Giovani Mariti, 1958

This is a rarity - so rare it exists only in an Italian version. Mauro Bolognini's 1958 comedy drama focuses on a group of 5 young men - not layabout as in his next one LA NOTTA BRAVA from 1959, one of my discoveries of last year, as per Italian label. It is another group of attractive young players having late nights - these here are likeable young men, students, room-mates. The title translates as YOUNG HUSBANDS though we only see 2 getting married. The usual questions arise about settling down .... the lads drive around their deserted city at night, go for late night swims, play tennis ... the girls are nice too: Antonella Lualdi, Isabelle Corey, Sylvia Koscina. 

The boys include French Gerard Blain (here with Lualdi, above right), Franco Ingerlenghi (from Antonioni's I VINTI and also in LA NOTTE BRAVA, in a long career) and Raf Mattioli, who impressed in Dassin's LA LOI (see label) another discovery a year or so ago. He looks fit here in those skimpy (for 1958) shorts, but he died 2 years later in 1960 of a heart attack at 24!  The film looks lovely and crisp with great black and white photography by Armando Nannuzzi, and again was co-scripted by Pier Paolo Pasolini, costumes by Piero Tosi.

Another of those fascinating Bolognini films then like LA NOTTE BRAVA, SENILITA and LA CORRUZIONE capturing that early 60s Italian vibe perfectly, like Lattuada's I DOLCI IGNANNI, Patroni Griffi's IL MARE; Fellini's 1953 I VITELLONI must surely be the prototype for all these (all at Italian label) - the Italian maestros like Fellini, Antonioni, Visconti, De Sica and Rossellini were getting all the kudos then, but directors like Bolognini and Monicelli were coming up on the fast track - I like their episodes in compendium films like LE BAMBOLE and LE FATE too, and Bolognini's METELLO, GRAN BOLLITO etc.

Next: off to France in the company of Gabin, Delon, Hossein, Trintignant, Romy Schneider, Deneuve.