Gina Lollobrigida plays the title role in Buona Sera Mrs. Campbell a title that she appropriated for herself. Her past during those World War II years is coming back when an Army Air Corps unit that was stationed in her town is returning and Gina had three men occupy her in every sense of the word. One of them even left something behind.
The something behind was her daughter Janet Margolin and she's been brought up to believe that her father was an American flier killed in action, an officer and a gentleman who did the right thing and married mom and left her a widow. But for the three men who are in the running for daddy, she named Peter Lawford, Telly Savalas, and Phil Silvers as the father and collects from all three.
For 20 years Gina's been conning two of these guys and all three of the wives who are also coming. Shelley Winters is the mother of three precocious little lads and would love to have had a daughter with Phil Silvers. Peter Lawford and Marian McCargo have had no children and Telly Savalas and Lee Grant are also childless. In Savalas's case the doctors say he may be shooting blanks, but is he?
This is an amusing comedy from a cast who know from comedy. Telly Savalas doesn't exactly have a light touch, but his character is similar to one he played in Battle Of The Bulge.
DNA testing has certainly made a modern remake of this film not likely to have the same result. Today I think somebody would have demanded it.
Phillippe LeRoy's character as Gina's faithful French boyfriend who threatens to go back to Bordeaux often doesn't make a lot of sense. In real life he'd have seen Bordeaux again a decade earlier.
Still Buona Sera Mrs. Campbell does have a few laughs and most will find it amusing.
The something behind was her daughter Janet Margolin and she's been brought up to believe that her father was an American flier killed in action, an officer and a gentleman who did the right thing and married mom and left her a widow. But for the three men who are in the running for daddy, she named Peter Lawford, Telly Savalas, and Phil Silvers as the father and collects from all three.
For 20 years Gina's been conning two of these guys and all three of the wives who are also coming. Shelley Winters is the mother of three precocious little lads and would love to have had a daughter with Phil Silvers. Peter Lawford and Marian McCargo have had no children and Telly Savalas and Lee Grant are also childless. In Savalas's case the doctors say he may be shooting blanks, but is he?
This is an amusing comedy from a cast who know from comedy. Telly Savalas doesn't exactly have a light touch, but his character is similar to one he played in Battle Of The Bulge.
DNA testing has certainly made a modern remake of this film not likely to have the same result. Today I think somebody would have demanded it.
Phillippe LeRoy's character as Gina's faithful French boyfriend who threatens to go back to Bordeaux often doesn't make a lot of sense. In real life he'd have seen Bordeaux again a decade earlier.
Still Buona Sera Mrs. Campbell does have a few laughs and most will find it amusing.