activities and brought into the police station, where he is led in confusion through a bureaucratic labyrinth. By now, Mario's four-wheeled conveyance has lost a lot of its original sheen. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Enrico Montesano, Edwige Fenech, (more)
- 1982
This biographical essay tackles the early life of Mother Teresa in her Yugoslavian homeland (she was born at Skopje in 1910). Her mother sent her to care for an aunt who was suffering from tuberculosis, a disease that young Agnes Gongia (Mother Teresa) contracted as a result of her exposure. She angrily turned against her mother for sending her to care for the aunt, but her mother was also responsible for her cure. She put Gongia in a convent in the mountains where she was cloistered with the rest of the nuns, and although she was healed in the process, she came away hating a cloistered life. Until that time, her career prospects had tended toward professional singing -- she had a striking voice and actually sang for awhile with an orchestra conducted by her cousin, someone that aroused her romantic interest. Her true vocation did not come to the fore until she talked to a priest (Rossano Brazzi) who had just returned from India, and she realized that she wanted to help others as a nun, but in a very practical way -- perhaps by handling cases that no one else wanted (not unlike caring for her sick aunt). It would not be long then, before Calcutta was to benefit from young Gongia's calling. (Mother Teresa) died in India on Friday, Sept. 5, 1997. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marisa Belli, Bekim Fehmiu, (more)
- 1981
Alberto Sordi directs this light comedy, and also stars as its mechanically challenged hero, a wealthy male chauvinist named Enrico who deals in wine better than he handles women. On a trip to the great land of America, Enrico discovers the wonders of a trained household robot named Catherine who outperforms any of the disgruntled women back at his home. When these women -- his wife (Valeria Valeri), his mistress (Catherine Spaak), and his maid -- decide to dump him, he immediately thinks of the marvelous robot he saw on his trip. Before anyone has time to plug in a battery, Enrico has acquired his own robot, named her Catherine, and is on his way to serious trouble. The metallic Catherine may be made of steel, but her robotic interior takes a shine to Enrico. Little does he know that a robot scorned hath more fury than any woman, and when he brings home Elisabetta (Edwige Fenech) for a romp in his cavernous bedroom, the clanking Catherine loses it. Enrico's problems with women were nothing by comparison. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alberto Sordi, Edwige Fenech, (more)
- 1980
This drama chronicles the real-life story of Native America's first declared saint, Elizabeth Bayley Seton. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1979
This animated presentation features a circus poodle and his 400-pound Bengal tiger when they escape from the circus. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1972
The romantic and professional life of composer Johann Strauss Jr. provides the basis of this colorful remake of the 1938 version. Highlights include the location shots in Austria and the soundtrack. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1972
In this drama set in Guatemala, the leader of a revolution kills a general and hides out in the Mexican embassy and is protected by a highly principled ambassador who stands face in the face of police pressure. Later the diplomat arranges safe passage out of the country for the rebel, despite the fact that the fellow had an affair with his wife. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rossano Brazzi, Cameron Mitchell, (more)
Hardin is out for revenge after his wife and child are killed and he locates and eliminates the six man gang led by villain Brazzi. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1971
When the Italian and British armies are fighting in Africa at the beginning of World War II, a game warden and his wife have their hands full trying to defend the wildlife of Africa against the encroachments of the war. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- 1971
The lives of many are in the hands of Italian Police Commissioner Castroni, who is challenged by four young terrorists who are wreaking havoc upon the entire community. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1971
Skin Game was historically significant as the 2000th film produced by Warner Bros. studios. The film is a comedy western starring James Garner and Louis Gossett Jr. as a pair of clever Antebellum con men. Garner regularly "sells" the black Gossett into slavery for an exalted price, then "liberates" Gossett so that they can move on to the next sucker. Unfortunately, they outsmart themselves, and before long Gossett seems doomed to a lifetime of forced servitude. They are rescued by pretty pickpocket Susan Clark, who has a few surprises in store for them. Skin Game was supposed to be spun off into a TV series, but the project never got any farther than the 1974 pilot film Sidekicks. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Based on Harold Robbins' bestseller, The Adventurers stars Yugoslav heartthrob Bekim Fehmiu as Porfirio Rubirosa clone Dax Xenos. Having suffered mightily as a child in a fictional South American country due to the political activities of his parents, Xenos grows up to become a sleazy, sexually manipulative playboy. He romances middle-aged widow Olivia de Havilland, then dumps her after he's run through her fortune. He then takes up with heiress Candice Bergen, who bears his child. When the kid is killed and Xenos turns his back on her, Bergen finds solace in lesbianism. All the while, Xenos is fomenting revolutions aimed at toppling the Trujillo-like despot (Alan Badel) responsible for the death of his father. The Adventurers received a lot of magazine coverage due to a poolside nude scene and the "guess who this is supposed to be?" nature of the cast of characters. But it failed to establish Bekim Fehmiu as an international star. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bekim Fehmiu, Charles Aznavour, (more)
