Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell
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Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell is a 1968 American comedy film directed by Melvin Frank, who co-wrote the original screenplay with Denis Norden and Sheldon Keller. The title character is an Italian woman, forced into prostitution by dire circumstances, who has deceived three of her American GI clients into financially supporting her daughter Gia by telling each of them he is the girl's father.
To protect her reputation, Carla has raised the girl to believe her mother is the widow of a soldier named Campbell, a name she borrowed from a can of soup. Twenty years after their World War II service, the three men (accompanied by their wives) hold a reunion in the village where they were stationed. Carla is forced into a series of comic slapstick situations as she tries to keep them - each one anxious to meet his daughter for the first time - from discovering her secret.
The United Artists release was filmed at the Cinecittà Studios in Rome. It served as the basis for the unsuccessful 1979 stage musical Carmelina.
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[edit] Principal cast
- Gina Lollobrigida ..... Carla Campbell
- Phil Silvers ..... Phil Newman
- Peter Lawford ..... Justin Young
- Telly Savalas ..... Walter Braddock
- Shelley Winters ..... Shirley Newman
- Lee Grant ..... Fritzie Braddock
- Janet Margolin ..... Gia Campbell
[edit] Musical score
The score was composed by Riz Ortolani. The title song, with music by Ortolani and lyrics by screenwriter/director Frank, was performed by Jimmy Roselli. Andrew Frank wrote the lyrics and music for the "San Forino March." A soundtrack album was released by United Artists Records.
[edit] Critical response
In his review in the Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert described the film as "a charming reminder of what movie comedies used to be like . . . It depends on the traditional strong points of movie comedy: well-defined situation, good dialog, emphasis on characters . . . director Melvin Frank holds the story together and makes it work. A lot of the credit goes to the real comic ability of Telly Savalas (the best of the three would-be fathers) and Shelley Winters, who plays Phil Silvers' wife. Miss Lollobrigida is good, too, projecting the kind of innocence that is necessary if the situation isn't going to seem vulgar." [1]
In the New York Times, Howard Thompson stated, "This overcooked, hardbreathing frolic, which gets off to a bright start, eventually collapses in the category of impossible comedies, sniggeringly pegged to sex . . . the reasonable taste, the bounce and the logic all start floundering about midpoint, with everyone running wildly to catch up, including poor Miss Lollobrigida, who bears the brunt of the confusion and the redundant contrivances. Suddenly it's gags, gags and more gags, to no avail, until the plot peg of authentic paternity begins to sound like a tired, old burlesque joke. The finale is as dull as the opening chapter is sprightly." [2]
[edit] Awards and Nominations
- Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical or Comedy (Gina Lollobrigida)
- Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song ("Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell")
- Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written American Original Screenplay
- David di Donatello for Best Actress (Gina Lollobrigida), winner
[edit] References
[edit] External link
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