Just watched this obscure movie on Amazon Prime with my mom. Angie Dickinson plays an American woman who's a midwife in Sicily. Her beauty and her sunny attitude attracts the men making their wives jealous. Priest Maurice Chavalier is trying to keep the peace and has his hands full, that's for sure! I'll just now say that Mom and I found this pretty entertaining with much humor and some drama sprinkled throughout as well as Mr. Chavalier warbling occasionally. So we say Jessica is worth a look.
15 Reviews
An American Midwife in Sicily
romanorum110 September 2021
An attractive young blonde woman (Angie Dickinson), who is a midwife, arrives for work in a Sicilian village and the men ogle over her. This action alienates the local women. As a group, they decide to forgo sex with their men. Without sex, they get even with their husbands. Also, without sex there are no babies. Without babies, there is no need for a midwife. The village priest, Father Antonio (nicely played by Maurice Chavalier), aware of what is happening, has his hands full. The irony is that some of the women are just about Ms. Dickinson's equal (like Sylva Koscina and Rosanna Rory). The last scene is a howl! Harmless fluff!
Beautiful scenery, but not a beautiful film
gbill-7487710 September 2021
This sex comedy from 1962 isn't entirely without its charms, but some of the content is objectionable (even considering the period), and it gets awfully muddled and dull in its second half. On the positive side, there's Angie Dickinson puttering around on her Vespa on the windy mountain roads overlooking the sea in the gorgeous town of Forza d'Agrò, which was also one of the locations used in The Godfather. Sentimentally, I liked seeing 74-year-old Maurice Chevalier sing a couple of tunes, even if the degree to which is character, a priest, is involved in the sex lives of the villagers seemed a little odd. All the ogling of Dickinson early on gets a little wearisome, mostly because it just seems unimaginative, but the candor with which everyone talks about the libido of both sexes and how the wives decide to take a page out of Aristophanes and go on a sex strike made me smile.
On the downside, the film takes attitudes that haven't aged well, which in itself isn't surprising and something I'd normally try to accept and learn from, but it crossed a line with the spousal abuse humor. The men have a right to expect sex from their wives, you see, and so when they hold out, they can be knocked around, and some of them appearing with garish black eyes the following morning. One of the jokes is that the husband also has a black eye, but I found no solace in that. This was part of acceptable humor of the period, e.g. Jackie Gleason regularly threatening to sock Audrey Meadows in the kisser six years earlier on the TV show 'The Honeymooners,' but when it's clear punching actually has occurred and no big deal, it's tough to enjoy.
To some extent I probably would have excused the film for those moments, but it also goes downhill when it starts trying to maneuver Dickinson's character into a romance with a character played by Gabriele Ferzetti. I found the scenes between them bland and uninteresting, taking away from Dickinson's flirtation with the villagers or the dynamic with the wives, one of whom is played by Sylva Koscina, who is unfortunately underused. As it plays out, all of the bite and playfulness is sucked out of the film, leading to a rather humdrum ending.
On the downside, the film takes attitudes that haven't aged well, which in itself isn't surprising and something I'd normally try to accept and learn from, but it crossed a line with the spousal abuse humor. The men have a right to expect sex from their wives, you see, and so when they hold out, they can be knocked around, and some of them appearing with garish black eyes the following morning. One of the jokes is that the husband also has a black eye, but I found no solace in that. This was part of acceptable humor of the period, e.g. Jackie Gleason regularly threatening to sock Audrey Meadows in the kisser six years earlier on the TV show 'The Honeymooners,' but when it's clear punching actually has occurred and no big deal, it's tough to enjoy.
To some extent I probably would have excused the film for those moments, but it also goes downhill when it starts trying to maneuver Dickinson's character into a romance with a character played by Gabriele Ferzetti. I found the scenes between them bland and uninteresting, taking away from Dickinson's flirtation with the villagers or the dynamic with the wives, one of whom is played by Sylva Koscina, who is unfortunately underused. As it plays out, all of the bite and playfulness is sucked out of the film, leading to a rather humdrum ending.
Watched it on MGM channel tonight.
dan.adams28 February 2008
Great scenery and great girls! Pity Angie comes in about 3rd in the "glamour stakes"! It is a light-hearted romp though and is mildly entertaining. Chevalier does his usual bit in his usual style-talking to himself,the audience,his jeep,his god and his congregation,with a big cheesy grin(the old ,"I'm glad I'm not young anymore"routine. Oh golly,I've got to write more lines!How about,Angie's love interest,the titled "heavy" of the film,tortured by the memory of his wife's execution by the Nazis,has little more than a walk on,walk off role.I guess he is there to ensure a happy ending. Angie doesn't do to bad,from village midwife to grand dame in the château-in less than a year.Beats having the stuffing knocked out of you by a demented Michael Caine!
