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I was going to say 'what is one letter between friends' but being a postman I thought it might seem a bit second class. I mean second rate.
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Posted: |
Jan 23, 2023 - 1:48 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Gina Lollobrigidas next three films were all European production, none of which received a theatrical release in the U.S. In 1966, she co-starred with Alec Guinness in the farce HOTEL PARADISO. The film was based on the 1894 French play, L’hôtel du libre échange. Set in 1910 Paris, the story finds “Marcelle Cot” (Lollobrigida) becoming so annoyed with her neglectful husband “Henri” (Robert Morley), a pompous architect, that she consents to a rendezvous with her timorous neighbor, “Benedict Boniface” (Guinness), who has learned that his domineering wife “Angélique” (Peggy Mount) is spending the night with her ailing sister. After dining at a café, Marcelle and Benedict adjourn to the Hotel Paradiso, which is also being used as a place of assignation by Monsieur Cot's nephew, “Maxime” (Derek Fowlds), and Benedict's flirtatious maid, “Victoire” (Ann Beach). Panic sets in for Marcelle and Benedict when additional arrivals include a barrister friend of Benedict's and Monsieur Cot himself, who has come to inspect the plumbing. One wife, two husbands, a nephew, and the perky Boniface maid are all at this "by the hour" hotel. The consummation of the affair is, to say the least, severely compromised (not the least by a police raid).
Alec Guinness and Gina Lollobrigida in HOTEL PARADISO
Director Peter Glenville first adapted the play in 1956 with a stage version, titled “Hotel Paradiso,” which debuted in London with Alec Guinness and Irene Worth in starring roles. In 1957, Glenville directed another production of the play, starring Bert Lahr and Angela Lansbury, at Henry Miller’s Theatre in New York City. Nine years later, Glenville directed the film version for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Location shooting took place at a privately owned villa in Paris’s Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood, and interiors were filmed at Studios de Saint-Maurice in the Saint-Maurice commune, which was the oldest film studio in Paris and the only one equipped for back projection.
Derek Fowlds recalled how one day on set, he told Gina Lollobrigida she had "the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen." She simply looked him up and down and walked off and never spoke to him again. Alec Guinness also had problems with Lollobrigida, and the two rarely spoke.
HOTEL PARADISO was a major flop, grossing less than $650,000 in the U.S. Laurence Rosenthal’s score was released on an MGM LP, which was re-issued on CD by Chapter III in 2001 and Film Score Monthly in 2011.
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Posted: |
Jan 23, 2023 - 10:14 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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The French-Italian-Spanish co-production CERVANTES was a highly fictionalized filming of the early life of Miguel de Cervantes, author of "Don Quixote." Based on the 1937 novel “A Man Called Cervantes” by Bruno Frank, it was the first screen biography of the author.
Cervantes (Horst Buchholz) takes a prestigious job as secretary to Cardinal Francesco Acquaviva (Louis Jourdan), papal envoy to King Philip II of Spain (Fernando Rey). Gina Lollobrigida is the courtesan “Giulia” with whom Cervantes becomes involved. Cervantes later decides to join the army in the fight against the Turks and Islam and takes part in a dangerous sea battle during which he is captured by Algiers pirates for the slave market. José Ferrer is Hassan Bey, the Turk who holds Cervantes in captivity. Soledad Miranda appears as “Nessa,” a kind woman who nurses him to health after he has been beaten, and then falls in love with him.
Horst Buchholz and Gina Lollobrigida in CERVANTES
Spanish star Soledad Miranda filmed many scenes in addition to the ones shown in the final cut of the film. This is apparent in numerous publicity stills of scenes cut from the film. In a magazine interview, it was revealed what happened to her scenes. Miranda and Horst Buchholz were on set together, and some French journalists were driving around set taking photographs. They published a photo of Miranda and Buchholz together in Le Figaro, which Gina Lollobrigida then saw. It caused Lollobrigida great jealousy, and she wielded her star power to have all but the most essential of Miranda's scenes cut from the film.
The film was directed by Vincent Sherman on a constantly shrinking budget, and was shot and initially released in Europe in 1967, with a score by the French composer Jean Ledrut. Commonwealth United (CU) initially had the rights to distribute the film in America, but when they went bankrupt, American International Pictures (AIP) picked up the distribution rights to CERVANTES and several other CU films.
AIP did a re-edit of the film (which Sherman disavowed) that received a new score by Les Baxter. Baxter conducted his entire 43-minute score in a single day on 9 February 1968 at Ryder Sound Services. Baxter’s score was released by Intrada in 2010.
AIP originally prepared to release the film under its original title of CERVANTES and created advertising materials for such a release. But perhaps thinking that the film’s title may have been too literary for AIP’s primarily youthful audiences, it ultimately decided to re-title the film THE YOUNG REBEL to make it sound more appealing. The film had a brief run in America in 1969, but never found an audience. It has never had a U.S. video release and remains obscure in America to this day.
