Lo sai che i papaveri

Joint direction by Marcelo Marchesi and Vittorio Metz, neither name familiar to me - but then, not being Italian and never having lived in Italy, there is a great deal I do not know about its cinema, apart from its neorealist period.

LO SAI CHE I PAPAVERI is now better known as a song than as a movie, but there are some charming aspects to this film, notably the beauty and freshness of Annamaria Ferrero, as a very young student enamored of her teacher/male lead Walter Chiari. The latter's imitation of ducks of various ages remains one of the film's high points.

Other than that, nice spoof of psychiatry - then very much in vogue in Italy - suggesting a Dr Jekyll % Mr Hyde personality in Chiari... but it left me baffled as to whether the taciturn teacher getting ready to marry and the night club-frequenting boisterous fellow who kisses Ferrero are the same man.

Interesting angle on how night clubs make money by selling everything - including photos taken by demi-clad beauties - at exorbintant prices.

The oddball, zany script is helped by competent cinematography by Riccardo Pallotini... but it still made no sense to me, despite the funny bunch of gargoyle-like drug dealers at the night club, and other hilarious moments. 6/10.

I watched this movie almost by accident and I'm happy I did. The plot is almost textbook, but there are some good deviations that keep it fun. I laughed at a number of jokes. Many of them were executed well. The male lead was able to change characters as required with a lot of skill and ease. The age difference between the two was a little strange, but this was 1950s Italy where you were an old maid if you weren't married by 20.