La Ragazza Del Palio is a good example of what happened to some of Italian Cinema in the 50s.Luigi Zampa, a good director previously associated with neo realism, here presides over a predictable romantic comedy of a US tourist lady (played by a British actress) who meets cute with a local Siena aristocrat, squabbles with him when he crashes into her car, tries to seduce her and then cheats in the famous yearly horse race,but later falls right into his arms.
The film though offers several sensuous enjoyments.Besides the busty Diana Dors in the lead there are the pretty historic architecture of Siena and the surrounding settings of Tuscany, the punchy primary colors of Giuseppe Rottuno's lensing as shot in the then new and imposing Technirama process, and a lush, lovely score by Renzo Rossellini.
It is light entertainment capably done and when the bambini look on at the end as the two lovers kiss, the viewer can't help but smile.
3 Reviews
Italian Holiday with Diana DORS and Vittorio GASSMAN
ZeddaZogenau3 December 2023
Italian-French romantic comedy with Diana Dors and Vittorio Gassman
This film by Luigi Zampa (1905-1991), made in 1957, was only released in German cinemas on March 31, 1964. Zampa is an important representative of Neorealismo and also shot the hospital thriller "The White Mafia" (1973) with Senta Berger, which is well worth seeing. This comedy, which was otherwise rather atypical for him, was based on a template by Raffaele Gianelli.
Diana Dixon (Diana Dors), the beautiful daughter of a Texas gas station owner, wins $3,000 and a Cadillac in a television quiz. In doing so, she fulfills a lifelong dream and takes a trip to beautiful Italy. Since it's difficult to get through the narrow streets of an Italian city in a Cadillac, she meets the charming Piero di Montalcino (Vittorio Gassman) during a slight collision. It happens as it has to happen: both of them like each other and get to know each other better. The platinum-blonde Diana is fascinated by the noble (and therefore apparently wealthy) background of the black-haired philanderer, while he suspects that Miss Dixon, who grew up in humble circumstances, is a very rich oil heiress. Of course, the misunderstanding is exposed at some point and both temporarily lose interest in each other. Coincidentally, however, the annual Palio horse race takes place in Siena. And since the brilliant Diana is also an excellent rider, she registers as a starter in order to convince Piero of her further qualities.
Other roles include Franca Valeri as the snobbish Comtessa Bernardi, Bruce Cabot as an American who is also interested in Diana and Teresa Pellati as Piero's ex-wife.
The film is a thoroughly entertaining advertising film for a trip to Italy. You can see beautiful people wandering around popular tourist attractions (Piazza del Campo in Siena / Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa / Villa Garzoni, where Carlo Collodi, the inventor of PINOCCHIO, had an enchanting garden created).
Diana Dors (1931-1984), with her platinum blonde hair and a truly breathtaking figure, was seen at the time as the British answer to Marilyn Monroe. Although she doesn't have as much success as her American colleague, here you can admire her dazzling beauty, which she can present in wonderful clothes, but in magnificent colors and in widescreen format. Her popularity was so great in Great Britain that she even made it onto the legendary Beatles cover of "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". Diana Dors, who unfortunately died much too early, had a beautifully macabre appearance in the horror classic "Theatre of Blood" (1973).
Vittorio Gassman (1922-2000) was an Italian model actor who appeared in many classics. Examples include "Bitter Rice" (1949), "War and Peace" (1956), "The Black Knights of Borgoforte" (1956) and "The Scent of Women" (1974).
The American actor Bruce Cabot (1904-1972) is known as the daring hero in "King Kong and the White Woman" (1933) and as the "Indian" badly injured by a rhinoceros in the big game hunting classic "Hatari!" (1962).
This film doesn't have a great plot, but with its beautiful stars and gorgeous images of 1950s Italy, it's not the worst way to pass the time.
This film by Luigi Zampa (1905-1991), made in 1957, was only released in German cinemas on March 31, 1964. Zampa is an important representative of Neorealismo and also shot the hospital thriller "The White Mafia" (1973) with Senta Berger, which is well worth seeing. This comedy, which was otherwise rather atypical for him, was based on a template by Raffaele Gianelli.
Diana Dixon (Diana Dors), the beautiful daughter of a Texas gas station owner, wins $3,000 and a Cadillac in a television quiz. In doing so, she fulfills a lifelong dream and takes a trip to beautiful Italy. Since it's difficult to get through the narrow streets of an Italian city in a Cadillac, she meets the charming Piero di Montalcino (Vittorio Gassman) during a slight collision. It happens as it has to happen: both of them like each other and get to know each other better. The platinum-blonde Diana is fascinated by the noble (and therefore apparently wealthy) background of the black-haired philanderer, while he suspects that Miss Dixon, who grew up in humble circumstances, is a very rich oil heiress. Of course, the misunderstanding is exposed at some point and both temporarily lose interest in each other. Coincidentally, however, the annual Palio horse race takes place in Siena. And since the brilliant Diana is also an excellent rider, she registers as a starter in order to convince Piero of her further qualities.
Other roles include Franca Valeri as the snobbish Comtessa Bernardi, Bruce Cabot as an American who is also interested in Diana and Teresa Pellati as Piero's ex-wife.
The film is a thoroughly entertaining advertising film for a trip to Italy. You can see beautiful people wandering around popular tourist attractions (Piazza del Campo in Siena / Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa / Villa Garzoni, where Carlo Collodi, the inventor of PINOCCHIO, had an enchanting garden created).
Diana Dors (1931-1984), with her platinum blonde hair and a truly breathtaking figure, was seen at the time as the British answer to Marilyn Monroe. Although she doesn't have as much success as her American colleague, here you can admire her dazzling beauty, which she can present in wonderful clothes, but in magnificent colors and in widescreen format. Her popularity was so great in Great Britain that she even made it onto the legendary Beatles cover of "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". Diana Dors, who unfortunately died much too early, had a beautifully macabre appearance in the horror classic "Theatre of Blood" (1973).
Vittorio Gassman (1922-2000) was an Italian model actor who appeared in many classics. Examples include "Bitter Rice" (1949), "War and Peace" (1956), "The Black Knights of Borgoforte" (1956) and "The Scent of Women" (1974).
The American actor Bruce Cabot (1904-1972) is known as the daring hero in "King Kong and the White Woman" (1933) and as the "Indian" badly injured by a rhinoceros in the big game hunting classic "Hatari!" (1962).
This film doesn't have a great plot, but with its beautiful stars and gorgeous images of 1950s Italy, it's not the worst way to pass the time.
Charming!
JohnHowardReid15 September 2016
Warning: Spoilers
An agreeable Italian romantic comedy, lensed against the background of Sienna (with side excursions to Pisa and the Leaning Tower) and its famous medieval horse race, namely the Palio. The photography is attractive (thank you, Giuseppe Rotunno) but even more attractive is our lovely star, Diana Dors. (I had the pleasure of meeting Miss Dors, and she was just as charming in real life as she is in the movies). Anyway, in this movie, she wears a very attractive variety of cleavy costumes designed by Colasanti. Director Luigi Zampa keeps the lightweight script (mostly by Zampa himself, Michael Pertwee, Ennio de Concini, Liana Ferri and Raffaele Giannelli, although IMDb lists five or six more contributors) moving at a very pleasant and delightful pace. And the movie also boasts a charming music score by Renzo Rossellini. In the English version, released under the title. The Love Specialist, the principals, namely Diana Dors, Vittorio Gassman, Franca Valeri and Bruce Cabot do their own dubbing. Oddly, Gassman was so much in demand that he was not available to dub the Italian version and his voice was supplied by Emilio Cigoli!
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