This was an Italian comedy entitled L'Idea Fissa (the fixed idea) made in 1964 and released in the U.S. in 1966 under the title: Love and Marriage. It was comprised of 4 vignettes all having to do with the subject of marital infidelity.
I last saw this film in the early 1970's on late night TV in the New York area. I only remember the first segment which was called: the first night. It told the tale of a young, naive couple from the rural area of Italy who have traveled to the big city for their honeymoon. They are innocent and socially inept. The loud, proud, and jealous husband is played perfectly by Lando Buzzanca. His over-the-top acting is hysterical. His quiet, subservient, but voluptuous young bride is portrayed wonderfully by Maria Grazia Buccella.
The couple stumble through the big city and are befriended by a group of decadent con men and invited aboard their yacht. The villains promptly work on getting the husband drunk and entice him into a card game. Meanwhile the leader has his eye on the young bride. His female cohort seduces her into changing into a sexy dress (the bride is unknowingly watched by other male crew members as she disrobes) which makes her even more desirable to the head con man. When he finds out that the bride is a virgin he offers the husband a large sum of money to have his way with her. Initially the young man is outraged but when he realizes that life in the city is more comfortable with money he gives in. The bride too, is initially insulted but quickly gives in when she hears of the sum involved and sees her husband agree so easily to the arrangement.
After the deal is done the couple retire to a luxury hotel room. The next morning they awake no longer innocent, having sold their souls and dignity and having violated their wedding vows. The hotel manager presents them with the sizable bill. They present the check that was given to them by the con men. The check bounces and they now must face jail or the humiliation of having to tell the authorities what they did to get the money.
It was both comical and painful to see the young couple be seduced and transformed from purity to a state of sinfulness. But it begs the question: if they fell so easily, how pure could they really have been?
A morality tale done, tongue-in-cheek, with some humor, Italian style. I'd love to see this film again but it was never released, to my knowledge, on VHS or DVD. I've been scanning the TV listings for years looking for it to be re-broadcast - to no avail. I'm sure that there are many such little gems out there from the 1960's and 1970's that have receded into obscurity. What a shame.
I last saw this film in the early 1970's on late night TV in the New York area. I only remember the first segment which was called: the first night. It told the tale of a young, naive couple from the rural area of Italy who have traveled to the big city for their honeymoon. They are innocent and socially inept. The loud, proud, and jealous husband is played perfectly by Lando Buzzanca. His over-the-top acting is hysterical. His quiet, subservient, but voluptuous young bride is portrayed wonderfully by Maria Grazia Buccella.
The couple stumble through the big city and are befriended by a group of decadent con men and invited aboard their yacht. The villains promptly work on getting the husband drunk and entice him into a card game. Meanwhile the leader has his eye on the young bride. His female cohort seduces her into changing into a sexy dress (the bride is unknowingly watched by other male crew members as she disrobes) which makes her even more desirable to the head con man. When he finds out that the bride is a virgin he offers the husband a large sum of money to have his way with her. Initially the young man is outraged but when he realizes that life in the city is more comfortable with money he gives in. The bride too, is initially insulted but quickly gives in when she hears of the sum involved and sees her husband agree so easily to the arrangement.
After the deal is done the couple retire to a luxury hotel room. The next morning they awake no longer innocent, having sold their souls and dignity and having violated their wedding vows. The hotel manager presents them with the sizable bill. They present the check that was given to them by the con men. The check bounces and they now must face jail or the humiliation of having to tell the authorities what they did to get the money.
It was both comical and painful to see the young couple be seduced and transformed from purity to a state of sinfulness. But it begs the question: if they fell so easily, how pure could they really have been?
A morality tale done, tongue-in-cheek, with some humor, Italian style. I'd love to see this film again but it was never released, to my knowledge, on VHS or DVD. I've been scanning the TV listings for years looking for it to be re-broadcast - to no avail. I'm sure that there are many such little gems out there from the 1960's and 1970's that have receded into obscurity. What a shame.
