Nino Rota Movies
Italian composer Nino Rota's first oratorio was performed in 1921, when he was a veteran at age 11. Refining his skills at the Milan Conservatory, the Santa Cecilia Academy of Italy, and the Curtis Institute of the United States, Rota continued turning out symphonies, operas, and ballets throughout his long career, and also spent nearly four decades as director of the Bari Conservatory. His best-known operas include Torquemada (1942), The Florentine Straw Hat (1946), and Alladin and His Magic Lamp (1968), all bearing the influence of his many years as a film composer. Rota's first movie work was for Italy's "white telephone" romances and musicals of the 1930s. In an earthier vein, Rota composed for several of the neorealist directors of the postwar era. His longest professional association (25 years) was with director Federico Fellini, who once described the relationship thusly: "It is a harmonious collaboration that I haven't felt like changing. His music is a kind of drama that is very true for my story and images." Rota's better-known Fellini scores were for La Strada (1954), Il Bidone (1955), Nights of Cabiria (1956), and, perhaps best of all, La Dolce Vita (1961). One of Rota's many stage compositions was for a late-'50s ballet version of La Strada. When director Francis Ford Coppola wanted an authentic Italian "feel" for the music of the Godfather, he knew exactly who to contact: Nino Rota, who won his first-ever Oscar for the now-classic The Godfather score (alas, he was later disqualified because he'd lifted his themes from one of his own earlier film scores). Outside of Godfather, Nino Rota's most popular film composition was the love theme from Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet (1968). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi- 1949
Filmed in 1948 as Senza Pieta, this Alberto Lattuada-directed effort came to America the following year as Without Pity. The film's sensitive subject matter caused problems in distribution and approval; Lattuada was never known to shirk from a sociopolitical statement, even when it meant loss of revenue overseas. The plot is based on an actual postwar dilemma: in Northern Italy, dozens of black American GIs chose to go AWOL rather than return to a racially divided United States. John Kitzmiller plays an occupation soldier named Jerry, who decides to remain in Italy when he falls in love with a blonde, Caucasian local girl named Angela (Carla Del Poggio). Reviewers in 1949 felt that Lattuada exercised poor taste in depicting the interracial romance: while these scenes cannot realistically be described as offensive when seen today, they are still quite frank by 1940s standards. A "regular" in Italian neorealist films, Michigan-born black actor John Kitzmiller went on to win a Cannes Film Festival award for his performance in 1957's Sergeant Jim; James Bond fans will remember Kitzmiller as "Quarrel" in Dr. No (1962). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Carla Del Poggio, John Kitzmiller, (more)
Disciples of "B"-picture stylist Edgar Ulmer will not be disappointed with Pirates of Capri. Lensed in Italy, the film stars Louis Hayward as swashbuckling Captain Sirocco. Posing as a foppish nobleman by day, Sirocco tirelessly works on behalf of a group of insurgents bent on deposing the wicked Queen Carolina (Binnie Barnes, endearingly miscast). Every so often, the Captain pauses to romance Countess Mercedes (Mariella Lotti), whose character name was evidently lifted from The Count of Monte Cristo. The musical score is by Nino Rota, better known for his work on the Godfather films. As in his other films, the resourceful Edgar Ulmer works miracles with a skintight budget. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Louis Hayward, Binnie Barnes, (more)
- 1949
A composer discovers that the inspiration for his greatest work may come at the expense of his marriage in this romantic drama with music. Richard Wilder (Michael Dennison) was a pilot with the RAF during World War II and was shot down over the Dolomite Mountains of Italy during a mission. Wilder's life was saved by Alida (Valentina Cortese), a beautiful woman working with the anti-fascist resistance who rescued him after his crash. After the war comes to a close, Wilder returns home to England and his wife Ann (Dulcie Gray), where he begins writing an opera based on the legends of Dolemite, as passed along by the peasants of the region. However, his home in England does not prove to be a conducive creative environment, so he travels back to Italy, where he spends time with Alida and is able to complete his work. However, he begins to fall in love with Alida, and he soon finds that he must choose between his muse and his spouse. Acclaimed classical vocalist Tito Gobbi appears as himself and sings several selections. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dulcie Gray, Michael Denison, (more)
- 1949
