This Italian crime flick deserves to be better known, and probably would be if its cast included any of the now popular stars of so-called 'Eurotrash' or 'Eurocult' cinema. Alas, all it has is Dana Andrews as a jewelry salesman with some cursed gee-gaws in his possession. Instead of the bankable Edwige Fenech, Janine Reynaud or Delphine Seyrig in the title role, Ursula is played by the unheralded French actress Jeanne Valérie (previously seen to better effect in 1965's Espionage In Lisbon), who spends the film wearing an ill-fitting wig and making little impression. The film benefits from a lush theme song crooned by Alida Chelli and looks nice enough (or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Something Weird Video's VHS is in reasonably good condition, though it's pan and scanned). Not so much an overlooked gem as a pleasant surprise.
4 Reviews
A mediocre film.
RodrigAndrisan6 July 2019
It's not a masterpiece neither a catastrophe. Gino Mangini, a director I hear for the first time in 60 years of watching movies continuously. He is also co-author of the script. If there were some big actors in the cast, it would have been a very good movie. Salvo Randone it's not bad in the role of a bloody old man. Ursula, she is beautiful, very beautiful, and her name is Jeanne Valérie. The music of the film is not at all inspired, the same commonplace, monotonous theme is repeats itself continuously. The end of the movie is pure Bond style.
I only watched it to see Dana Andrews.
planktonrules8 January 2024
Dana Andrews was a wonderful actor. And, like many of his contemporary American actors, he made an Italian film, "No Diamonds for Ursula". While he isn't bad in the movie, he's really not among the major players and plays a jewelry store owner.
Spiros is an opportunist. He discovers people's secrets and uses it to blackmail them. For example, when the film starts, Ursula kills a man who is trying to assault her. It's completely justified...but Spiros uses it to make her his personal toy. Later, you learn he's assembling a group of thugs to rob a jewelry store...and, like Ursula, he has something on each of them and they agree to do it just because he promises to ruin them otherwise. Can this forced robbery work? And, will one of them kill Spiros for putting them through this?
This film is mediocre, at best. The story is a bit slow and normally heist films are exciting and stylish. But this one just limps along and is missing the energy needed to make it good. Now the problem is NOT because it's an Italian film. "Grand Slam" and "Rafifi" are both great heist films...and both were made in Europe by a combined European and American group of filmmakers and actors. What did they have that "No Diamonds for Ursula" didn't? Energy and pacing...both severely lacking here.
Spiros is an opportunist. He discovers people's secrets and uses it to blackmail them. For example, when the film starts, Ursula kills a man who is trying to assault her. It's completely justified...but Spiros uses it to make her his personal toy. Later, you learn he's assembling a group of thugs to rob a jewelry store...and, like Ursula, he has something on each of them and they agree to do it just because he promises to ruin them otherwise. Can this forced robbery work? And, will one of them kill Spiros for putting them through this?
This film is mediocre, at best. The story is a bit slow and normally heist films are exciting and stylish. But this one just limps along and is missing the energy needed to make it good. Now the problem is NOT because it's an Italian film. "Grand Slam" and "Rafifi" are both great heist films...and both were made in Europe by a combined European and American group of filmmakers and actors. What did they have that "No Diamonds for Ursula" didn't? Energy and pacing...both severely lacking here.
A little distinctive, but generally ordinary
Leofwine_draca11 August 2022
NO DIAMONDS FOR URSULA is a slightly different Italian crime film, with enough style to make it look visually distinctive from the rest. This one has a more realistic tone and it's also a little sexier than normal, with the female lead particularly alluring. It starts off on a strong footing before moving into a predictable assemble-the-team type plot, but it picks up for a typical diamond heist at the climax. Dana Andrews co-stars.
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