Three Bites of the Apple (1967) User Reviews

Love on a tour bus

[gdoempke · 7/10 · 30 August 2004]

Cute, fun movie of the adventures of European bus tour, and the developing romance of the driver (McCallum) and the Italian tour guide (Koscina). Nothing too deep, but a chance to enjoy bus load of likable people, and relish a burgeoning love affair between the leads. One of those movies that just leaves you feeling good, though with some bittersweet moments. I saw it only once (in 35mm), back in 1968, and still have fond memories. Silva Koscina was absolutely stunning; young McCallum gives a tender performance; and the Italian scenery is breathtaking.

Less gimmicky than Hollywood's "If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium"

Deserves to be issued on DVD, especially considering the lesser films that are readily available these days.

I remember loving this movie and I look often for its release

[c13jvt · 7/10 · 23 July 2005]

I was only 17 or 18 when I saw it but I remember being touched by it. Sylva Koscina plays an unreachable, beautiful, sophisticated woman longed for by a simple, kindly, unflappable tour bus driver (David McCallum).

But all is not as it seems. Evil forces are at work (I can't remember the details). I do remember that David McCallum fits the role of an unfailingly polite, kind and giving man very well and that Sylva Koscina is indeed a thing of beauty. Many shady dealings and much comical happenstance precede a satisfying conclusion.

Definitely not deep but great entertainment. I really wish it would be picked up on DVD.

David mccallum 1960s romantic comedy

[adrian_huk · 7/10 · 27 May 2010]

Amiable romantic comedy. A friend gave me this DVD of this film,originally transferred from a video he'd recorded from TV. He can't remember when.

It starts off with David Mccallum singing the opening song ! Mccallum plays a tourist guide on a bus from to Italy. Arriving accidentally in an Italian casino he has a stroke of luck and wins nearly 12,000 pounds. Beautiful Sylva Koscina plays a woman who sees an opportunity to get her hands on his money. She tells him if he openly declares his casino winnings to the Italian and British governments he'll have to pay exorbitant amounts of tax ,twice. Using her ex husband (who she despises but needs for this caper) she proposes a scheme to get the money out of the country without paying tax (without of course mentioning to Mccallum she and her ex husband are planning to steal it). Halfway through the film there's a tastefully done bed scene between Mccallum and Koscina. I won't give any more of the plot away but as its a 1960s romantic comedy you can guess whether it ends happily or not. Lovely film. Check it out if you can.

Which bite left half of a worm?

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 10 August 2022]

Poor David McCallum has too much on his plate as an English guide working with some British tourists on a trip to Italy, finding himself tied to two very complicated women, the trouble making Tammy Grimes and the mysterious Sylvia Koscina who arranges to meet him after she witnesses him winning game after game of roulette in a casino. Grimes is a very grasping, controlling woman who pushes herself on McCallum and becomes infuriated over his involvement with Koscina, causing him no end of misery, but there's all sorts of insinuations that Koscina (who claims to be trying to help him avoid paying taxes on his winnings) is up to something as well.

This film is more notable for its location footage more than the actual plot, but McCallum is quite good as your average Joe, a far cry from his other major rolls, particularly TV's "The Man from U. N. C. L. E." The situation that he's in would make it very difficult for me to ever trust women again, so it does add some intrigue as to why Koscina is so attentive to him. Grimes is an oddball character, an older vixen who shouldn't be allowed to travel without a psychiatric nurse. The cartoon credits feature McCallum singing. In spite of its weird premise, I enjoyed it, although it is not without major flaws.