Troy Donahue was the eternal Rock Hudson substitute (just a few steps ahead of John Gavin), and his movie performances aren't exactly immortal, however his overly-serious manner worked in a melodramatic setting and he did some good pictures (a handful of them the plush Delmer Daves-directed soapers which swept into theaters in the late 1950s and early '60s). Troy was a perfect match for Sandra Dee or Connie Stevens, but here he's caught between Angie Dickinson and Suzanne Pleshette, and neither fits him especially well (this despite the fact he married Pleshette briefly in real-life). Pleshette is so-so in only her second film, cast as a librarian dismissed for loaning out a risqué book, "Lovers Must Learn"; fed up, she heads to Italy to put into use the romantic advice she's only read about. The scenery is gorgeous, and Al Hirt's jazzy music (and supporting performance) is fun, but the movie plods a bit and runs too long. Theme song "Al Di La" is very romantic, and the travelogue shots are an eyeful, yet this story and these characters merit little interest. **1/2 from ****
Review of Rome Adventure