It just misses the mark.
planktonrules22 June 2012
Jessica is an American lady (Angie Dickenson) who has inexplicably come to a small Italian town to be their midwife. What is a super-hot American doing there?! And what is the town to do? All the men spend all their time lusting after her and the women spend all their time complaining that their men are lusting after sweet Jessica. The town priest (inexplicably played by the French actor, Maurice Chevalier) tries to get everyone to accept Jessica--but it looks like it's an impossible task.
"Jessica" is a comedy that never really hits the mark--and its script clearly could have used a lot more work before it was filmed. As a comedy, it was supposed to be funny but it wasn't. Sadly, it was just pretty dull and it isn't particularly charming. As a result, the film just drags despite nice scenery.
"Jessica" is a comedy that never really hits the mark--and its script clearly could have used a lot more work before it was filmed. As a comedy, it was supposed to be funny but it wasn't. Sadly, it was just pretty dull and it isn't particularly charming. As a result, the film just drags despite nice scenery.
early sixties sex comedy that doesn't quite work
gaynor.wild8 December 2007
The basic plot line is that Jessica (Angie Dickinson), who is new in a small Italian village, and is working as a midwife, frightens the town's women. They fear she will steal their husbands, as she is presented as being amazingly alluring to all the men. The main problem with this premise, at least from a man's point of view, is that Silva Koscina, who plays one of the wives, is far more attractive, both facially and overall physically, than Angie Dickinson. (Perhaps the Italian men were mesmerized by Ms. Dickinson's blonde hair.) The women are presented as getting together and planning to deny their husbands sex, in order to prevent pregnancies and therefore drive the midwife out of town. The plots of comedies are expected to be kind of dumb, but this one really takes the cake: they deny both their husbands and themselves any sex, because they are jealous of a new woman? How many women do you know who would react that way? Three stars out of ten, and while I'm at it, Maurice Chevalier really can't sing, can he?
Mild flirtation with sexual matters...unpretentious yet charmless
moonspinner5519 September 2010
Curvaceous young nurse from America--widowed on her wedding day and possibly still a virgin--is causing male hormones to race and females tempers to burn in a Sicilian village where she's the new midwife. Flora Sandstrom's novel "The Midwife of Pont Clery" becomes tepid showcase for star Angie Dickinson, who looks great riding around town on her Vespa but otherwise doesn't have much pizazz (the film's tagline calls her 'dynamite', yet Dickinson is so polite and low-keyed this is hardly the case). The women rebel against the sexy outsider by withholding lovemaking from their husbands, which might be an understandable reaction if leggy Jessica actually posed a threat to anybody. As it is, the girl is as innocent of her charms as the husbands are guilty of their ogling--though the picture does get a boost when Dickinson decides to fight back and be a flirt. Not to worry, she's already caught the eye of the wealthy, handsome marchese (himself a widower!), which leads to a limp and predictable conclusion. *1/2 from ****
JESSICA...AN American GIRL IN A SMALL Italian VILLAGE
diane160228 February 2005
I saw this movie in the early sixties, and it was hysterical. Unfortunately, this movie has never been made for VHS or DVD. I wish they would put it out on VHS or DVD as it is a very funny movie about an American girl who goes to a Sicilian village and becomes the scandal of the town because all the women are sure that she is plotting to be with their husbands. Father Antonio is the town priest who is very funny. Jessica, the American girl, rides around on a motorbike which is very scandalous for a their small village. If they ever put this movie out on VHS or DVD be sure to see it if you have Sicilian or Italian ancestry, or if you just want to laugh a lot.
angie was great the rest horrible
sandcrab27716 April 2020
Maurice Chevalier and agnes moorerhead were predictably terrible ...silva koscina carried her own weight but the rest of the cast was boring BORING boring ... the morale is you cannot put a beautiful american woman in an italian community without the women there getting upset because all their loser men go lusting after a blonde with nice curves
The American midwife
jotix1004 June 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This comedy of 1962 directed by veteran Jean Negulesco was a typical product of the era. Hollywood loved to do films abroad because of the ridiculous costs in the post war Europe. The studios got great natural scenery at a fraction of what they would have had to spend at home. "Jessica" seems to be a film earmarked to play at New York's Radio City Music Hall, that showed first run movies at the time it made its debut. It had all the elements going for it.
As a film watched today, "Jessica" seems a bit out of place. Maybe at the time the idea of an American young woman, so modern, in contrast with the Sicilian folks, might have given the film company responsible for it, a plausible plot to go ahead. According to the credits, this film is based on a novel we have not read, so it is impossible to compare the text to the finished product.
Maurice Chevalier was asked to play the wise old priest, Antonio. He uses his charm the same way he did in other films before. The young and beautiful Angie Dickinson appears in the main role. Gabrielle Ferzetti, an excellent Italian leading man didn't get to do much. Even old pros as Agnes Moorehead and Marcel Dalio are seen in supporting roles.