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I’d never heard of “Cervantes” before. It sound intriguing. A pity there seem to be no English sub title or English language DVDs of the original film.
This has been on UK TV in English a while back . I seem to recall it was a bit choppy. I think it was one that suffered the knife.
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Posted: |
Jan 24, 2023 - 3:48 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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In THE PRIVATE NAVY OF SGT. O'FARRELL, fearing for his men's morale after a beer boat is sunk off Funapee Atoll during World War II, M. Sgt. “Dan O'Farrell” (Bob Hope) persuades Army Capt. “Elwood Prohaska” (Dick Sargent) to import a battalion of beautiful nurses from the United States. Lieut. Cmdr. “Roger Snavely” (John Myhers) sends nurse “Nellie Krause” (Phyllis Diller), hardly a soldier's vision of feminine charm. While searching for the missing beer, O’Farrell discovers “Maria” (Gina Lollobrigida), O'Farrell's pre-war fiancée, and “Gaby” (Mylene Demongeot), a mysterious beauty, unconscious on a wrecked sailboat.
Gina Lollobrigida in THE PRIVATE NAVY OF SGT. O'FARRELL
Frank Tashlin directed the 1968 comedy. According to Mylene Demongeot 's autobiography, Gina Lollobrigida did not want her on the movie, and the two didn't get along, but eventually connected years later at a festival.
Harry Sukman provided the film’s unreleased score. The film grossed a decent $6.9 million.
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Posted: |
Jan 24, 2023 - 10:40 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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BUONA SERA, MRS. CAMPBELL finds the gorgeous “Carla Campbell” (Gina Lollobrigida), from the Italian village of San Forino, receiving paternity support the last twenty years for her wartime child “Gia” (Janet Margolin) from three different American Air Force servicemen who were temporarily stationed in her hometown during WWII. One of the three is the father, but Carla is not sure which one. After their transfer, the pregnant Carla wrote a letter to the three men– “Sgt. Walter Braddock” (Telly Savalas), “Phil Newman” (Phil Silvers), and pilot “Justin Young” (Peter Lawford)–and each kept their promise to send her a monthly check for child support. To keep her reputation in her village, Carla made up an imaginary husband and named him Capt. Eddie Campbell after a can of American soup; she then claimed he was killed in action. The American money kept her living a comfortable life, and no one knew about her lie–including her daughter. But a squadron reunion brings the now middle-aged men back to San Forino with their wives and children in tow, and all the guys are anxious to see the daughter they have been supporting all these years.
Gina Lollobrigida and Janet Margolin in BUONA SERA, MRS. CAMPBELL
Melvin Frank produced, directed, and co-wrote this 1968 comedy, which was filmed on location in Italy. Frank had previously directed Lollobrigida in STRANGE BEDFELLOWS. BUONA SERA, MRS. CAMPBELL was about equally successful as that film at the box office, with a U.S. gross of $7.1 million.
Gina Lollobrigida was nominated for a Golden Globe Award as Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical or Comedy, losing to Barbra Streisand for FUNNY GIRL. Lollobrigida did, however, win the David di Donatello Award (Italian Oscar) as Best Actress. Riz Ortolani’s score was released on a United Artists LP, but has not been re-issued on CD.
The film’s script, written by Melvin Frank, Dennis Norden, and Sheldon Keller served as the basis for the unsuccessful 1979 stage musical “Carmelina.” Some critics have also speculated that the 1999 stage musical “Mamma Mia!”—and, by extension, its 2008 film adaptation—are based on BUONA SERA, MRS. CAMPBELL, although the musical's book writer, Catherine Johnson, has denied any connection.
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Posted: |
Jan 25, 2023 - 11:05 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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In BAD MAN’S RIVER, “Roy King” (Lee Van Cleef) and his men have tunneled their way into a bank and made off with the loot. Aboard a train bound for Mexico, femme fatale “Alicia” (Gina Lollobrigida) steals King's considerable haul, but later she finances a new job, to hijack the paddleboat, the Ariel, to travel downriver and to blow up a mission serving as a base for the Mexican Army. The $10,000 payout for that job evaporates when Alicia next proposes an even grander scheme, to steal the million dollars the Mexican Army will now have to spend buying new munitions from across the border.
Lee Van Cleef and Gina Lollobrigida in BAD MAN’S RIVER
Eugenio Martín directed and co-wrote this 1971 Italian-Spanish-French co-production. Gina Lollobrigida's salary was $50,000, which she considered to be a comedown from her usual fee. Both she and Lee Van Cleef were apparently troublesome during the shoot.
The film was not released in the U.S. until 1974. The score by Waldo de los Ríos has not had a release.
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Bump so Prince damian can put a space before the (for Bob) in heading
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( smiley face to make sure youn don’t take it the wrong way
