Customer Reviews

Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Spain ]

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I want to support all the other reviewers in favor of this movie. I WOULD LOVE TO OWN IT ON DVD. WHEN WIL IT BE AVAILABLE ON DVD?

I discovered this film in the 80's, but remember when it was in the theatres in 1968. The material wasn't suitable for a 10 year old at the time. Still, I watched this film from a poor video taped from TV, and just howled. Phil Silvers plays the perfect schnook being married to Shelley Winters in the film, and being one of the three former "comforting" soldiers who was with lovely Gina Lolabrigida during the war. I don't know if they were nominated, but with their performances, both Lee Grant and Shelley Winters should have had Supporting Actress Oscars. Telly Savalas can get a little obnoxious, but still right for his role. Try this one for some great fun.

This movie isn't hilarious, but it is enjoyable and still relevant. Ultimately, the movie strikes a terrific balance--confirming the importance of maintaining a family through tolerant love, while dealing with what could have been a cheaply-treated scandalous secret. Gina Lollobrigida is a woman who has a nearly-adult daughter, but she doesn't know which of 3 WWII American servicemen is the father. She encounters a very "baby-boom"-ish concern--how to encourage upright behavior in her child despite her own suspect past--which is resolved in a satisfying but not simplistic manner. Strong but fallible men, strong but fallible women, and an uplifting ending. Good stuff, well done.

BUONA SERA MRS. CAMPBELL is a pleasant comedy directed by the experienced Melvin Frank in the late sixties. It tells the story of an orphaned Italian girl who gets pregnant after giving shelter, in little less than a month, to three American GIs during the last days of the war.

To preserve her good name, and not knowing who the father of her baby really is, she goes to Florence to give birth and returns to her small town as widow of a certain Captain Campbell, naming her fictitious husband after the soup she was given to eat by her young American soldier-lovers. She then proceeds to ask each one of them - who have no idea of one another' s existence - to give her child support. Twenty years later, the soldiers return, with wives and children, to dedicate a chapel to the town' s people. And they are eager to meet their beautiful former ragazza Carla and "their" daughter, Gia.

This is a warm, old-fashioned, sentimental film, utterly unpretentious in spite of its first-rate cast. The humor is often heavy-handed but that this does not keep the action from being genuinely entertaining. The actors are great. Phil Silvers, Shelley Winters, Telly Savalas, Lee Grant, Peter Lawford, Marian Moses, Janet Margolin, Naomi Stevens, and Philippe Leroy contribute a great deal to the success of the film. Silvers and Winters are especially funny. But this film belongs to Gina Lollobrigida. At 40, she still shows why she became a legend of world cinema. She won the David di Donatello Award as Best Actress of the year for her lighthearted comic performance in this film. She deserved it.

It is high time this comedy be released in DVD format in the US. The same can be said of other Lollobrigida films, such as HOTEL PARADISO and WOMAN OF STRAW.

Had not seen this movie since I was 5 in 1971, loved every minute of it. All of the actors are 'playing themselves' great performances by Shelley Winters, Phil Silvers and Telly Savalas.A great classic that does not get much paly on tv or cable, so you have not seen it 20 times. Great look at American perspective on Europe, and how it has not changed much in the 30-odd years since the film was made.

This dvd is only for Region 2. There is no dvd release for region 1, which is sad to me. This is a gem of a film that deserves a proper release. Maybe even on bluray but atleast a dvd release. Gina Lolobrigida is in her prime playing the "widowed" Mrs. Campbell. I won't spoil the rest but this is easily the predecessor to Abba The Musical and it's easy to see why. However, it's pure eye candy to behold the lovely Gina playing Mrs Campbell in this movie and yes, she can act! Please, please, please, release this movie for the rest of the world!!!

Can watch this entertaining comical video over and over and never get tired of it. WHEN is it coming out on a DVD. Would love to have it on a DVD.

I remember watching this Gina Lollobrigida movie with my family many many years ago. We enjoyed it very much. My sister and I recently saw "Mama Mia" at the theater. It has the same story line but we would both love to own this older movie because it was a childhood favorite. I think other baby boomers would love it too!

I have seen this film several times and always marvel at the good vibes it sends to its audience. This is a great comedy. Everyone's timing is perfect in this dream cast: Lollobrigida, Winters, Grant, Silvers, Lawford, Savallas, Margolin, Leroy, Stevens. Keep waiting for it to appear on DVD.

I bought this after seeing "Mama Mia" - that brought back vague memories of this movie so I looked it up. Frankly it's better than Mama Mia, and it's disappointing that the makers of that movie didn't even have the class to credit this one as inspiration and source. Gina Lollobrigida is beautiful and very funny in this, along with Telly Savales, Phil Silvers, and Shelley Winters turning in great performances. Very enjoyable.