This is not a great film. Troy Donahue was not a great actor. Nevertheless, this a pretty darned good film. True, you have to like romantic movies, but if you do you'll probably enjoy this story, much of which was filmed on location. And perhaps that's the real star -- the scenery of Rome and Italy, lavishly photographed, so much so that it made me wish I had visited there when I was young enough to enjoy it! In fact, I doubt you'll find a film with finer photography of Italy. It's a real draw.
It's very interesting to see Suzanne Pleshette in something more substantial than a television situation comedy. I think most of us forgot that she was a rather good big screen actress, this being her second screen role. She fared better in television, but she is very good here, and I found her very appealing.
Troy Donahue was no Laurence Olivier, but I sometimes think he may now be a bit underrated. Let's put it this way, as with a number of other films, he's very pleasant on screen. Perhaps we can't say he had great depth as an actor, but he usually did his job as a young heart throb, which is rather surprising since he was not particularly physically fit...not truly handsome...just really cute...had unusually small feet and was slightly pigeon toed. He does what he's supposed to do here, and quite nicely.
I have enjoyed the roles of Rossano Brazzi. Again, an actor who was, perhaps, a bit under-appreciated. Certainly handsome and suave, as he is here.
Angie Dickinson plays the cad here. Not very likable at all, and of course, she gets her comeuppance.
In other words, this is a very pleasant, romantic film. It does have a couple of flaws. And the first I would blame on director Delmer Daves. Particularly early on in the film we seem to not quite be able to decide the maturity level of Suzanne Pleshette's character. Is she an ingénue, or someone more seductive? Is she barely past her teens, or a mature young woman? The other problem here is that there's not a heck of a lot of plot. Pretty thin, but beautifully so. Youngish love with some hitches along the way. There are a couple of nice twists in the ending, and it is a happy ending, though one you have given up on by the time it actually comes.
A pleasant couple of hours.
It's very interesting to see Suzanne Pleshette in something more substantial than a television situation comedy. I think most of us forgot that she was a rather good big screen actress, this being her second screen role. She fared better in television, but she is very good here, and I found her very appealing.
Troy Donahue was no Laurence Olivier, but I sometimes think he may now be a bit underrated. Let's put it this way, as with a number of other films, he's very pleasant on screen. Perhaps we can't say he had great depth as an actor, but he usually did his job as a young heart throb, which is rather surprising since he was not particularly physically fit...not truly handsome...just really cute...had unusually small feet and was slightly pigeon toed. He does what he's supposed to do here, and quite nicely.
I have enjoyed the roles of Rossano Brazzi. Again, an actor who was, perhaps, a bit under-appreciated. Certainly handsome and suave, as he is here.
Angie Dickinson plays the cad here. Not very likable at all, and of course, she gets her comeuppance.
In other words, this is a very pleasant, romantic film. It does have a couple of flaws. And the first I would blame on director Delmer Daves. Particularly early on in the film we seem to not quite be able to decide the maturity level of Suzanne Pleshette's character. Is she an ingénue, or someone more seductive? Is she barely past her teens, or a mature young woman? The other problem here is that there's not a heck of a lot of plot. Pretty thin, but beautifully so. Youngish love with some hitches along the way. There are a couple of nice twists in the ending, and it is a happy ending, though one you have given up on by the time it actually comes.
A pleasant couple of hours.