As a film watched today, "Jessica" seems a bit out of place. Maybe at the time the idea of an American young woman, so modern, in contrast with the Sicilian folks, might have given the film company responsible for it, a plausible plot to go ahead. According to the credits, this film is based on a novel we have not read, so it is impossible to compare the text to the finished product.
Maurice Chevalier was asked to play the wise old priest, Antonio. He uses his charm the same way he did in other films before. The young and beautiful Angie Dickinson appears in the main role. Gabrielle Ferzetti, an excellent Italian leading man didn't get to do much. Even old pros as Agnes Moorehead and Marcel Dalio are seen in supporting roles.
hitting your wife is no joke
SnoopyStyle28 August 2021
Jessica Brown Visconti (Angie Dickinson) is the new American midwife in a small Sicilian village. She is searching for something after her husband's death. She turns the heads of all the men and worries many of the women. She is befriended by Father Antonio (Maurice Chevalier). Some of the women come up with a plan to get rid of the beautiful American.
It's kinda of a fun idea until the spousal abuses. It's a cute movie and then old timey hitting your spouse becomes a joke. There must be a funnier way to do that other than black eyes. It saps the fun out of the comedy. Maybe it should be an accident where they bump into each other. The old timey wifey obligation is not that fun either. My other suggestion is that the women blame the sex strike on something else as a decoy. Maybe force the men to stop drinking for a year. This is a cute idea but it's under-cooked and it has not aged well.
It's kinda of a fun idea until the spousal abuses. It's a cute movie and then old timey hitting your spouse becomes a joke. There must be a funnier way to do that other than black eyes. It saps the fun out of the comedy. Maybe it should be an accident where they bump into each other. The old timey wifey obligation is not that fun either. My other suggestion is that the women blame the sex strike on something else as a decoy. Maybe force the men to stop drinking for a year. This is a cute idea but it's under-cooked and it has not aged well.
I love this Movie
fabfam-460-64515927 August 2012
This movie is filmed in Forza D'Agro, Sicily which just happens to be my Grandmothers town, still as gorgeous today as it was back then!! Perched on a mountain very close to the sea. My great grandfather is cast as an extra in the background and appears a few times, i never met him so its great to see him! So you might call me bias, but to me it has beautiful vistas, beautiful actors majestic panoramas and these type of movies are like snippets in time and are nostalgic, lite hearted and fun to watch..... Sublime old film. Angie Dickinson is at her most beautiful in this film, at least I think so anyway.
P.S I found a DVD copy of this at scooter movies.
P.S I found a DVD copy of this at scooter movies.
Pretty foreigner in Italian village
spinup-543-16981219 July 2012
I loved this movie when I saw it as a young man in the 60's and wish it was available today. Angie Dickinson was at her best and a relatively new face to the screen and most men were just beginning to fall in love with her.
There is good humor in it and the plot is quite believable, especially if you have insight into the Italian way of looking at things in small villages especially, it is their whole world especially at this point in history; only 18 years after WW2 and much of Italy hadn't seen modernity particularly in small hamlets.
A very entertaining movie with a good representation of actors of the day Agnes Moorehead, Maurice Chevalier, and of course Angie. I would love to have a copy.
There is good humor in it and the plot is quite believable, especially if you have insight into the Italian way of looking at things in small villages especially, it is their whole world especially at this point in history; only 18 years after WW2 and much of Italy hadn't seen modernity particularly in small hamlets.
A very entertaining movie with a good representation of actors of the day Agnes Moorehead, Maurice Chevalier, and of course Angie. I would love to have a copy.
Marvelous comedy in Sicilia
Jimmie313228 August 2021
I never hear of this movie, just watched to day Aug 27, 2021
I tough was a very good movie, with excellent photography, and acting by Angie Dickinson and Maurice Chevalier
enjoyed truly, and the comedy was great, well acting and presentation
!
I agree with Diane
kahiltna29 May 2007
Of course my vote comes from when I first saw the movie, but I couldn't agree more with Diane. Is there any way to get that movie on DVD or VHS? Who is in charge of creating them? To whom should one write to spur them on to do it? Anyhow, this is one of the best movies I saw as a preteen. Hilarious. Good conversation material and fun for someone young to view. Have always wanted a Vespa after that movie. Anyhow, thanks Diane, for your comments. No wonder I have never been able to find the movie in video rental stores! Well, let me know if it ever does come out.
And now for just a general comment to the website: Curious why one needs to have ten lines of comment. Didn't your English teachers always tell you to be succinct and get as much packed into a paragraph as you possibly could? Something that could easily be said in three sentences loses meaning and impact when it is dragged out into twelve sentences, for instance. Very curious.
And now for just a general comment to the website: Curious why one needs to have ten lines of comment. Didn't your English teachers always tell you to be succinct and get as much packed into a paragraph as you possibly could? Something that could easily be said in three sentences loses meaning and impact when it is dragged out into twelve sentences, for instance. Very curious.
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