Five Golden Hours

This is what is commonly referred to as a Black Comedy(apologies to the 'woke' brigade!) but the screenplay by accomplished Hans Wilhelm is not really black enough. This is also the last film of director Mario Zampi and in common with the rest of his output, is okay as far as it goes.

It stars Ernie Kovaks, multi-talented and all round eccentric, whose larger than life personality ironically seems more suited to the small screen. He plays Aldo, a pall-bearer who lives off three rich widows one of whom is played by the enchanting Kay Hammond. He falls for and is fleeced by the Black Widow of slinky Cyd Charisse, a Baroness who has already proved fatal to five husbands. Will Aldo become number six.........?

The film becomes more entertaining when Aldo enters a mental institution run by a particularly unsympathetic psychiatrist, a wonderfully deadpan John Le Mesurier, who has been gifted the best line: "In my profession one doesn't liked to be duped." Another little gem is the perfectly cast Reginald Beckwith as a monk. The film really belongs to Gentleman George Sanders as a fellow patient who has kept his creditors at bay for years by feigning insanity. He saunters in two-thirds of the way through and proceeds to walk away with the remaining third.

A film that on paper had tremendous potential is alas a huge disappointment. It lacks the touch of a master and one wonders how Risi, Germi or de Sica would have handled this material. Despite being Italian, Signor Zampi had become far too Anglicised. Che peccato!