The Fall Series: SUZANNE PLESHETTE

Suzanne with a polka dot outfit and matching hair bow!

The Morning Movie: ROME ADVENTURE (1962)

 Suzanne and Troy embark on a Rome Adventure

Thanks to the recent cinematic world tour post by Whistlingypsy over as Distant Voices and Flickering Shadows, I started watching Rome Adventure. About 45 minutes in, I'm loving it. It's about a young librarian named Prudence (a stunning debut by Suzanne Pleshette) who works at a stuffy college for women. She gets into trouble for giving one of the students a particular book, which the board deems too racy. Prudence resigns and heads to Italy to start living life. She meets Rossano Brazzi on the boat ride over. Later on she will meet Troy Donahue. I got to the part where Prudence is looking for work and meets The American Bookshop owner Daisy (wonderfully played by Constance Ford...who reminds me of a certain friend of mine named Irene). I had to cut it off as I had to leave for work but will finish this wonderful film when I return. And expect a full review once I do. Thanks again Whistlingypsy!

Prudence meets Daisy, who is just chock full of wisdom and sharp wit

Another cinematic world tour post....from fellow blogger Whistlingypsy

Just wanted to let everyone know that Whistlingypsy of Distant Voices and Flickering Shadows has just wrote her contribution piece to the Cinematic World Tour blogathon. Her destination is Rome and the film she chose is Rome Adventure (1962) starring Suzanne Pleshette, Angie Dickinson and Troy Donahue. And I think it is a wonderful post. She really outdid herself with it. I had mentioned to her that I recorded this film last summer on TCM and that it promptly has sat unwatched in my movie cabinet. But after reading her terrific post, oh I'm gonna watch me some Rome Adventure this weekend. Please go to her blog to check out this amazing piece.
distant-voicesandflickering-shadows/cinematic-world-tour-bella-roma .

Birthday Roll Call: January 31st

Today marks birthdays for several notable actresses. So time for a birthday roll call.

JEAN SIMMONS (Jan 31, 1929 - Jan 22, 2010)

Notable films: Black Narcissus, Elmer Gantry, Spartacus, Guys and Dolls, The Grass Is Greener



SUZANNE PLESHETTE (Jan 31, 1937 - Jan 19, 2008)

Notable work: The Birds, Nevada Smith, The Bob Newhart Show, 40 Pounds of Trouble



TALLULAH BANKHEAD (Jan 31, 1902 - December 12, 1968)

Notable work: Lifeboat, A Royal Scandal, Tarnished Lady, My Sin, Devil and the Deep



DANIELA BIANCHI (Jan 31, 1942 - present)

Notable work: From Russia With Love, Always on Sunday, The Last Chance)



JOANNE DRU (Jan 31, 1922 - September 10, 1996)

Notable work: Red River, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, All The King's Men

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969)

I recently ordered a movie on DVD from Amazon and it arrived yesterday. I immediately put it in to watch it, appropriately enough it's called If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium. It is a delightful comedy about a group of Americans on the ultimate European trip. Nine countries in 18 days as stated by Whirlwind Tours, the company that provides this hilarious and exhausting vacation package. Top billed Suzanne Pleshette leads the Americans as Samantha Perkins, a woman from Minnesota who goes on this trip to make sure she is ready to marry her beau. She immediately attracts the unwanted attention of the tour guide Charlie (an impossibly young looking Ian McShane). McShane would later on to great success as the title character in the hit 80's British show Lovejoy and recently as the ruthless saloon owner Al on the rough western series Deadwood. Anyway he is player but looks at Sam and thinks he's ready to settle down. Other cast members include Murray Hamilton (The Graduate, Jaws) as a disparate dad who is dragged on the trip by his wife. But the main he goes is to keep their teen-age daughter from having sex with her boyfriend. Norman Fell and Reva Rose are a married couple who get separated and she winds up on another tour bus with Japanese tourists. Michael Constantine is a WW2 soldier who is trying to find the girl he met during the war when he was stationed in Italy. Sandy Baron is a quite young man who gets roped into marrying an Italian woman before he escapes. Mildred Natwick is a older woman who just wants to have fun. Marty Ingels as a lothario wannabe who takes pictures of beautiful women so he can brag to his fellas back home. And Aubrey Morris is a strange man who never speaks but enjoys stealing items from the hotel rooms the group stays at. And there are tons of cameos including: singer Donovan,who provides the catchy theme song; Joan Collins, Robert Vaughn, John Cassavetes, Ben Gazzara, Senta Berger, Anita Ekberg, Virni Lisi and several beauty pagent winners of the time including Miss Belgium, Miss Germany, and Miss Holland.

This movie has a breezy and light-hearted tone. The entire cast is awesome. Pleshette, who is positively gorgeous gets a lot of sly lines and has great chemistry with McShane. Norman Fell has a standout dance scene at a club where he gets to go on stage surrounded by a bevy of young and beautiful dancers and he is loving every minute of it. That is until his wife unexpectedly shows up. Hamilton is also good as the frustrated dad who finally gets to have some fun. This movie has tons of laughs and at only 98 minutes long, a lot of ground and countries get covered fast. Which is impressive in itself. The look of the movie is also great as it perfectly captures the decade of long hair and groovy music. I loved this movie and it is one of the most underrated films I have ever seen. It will make you laugh pretty much the entire time you're watching it. I definitely will be watching it several more times and soon.
B+