Buona sera Madame Campbell

Absurd but fun little comedy enlivened by Gina's feisty performance in the lead.

The supporting cast is sprinkled with quality performers all giving good performances, even the usually obnoxious Silvers comes across well, but this is Gina's show and she carries the film easily. Most of the supporting players are simple types that the actors manage to flesh out the best they can. Telly Savalas and Lee Grant take theirs one step further and create a believably troubled couple who have spent so many years battling they fail to realize that what they both want is the same thing. On the surface they seem mismatched but because of subtle playing they expand the character beyond what was on the page.

Back to Gina, under the direction of the competent Melvin Frank, whom had guided her through Strange Bedfellows previously, she has a fine comic sensibility never betraying any doubt that the preposterous situation she finds herself in doesn't make perfect sense. And boy is she a stunner!

Full to the brim with beautiful scenery shot in glorious Technicolor, marred only by obvious but probably necessary process shots while Gina is driving, you'll want to jump a plane to Italy at the film's conclusion.

A potential seamy subject that could have devolved into crassness is handled with the proper light touch making this a genial farce and terrific showcase for Miss Lollobrigida.

In the '50s and '60s, perhaps thanks to the success of Neo-Realistic cinema, Italian actors and locations became quite popular in American movies, especially comedies (the amusing It Started in Naples, starring Sophia Loren and Clark Gable, is one example worth revisiting). Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell, with the always lovely Gina Lollobrigida playing the main role, is probably one of the funniest hybrids of US and Mediterranean talent.

Lollobrigida plays Carla Campbell, a widow who supposedly lost her husband during WWII. She lives in the South of Italy and provides for her daughter Gia (Janet Margolin) all by herself. It's all fine until a group of soldiers who fought in Italy during the war returns for a reunion and the truth is slowly unveiled: there is no Mr. Campbell, Carla having made him up since she slept with three different men (Telly Savalas, Phil Silvers and Peter Lawford) and doesn't know which of them is Gia's father. To complicate things even more, she told all three of them the girl is their daughter. In other words: mix-ups and misunderstandings are inevitable.

The story is extremely simple and a very good premise for a comedy, so good no one has ever tried to remake it (well, if you don't count the ABBA musical Mamma Mia!, which has a similar plot). Then again, it might be hard to pull off something like it nowadays (unless the setting was some place where paternity tests don't exist) - its look on adultery isn't exactly PC (and yet it was released while the Hays Code was still functional). Still, the gags come sharp and fast, particularly when Savalas and Silvers are on screen, and Lollobrigida is, as ever, a beauty to watch and hear. Margolin isn't bad either, whereas Lawford's subdued performance doesn't really sit well with the quick wit and great physical comedy delivered by his two rivals. But that's a minor flaw in a film that doesn't show up very often, but when it does, it truly is worth catching. Where else are you going to hear Lollobrigida explain that she called herself Campbell, like a soup brand, because the only other American name she knew was Coca-Cola?

As of 1/24/2007. I absolutely loved the movie, viewing it from the frame of mind of that era, versus what extreme technology, effects and scripting of the present. I can absolutely say how FUNNY and Hilarious it was to view!

I had watched this movie on the T.M.C. and wasn't really knowing of Ms Gina L acting and performance, as well as her beauty! I just found myself rolling on the floor as well as witnessing the close calls of the three men she was juggling around and detouring them from her daughter. It was really cool to see the stars of the days then, and view the Italian parts and its people of that time.

Though this movie may slammed by others, my own input is that: I LOVED IT! From Ms G.L. to S.Winters, T.Savales, P.Silvers, P.Lawford and the rest of the unmentioned great ones as well. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to express my own comment and view...Joaquin.

Gina Lollobrigida plays a "widow" in Italy with a teenage daughter played by Janet Margolin. In reality Gina was never married but had, in the 1940s, sex with three different Army men (Telly Savalas, Phil Silvers and Peter Lawford) who all believe they're the father! Now they're all coming to town for a reunion and things go crazy.

Light, breezy comedy beautifully filmed on location in Italy. It has a good cast all doing very well in their roles. The standouts are Lollobrigida who is very beautiful and surprisingly good at comedy; Silvers who gets laughs from the stupidest lines and Shelley Winters who is hysterical as his overbearing wife. The only bad acting is by Margolin and Lee Grant as Savalas' wife--but she isn't given much to work with. And there's some hysterically bad process shots when people are riding cars. But these are minor complaints. This is just a silly, fun comedy.

Hard to believe that this was once considered risqué. It was originally rated M (which is the R rating today). It's now been lowered to a PG. I admit is DOES make adultery look OK but who's going to take this film seriously? Recommended. I give it an 8.

A delightful and heartwarming film that has stood up remarkably well when compared to other comedies of the 1960's. Both Gina Lollobrigida and Shelley Winters give good performances far outclassing the remainder of the cast. Phil Silvers is quite funny and Telly Savalas touching. In my opinion, the only cast member not up to the task is Peter Lawford - as boring as he usually is in any film in which he appears. It is odd that MGM/United Artist have not released the film on DVD, I'm sure that there are many people who would like to add it to their DVD collection. I have read that there are calls for the film to be remade but I don't think that it would work in today's arena. The film was right for its time but that time has now past and I feel that it's better to enjoy the film as it stands rather than try to remake it with a contemporary theme.