Buona Sera, Mrs Campbell *** (1968, Gina Lollobrigida, Telly Savalas, Phil Silvers, Peter Lawford, Lee Grant, Shelley Winters, Janet Margolin) – Classic Movie Review 6031

The 1968 romantic comedy film Buona Sera, Mrs Campbell is an excellent showcase for Gina Lollobrigida, who gives a delightful performance as an Italian mother who has conned three American World War Two lovers.

Co-writer/ producer/ director Melvin Frank’s warm and amusing 1968 romantic comedy Buona Sera, Mrs Campbell finds an excellent showcase role for Fifties and Sixties Italian sex symbol Gina Lollobrigida, who was rewarded with a Golden Globe nomination as Best Actress – Comedy or Musical.

She gives a delightful performance as Mrs Carla Campbell, an Italian mother who has conned three American World War Two lovers (Telly Savalas, Phil Silvers, Peter Lawford) into supporting her and her illegitimate daughter Gia (Janet Margolin) for 20 years, convincing each of them that they fathered her child.

Unfortunately for La Lollobrigida, Messrs Walter Braddock (Savalas), Phil Newman (Silvers) and Justin Young (Lawford) then all turn up  at Carla’s small Italian village in Italy for a US war veterans’ reunion. So who actually was the father?

Savalas, Silvers and Lawford are all good, but La Lollo, Shelley Winters (as Shirley Newman) and Lee Grant (as Fritzie Braddock) are excellent, and give very funny and appealing performances, outshining the men.

With an engaging original screenplay by Melvin Frank, Denis Norden and Sheldon Keller, it is daft but entertaining. It was nominated for three Golden Globes: Best English-Language Foreign Film, Best Actress – Comedy or Musical and Best Original Song (Buona Sera, Mrs Campbell by Riz Ortolani and Melvin Frank).

Also in the cast are Marian Moses [McCargo] as Lauren Young, Naomi Stevens, Steve Eckardt, Renzo Palmer, Giovanna Galletti, James Mishler, Dale Cummings, Philippe Leroy and Robert Duranton.

Buona Sera, Mrs Campbell is directed by Melvin Frank, runs 108 minutes, is a United Artists release, is shot in Widescreen and Technicolor by Gábor Pogány, is produced by Melvin Frank, and is scored by Riz Ortolani. It was filmed at the Cinecittà Studios in Rome, and was released in December 1968. It is the basis of the 1979 stage musical Carmelina.

Gina Lollobrigida was born on 4 July 1927 in Subiaco, Italy.

Gina Lollobrigida celebrated her 90th birthday on 4 July 2017.

She won a Golden Globe Henrietta Award in 1961 as World Film Favorite – Female.

Gina Lollobrigida was born on 4 July 1927 in Subiaco, Italy, and died at a clinic in Rome on 16 January 2023, at the age of 95.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6031

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