A Husband for Anna (1953) User Reviews

Lovely Vehicle for Silvana Pampanini

[lchadbou-326-26592 · 6/10 · 29 November 2020]

A Husband For Anna is a woman's picture that is grounded in classic neo realism and in particular the spirit of Naples. Less well known actress Silvana Pampanini has one of her best roles as a woman who has trouble dealing with men in the workaday world as she is too beautiful for them to keep their hands off. The best scenes, showing the influence of co writer Zavattini, are episodes in which we see Anna trying different jobs, such as one where a movie theatre proprietor shows her the proper technique for escorting patrons to their seats using a flashlight. The realistic Naples neighborhood settings are complemented by a background score, almost like an opera, consisting of popular Neapolitan songs.The story does not cheat in providing a comforting Hollywood style happy ending but leaves Anna back with her family, still unmarried. I submit this review partly because though there is one user review previously acknowledged on the site, IMDb is for some reason blocking access to it.

Kitchen sink soap, Italian style

[melvelvit-1 · 7/10 · 14 June 2014]

A HUSBAND FOR ANNA stars anatomical wonder Silvana Pampanini (a former "Miss Italy") as a young girl whose hopes and dreams clash with harsh reality when she meets a sailor (Massimo Girotti) on leave and promises to marry him when he returns. In order to buy their marriage bed, Silvana takes a job as a stocking model, gets raped by her married employer (Amadeo Nazzari), becomes a pariah in her small town, and when the gob comes back, he can't forgive the rape. Tears abound and the ladies must have loved the bittersweet ending right out of GONE WITH THE WIND wherein the heroine, gazing teary-eyed (and heavenward) out a window, says something to the effect, "After all, tomorrow is another day for us girls". Good grief.

A couple of things I noticed: one of Anna's jobs had her and a bunch of other girls in skimpy outfits shoot arrows at targets while a swarm of men behind a net bet on them. It was like OTB with women instead of horses. Also, any time someone asks her name, Silvana says, "Zaccheo Anna". Is that how it's done in Italy?

Anyway, I can't say I recommend this silliness (it goes beyond "woman's picture" into a patronizing sort of feminism where men "are what they are") unless you're crazy about La Pampanini like I am.