Marcello & that Italian glamour ...

Italian fashion and glamour take over London's V&A Museum with its latest exhibition: THE GLAMOUR OF ITALIAN FASHION 1945-2014. The lead sponsor, Bulgari, represents the opulence of the 1960s era displaying pieces from Elizabeth Taylor's  private collection,  including the spectacular platinum, diamond and emerald necklace which she received as an engagement present from Richard Burton. As Burton once quipped: "The only word Liz knows in Italian is Bulgari"!. The exhibtion runs until July 27 (vam.ac.uk) and is a riot of Italian fashion, prints and just sheer glamour. Left: Audrey in 1954 with shoe designer Salvatore Ferregamo.

CASANOVA 70. A colourful ‘60s comedy from Swinging Italy, directed by Mario Monicelli with another terrific performance from Marcello Mastroianni as the later-day Casanova who goes impotent if there is no element of danger involved in his liaisons. He is an army officer who can only perform when his life is in danger. It is another of Carlo Ponti’s assaults on the box office with the Latin lover supreme, Mastroianni, as a sort of Italian James Bond, seeking dangerous situations and beautiful women. 

These include Virna Lisi, Marisa Mell, Michele Mercier, Margaret Lee, Beba Loncar. Director Marco Ferreri plays the jealous husband of Mell …. It is all very 1965 (like Marcello’s THE 10TH VICTIM, review at Marcello label) as we travel from Italy to France and the Swiss Alps and a lot of silly fun now. As much fun as those mid-60s Italian episode films we like here, see Italian label: LE BAMBOLE, BOCCACCIO 70, LE FATE, GOLD OF NAPLES etc. or Jean Dujardin's OSS 117 capers.