Mario Monicelli and Steno made 8 films together before going their separate ways, and this was their last together. According to May Britt's mini bio her early films are almost all forgotten today, and all she had to do in them was look beautiful. Well this is her debut and it certainly doesn't deserve to be forgotten. Franco Brusati, director of "Bread and Chocolate" and "To Forget Venice," worked on the script with Monicelli and Ivo Perilli, and they produced a pretty scathing satire on the selfishness of the haute bourgeoisie.
May Britt as Liliana has the most important role, and does far more than look beautiful (though La Lollo was top-filled she doesn't have too much to do.) MB was only 19 when she made this but appears more mature, maybe 30, which is just as well as Liliana and Osvaldo (Pierre Cressoy) are supposed to have been engaged nine years before. The film starts with a cheese manufacturer called Commendatore Azzali who wants to divorce his wife (Irene Papas, unrecognizable) in order to marry a girl played by Marina Vlady: since the latter was only 15 at the time that's rather creepy. Azzali goes to a dodgy PI, who puts his sidekick Osvaldo on the case. Osvaldo uses his ex-fiancee, who's married a well-heeled Englishman called Rodgers, to gain an entrée into the circles in which the Azzalis move. Mrs Azzali is having an affair, though Cressoy never discovers it, and Lollobrigida is playing the same game. The decadent goings-on rather foreshadow those in 'La Dolce Vita", and there's a fine scene at a party given by a woman called Carla Bellaris, where the rather desperate search for a good time culminates in several idiots jumping fully-clothed into the pool.
In contrast to these people there's a sweet, vulnerable maid called Cesarina (Anna Maria Ferrero) who finds herself wrongly accused of stealing from both the Rodgers and Mrs. Bellaris. She and Liliana, who's very fond of her, are the only decent characters. The rest, of whom Osvaldo is the most despicable, are quite happy to let Cesarina to take the rap, to cover up their wrongdoings and save their reputations. This leads to tragedy and a melodramatic but very satisfying ending. I really glad I caught up with this unknown but impressive film, thanks to MovieDetective.
May Britt as Liliana has the most important role, and does far more than look beautiful (though La Lollo was top-filled she doesn't have too much to do.) MB was only 19 when she made this but appears more mature, maybe 30, which is just as well as Liliana and Osvaldo (Pierre Cressoy) are supposed to have been engaged nine years before. The film starts with a cheese manufacturer called Commendatore Azzali who wants to divorce his wife (Irene Papas, unrecognizable) in order to marry a girl played by Marina Vlady: since the latter was only 15 at the time that's rather creepy. Azzali goes to a dodgy PI, who puts his sidekick Osvaldo on the case. Osvaldo uses his ex-fiancee, who's married a well-heeled Englishman called Rodgers, to gain an entrée into the circles in which the Azzalis move. Mrs Azzali is having an affair, though Cressoy never discovers it, and Lollobrigida is playing the same game. The decadent goings-on rather foreshadow those in 'La Dolce Vita", and there's a fine scene at a party given by a woman called Carla Bellaris, where the rather desperate search for a good time culminates in several idiots jumping fully-clothed into the pool.
In contrast to these people there's a sweet, vulnerable maid called Cesarina (Anna Maria Ferrero) who finds herself wrongly accused of stealing from both the Rodgers and Mrs. Bellaris. She and Liliana, who's very fond of her, are the only decent characters. The rest, of whom Osvaldo is the most despicable, are quite happy to let Cesarina to take the rap, to cover up their wrongdoings and save their reputations. This leads to tragedy and a melodramatic but very satisfying ending. I really glad I caught up with this unknown but impressive film, thanks to MovieDetective.