Based on a play by Pepine de Felipe, Her Favorite Husband is a British comedy set in Italy. Housewife Jean Kent is bemused by her husband Robert Beatty, who is not quite himself these days. In truth, he is not himself at all: Jean's husband has been replaced by a lookalike gangster who is plotting a big bank robbery. Once she tumbles to the truth, Kent is alternately repulsed and fascinated by her "new" spouse. Not exactly Shakespeare, Her Favorite Husband is a genial romp distinguished by a sizeable supporting cast of familiar British players. The film was released in the U.S. as The Taming of Dorothy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jean Kent, Robert Beatty, (more)
- 1949
Blacklisted in Hollywood, director Edward Dmytryk managed to find work in England. Dmytryk's Obsession is based on Alec Coppel's suspense play A Man About a Dog. Robert Newton stars as Dr. Clive Riordan, the insanely jealous husband of unfaithful Storm Riordan (Sally Gray). Aware that Storm is having a torrid affair with an American named Bill Kronin (Phil Brown), Riordan kidnaps the man and chains him up in a deserted building, intending to kill him with an acid bath. The wife's dog, however, turns up at the last minute and spoils his plot. Obsession was released in the U.S. as The Hidden Room. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Newton, Sally Gray, (more)
- 1950
Gina Lollobridgida was a virtual unknown in the U.S. when Campagne a Martello was released to English-speaking countries in 1950. Critics said then what they'd say later: as an actress, Gina was very pretty. The story concerns an Italian prostitute named Agostina (Lollobridgida) who is left without a steady source of income when the American GIs go home. Returning to her own island village, Agostina is secure in the knowledge that she has a sizeable financial nest egg waiting for her. Alas, the money has been rerouted to a home for orphaned and illegitimate children. Incurring the wrath of the locals by demanding that her money be returned, Agostina eventually sees the error of her ways. Director Luigi Zampa shot this film at the same time as an English version with different actors. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gina Lollobrigida, Eduardo de Filippo, (more)
- 1950
Filmed in 1945, the Italian My Widow and I made it to the U.S. five years later. Two of Italy's top box-office draws, Vittorio de Sica and Isa Miranda, head the cast. De Sica plays Adriano Lari, who has been missing for so long that he is presumed dead. Returning home, Lari poses as his own brother in order to claim a huge insurance policy. But when his "widow" Maria (Miranda) begins responding to the advances of Signor Gugliemi (Gino Cervi), Lari has second thoughts about hiding his true identity. My Widow and I may be a one-joke comedy, but the joke is never played beyond his worth. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Vittorio De Sica, Isa Miranda, (more)
- 1950
Two masters of Italian neorealism--screenwriter Cesare Zavattini and director Luigi Zampa--collaborated on It is Easier for a Camel. As indicated by the film's title, a measure of religiosity figures into the proceedings. Recently deceased Carlo Bacchi (Jean Gabin), on the verge of being sent to Hell, is given 12 extra hours' life to redeem himself. Returning to earth, Bacchi tries to buy his way into the good graces of God. This, of course, has no effect on his ultimate fate--but an extreme act of self-sacrifice does. The film works best when it sticks to the story at hand, instead of going off on satirical tangents aimed at hypocrisy and conspicuous consumption. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jean Gabin, Elena Altieri, (more)
- 1950
The Difficult Years is another uncompromising neorealist exercise by Italian filmmaker Luigi Zampa. The title refers to the years that Italy spent under the thumb of fascism. It is Zampa's thesis that the majority of Italian citizens preferred to ignore Mussolini's trampling of human rights and his ever-increasing megalomania, so long as they were left in peace. Umberto Spadaro stars as Aldo Piscitello, an utterly apolitical government clerk who joins the Fascist Party to maintain his job security and keep his wife happy. After the war, the hapless Aldo is accused of being a fanatical follower of fascism. Though innocent of this charge, he is certainly guilty of not speaking up when it would have done the most good. The English-language version of Difficult Years includes a narration written by Arthur Miller and spoken by John Garfield. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Umberto Spadaro, Massimo Girotti, (more)
- 1950
