Non ti conosco più

Elsa Merlini is my new crush, in spite of the fact that she died many years ago. I wish I could find more of her movies. She is so cute and so funny and has such a strong personality. In this movie with a young and handsome Vittorio de Sica, the audience is in for extreme delight. I can't imagine any other actress doing a better job in this role. If you enjoy this film, then go check out 30 Secondi D'amore. She is every bit as delightful.

Elsa Merlini comes from her husband's home office screaming, runs into her bedroom. From the sound of things, she's smashing everything. Then the sounds stop, she opens the door, and doesn't recognize her husband, Enrico Viarisio. He calls a clinic and they send out Doctor Vittorio De Sica, who calls it a case of partial amnesia, and says she must be humored, even when she thinks de Sica is her husband. Then comes the relatives who have never met Viarisio.

It's a White Telephone comedy with all the Art Deco and expensive lifestyle that it entails. Signorina Merlini offers a fine performance, with a wide range of emotions, and De Sica, was was the leading man of choice for this sort of production, reminds me of Marcello Matroianni in his portrayal of a befuddled intellectual. Clearly this was an Italian 'type', and Mastroianni became its main purveyor after De Sica aged into a true star and director of his own movies.