- 1969
Filmed in Spain, this TV movie stars Janet Leigh as an American woman honeymooning with her new husband. She awakens after the wedding night, only to be confronted with a stranger who insists that he's her husband. Leigh goes to the authorities, who unfortunately believe the ersatz husband's story. Or perhaps it's not as unfortunate as it seems...because Leigh herself is not all she seems. The central plot twist in Honeymoon With a Stranger was reworked into several subsequent TV-movies, until overuse robbed the twist of any surprise. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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)
Vittorio De Sica directs the 1967 episodic sex comedy Sette Volte Donna (Woman Times Seven), consisting of seven short stories each starring Shirley MacLaine. In "Funeral Possession," she plays opposite Peter Sellers as a widow at her husband's funeral. In "Amateur Night," she's a wife who's driven to prostitiution to get revenge on her adulterous husband (Rossano Brazzi). In "Two Against One," she plays an interpreter who gets naked and reads T.S. Eliot to an Italian (Vittorio Gassman) and a Scot (Clinton Greyn). In "The Super Simone," she's a houswife who acts insane to get the attention of her author husband (Lex Barker). In "At the Opera," she's a rich woman determined to get a specific dress. In "The Suicides," she forges a suicide pact with lover Alan Arkin. In "Snow," Michael Caine is hired to spy on her. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shirley MacLaine, Peter Sellers, (more)
- 1967
Peter Sellers stars, as the tagline states, "as that cunning matador who flees from the bulls so that he may chase the chicks!" Juan Bautista (Peter Sellers) is an inept matador who wants to be a singer. Francisco Carbonell (Adolfo Celi), the owner of a local Barcelona night spot, offers Juan a singing contract for a week --the only stipulation being that he has three days to seduce Olimpia Segura (Britt Ekland), the "most desirable woman in Barcelona." The bumbling matador tries a series of half-baked lovemaking techniques that, amazingly, get Olimpia to come around. But when Olimpia discovers that Juan wanted to seduce her merely to get a singing job, Juan finds that avoiding charging bulls is a much safer vocation than dealing with an irate Olimpia. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Sellers, Britt Ekland, (more)
- 1966
- Add The Christmas That Almost Wasn't to QueueAdd The Christmas That Almost Wasn't to top of Queue
In this tuneful Italian holiday film a scroogy old miser decides to evict Santa Clause and Company from the North Pole because the dead-beats are behind on their rent. Children from around the world rally 'round the Jolly One and send him their pennies and save the day. Songs include: "Christmas Is Coming," "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't," "Hustle Bustle," "I'm Bad," "Kids Get All the Breaks," "The Name of the Song Is Prune," "Nothing to Do But Wait," "Santa Claus (Round)," "Time for Christmas," "What Are Children Like When They're Fast Asleep?" and "Why Can't Every Day Be Christmas?" ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rossano Brazzi, Paul Tripp, (more)
- 1966
In this romance, a middle-aged playboy finds himself running his father's fur business after his father's death. He continues to allow his papa's mistress to run the business. The playboy's fiancee gets pregnant and he refuses to marry her. She dumps him in favor of his best friend. Soon the selfish man finds himself deserted by all his friends. He winds up involved with his father's patiently waiting lover. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Originally released in Great Britain as The Battle of the Villa Fiorita, this film is not a wartime epic but a cozy domestic drama. Maureen O'Hara plays an American woman who leaves British husband Richard Todd, taking their two children along. While vacationing on the Riviera, Maureen falls in love with Rosanno Brazzi, a widowed Italian concert pianist who also has children. None of the kids are keen on this continental romance, and do their best to break up the affair. One of the children is played by pre-teen Olivia Hussey, several years before her star turn in Zefferelli's Romeo and Juliet. Consistently lovely to look at, Affair at Villa Fiorita is not for those who prefer surprises in their film fare. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maureen O'Hara, Rossano Brazzi, (more)
- 1964
Four Fables of Love is better known by its original Italian title: Bambole! A quartet of skilled Italian directors offer four home-grown romantic playlets, based on Boccacio's Tales of the Decameron. Dino Risi's "The Telephone Call" is a showcase for Virna Lisi as an errant bride. Luigi Comenici's "Treatise on Eugenics," a satire on the philosophy of breeding geniuses, stars Elke Sommer. Franco Rosi's "The Soup" top-bills Monica Vitti in a tale of sex and gastronomics. And Mauro Bolognini's "Monsieur Cupid" finds Akim Tamiroff playing matchmaker for Gina Lollobrigida. The English translation of Bambole! is Dolls!, an apt description of the four lovely leading ladies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