Director Eduardo De Fillipo adapted the screenplay for Napoli Milionaria from his own stage play. De Fillipo also plays the leading role of Gennaro Jovine, a well-meaning Neapolitan streetcar conductor who always manages to get mixed up in other people's problems. Jovine and his conniving buddy Pasquale (Toto) manage to survive four different political regimes, always in and out of trouble (but mostly always in). Though comedic in tone, Napoli Milionaria does not treat the citizens of Naples too kindly, making one wonder about De Fillipo's true feelings about the city of his birth. The film was released in the U.S. as Naples Millionaire and Side Street Story. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Eduardo de Filippo
Leonora Ruffo is the exotically garbed title character in the Italian costume spectacle The Queen of Sheba. In the original Scriptures, Sheba and Israel's King Solomon merely exchanged gifts and parted company. Naturally, the filmmakers "improve" upon the story, with Prince Rehoboam (Gino Leurini), the handsome son of the ageing Solomon (Gino Cervi), falling in love with the Queen while he tries to ferret out Sheba's war plans. This results in a hot-and-heavy romantic triangle involving the Prince, the Queen, and someone named Princess Zymira (Marina Berti). All the usual Biblical-epic cliches are in attendance, including the heroine's obligatory milk bath. At one time a staple of American television Late Late Shows, The Queen of Sheba was temporarily withdrawn from circulation in 1959 to avoid competition with the Yul Brynner-Gina Lollobrigida starrer Solomon and Sheba. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Leonora Ruffo, Gino Leurini, (more)
- 1951
Playwright Eduardo de Fillipo not only adapted his theatrical piece Filumena Marturano to the screen, but also starred in it and directed as well. de Fillipo's sister Titina plays the title character, a Neapolitan mother who is determined to "legitimize" her three out-of-wedlock children. She targets her ex-lover Domenico Soriano (de Fillipo), a disillusioned rouge, as her future husband. The latter prefers much younger bedmates, but Filumena isn't about to give up without a fight -- albeit a gentle and loving one. Like many of Eduardo de Fillipo's films, Filumena Marturano took some time before achieving an American release. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Titina de Filippo, Eduardo de Filippo, (more)
- 1951
The English-language title of this wacky comedy is It Was Him...Yes! Yes! "Him" Walter Milani, is played by Walter Chiari, a singular comic actor who was touted by American critics as a "new" star, even though he'd been successfully plugging away in European films since 1947. Chiari plays a meek-and-mild clerk in a department store who discovers that his boss (Carlo Campanini) is mortally afraid of him. It seems that the boss is plagued by nightmares, in which Malani appears as a "villain" who doles out ridicule and humiliation. With the help of a psychiatrist, the boss comes to grips with his inner fears, while the hapless Milani reacts in confusion as all sorts of favors and kindnesses are heaped upon him. The dream sequences are cleverly rendered send-ups of every Freudian symbol in the book. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Walter Chiari, Carlo Campanini, (more)
- 1951
Donne e Briganti (Women and Bandits) was the second of two Mario Soldati-directed films released in Europe during the last week of June, 1951 (the first was Je Suis de la Revue). Set in the early 19th century, the film recounts the Robin Hood-like adventures of bandit Michele Pezza (Amedeo Nazzari), better known as Fra Diavolo. This same character was depicted along more villainous lines in the famous 1830 opera by Auber, which was filmed in 1933 as The Devil's Brother, with Dennis King in the title role and Laurel and Hardy as comic relief. In Donne e Briganti, Fra Diavolo is his own comic relief, his tongue firmly in cheek as he robs from the rich, gives to the poor, and takes time out to romance his wife Marietta (Maira Mauban) and mistress Flora (Jacqueline Pierreux). According to this film, Fra Diavolo was also something of a patriot, opposing the invading forces of France. Sumptuously produced, Donne e Briganti falters only in the indecisive camera work by Mario Montuori. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Amedeo Nazzari, Maria Mauban, (more)
- 1951
In this action-adventure film, a Swedish professor searches for his treacherous wife and his assistant after they steal his research and head for the frozen wastes of Lapland. The scientist is accompanied by a police inspector. During their journey, they are attacked by wolves. Fortunately native Laplanders use their trained eagles to help rescue the two. Later the wicked lovers end up killed in an avalanche. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jack Warner, Nadia Gray, (more)
- 1951
Silvana Mangano portrays a fickle club chanteuse who must choose between the love of two men (Raf Vallone and Vittorio Gassman). She chooses neither, entering a convent for the sake of convenience. This overwrought drama was produced by Dino de Laurentiis, and reworked by five screenwriters including such respected names as Dino Risi and Franco Brusati, but comes up as a soggy soap-opera rather than an imposing star-vehicle. Nino Rota's fine score and the always watchable Mangano are its only saving graces. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi
- Starring:
- Silvana Mangano, Raf Vallone, (more)
- 1952
The English-language title of this Italian WW I drama is Seven of the Big Bear. The title refers to a group of Italian navy frogmen, who train arduously for a raid on the allied stronghold of Gilbraltar. Their "inside man" on the island is actually a woman, nightclub singer Eleanora Rossi Drago. When last seen, the deep-sea-diving heroes are engaged in an assault on the British fleet at Alexandria. I Sette Dell'Orsa Maggiore would make a fascinating companion feature to the American wartime actioner The Frogmen. The music is by Nino Rota, whose later filmwork included the two Godfather films. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Pierre Cressoy, Paul Muller, (more)
- 1952
Gli Angeli del Quartiere (Angels of the District) concentrates on five lovable Italian war orphans. Living a hand-to-mouth existence, the children are elated to discover a bagful of money in a cellar. Wondering where best to spend their treasure, the kids are "advised" by adult thief Mario (Jacques Sernas), who intends to grab all the loot for himself. Ultimately, however, Mario is reformed by the quintet of urchins--though his old gang doesn't quite see things in this new light. Obviously aimed at the kiddie-matinee trade, Gli Angeli del Quartiere delivers a solid 78 minutes' worth of heartwarming entertainment. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jacques Sernas, Rossana Podestà, (more)
- 1952
The British Something Money Can't Buy offers a few smaller-scale variations on themes previously explored in the 1946 Hollywood Oscar-winner The Best Years of Our Lives. Harry Wilding (Anthony Steel), a high-ranking wartime military officer, has trouble adjusting to his go-nowhere civilian job and the monotony of his home life. Harry's wife Anne (Patricia Roc) tries to make things easier for her husband, but there are no easy answers to his plight. The inherent drama of the situation is leavened by moments of gentle humor, not to mention the warm rapport between stars. The supporting cast includes hirsute comic actor (and longtime David Niven crony) Michael Trubshawe and the venerable A. E. Mathews, at the time billed as England's oldest working actor. Director Pat Jackson co-authored the perceptive screenplay of Something Money Can't Buy with James Lonsdale Hudson. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Patricia Roc, Anthony Steel, (more)
- 1952
Due Soldi di Speranza is better known by its English-language titles Two Pennies of Hope and Two Cents Worth of Hope. The film was the third in director Renato Castellani's "young love" trilogy (the first two being Sotto il sole di Roma and E Primavera). Filmed on location near Naples, the story concerns the romance between Carmela (Maria Fiore) and Antonio (Vincenzo Musolino). The ardor is one-sided at first, but Carmela is a determined young woman, willing to scale and conquer any obstacle in pursuing her heart's desire. Once he's "hooked," Antonio scurries from job to job to prove his financial viability. Faced with the hostility of their parents, Carmela and Antonio symbolically shed themselves of all responsibilities to others in a climactic act of stark-naked bravado. Due Soldi di Speranza won the 1952 Best Film award at the Cannes Festival. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Maria Fiore
The White Sheik (Lo Sceicco Bianco), Fellini's first solo flight as director, is a gentle lampoon of the idolatry heaped upon movie stars. An impressionable young bride, Wanda (Brunella Bovo) accompanies her husband Ivan (Leopoldo Trieste) on a dull honeymoon, full of meetings with family members and the papal father. Bovo fantasizes over matinee idol Fernando Rivoli, AKA The White Sheik (Alberto Sordi), the hero of a photo strip comic. She repeatedly drifts away from her husband and back, in periodic attempts to find The Sheik, ultimately repairing to the location site where Sordi's latest film, The White Shiek, is in production. Her inevitable disillusionment with the vainglorious Sordi is intercut with her husband's comic (and desperate) attempts to explain his wife's absences at family gatherings to his disgruntled relatives. After a comically inept suicide attempt, Bovo and Trieste are reunited. Featured in the cast is Fellini's wife Giuletta Masina as a prostitute named Cabiria, who'd be given a vehicle of her own, Nights of Cabiria, in 1955. Based on "an idea" by Michelangelo Antonioni, The White Sheik was the main inspiration for Gene Wilder's The World's Greatest Lover (1977). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alberto Sordi, Brunella Bovo, (more)
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