Arrivederci, Baby!

Tony Curtis is Nick Johnson, a man who's made his living marrying rich women. His first two wives conveniently ended up getting killed and now he's looking for rich wife number three. However, this Italian beauty might be a problem...she's been doing the same! Now, you aren't sure who is going to survive...if either of them! And, if this isn't enough....Nick has a jealous girlfriend (Nancy Kwan) who shows up the day of his third wedding!

Much of the story is told through flashback scenes...some of which work very well and some of which make you cringe because they are so cheesy and kooky. It seems the filmmakers didn't quite strike the proper balance between story and silly interludes...something which worked out perfectly in one of Curtis' other films of the era, "The Great Race" (1965). Now I am not saying that "Arrivederci, Baby" is a bad film....just that it had some serious flaws which prevented it from being a lot better. In its final form, it's modestly interesting but also occasionally annoying...and still worth seeing if you can handle these moments.

I know nothing of the history of this movie, but I suspected it started out with this pitch: "Let's do 'How to Murder Your Wife' but with Tony Curtis.'" While there was no actual murder in the aforementioned movie (made a year earlier), there are several in this one. Curtis has a fine time playing his dark side in the first half of the movie and mostly getting away with it. The last half of the movie goes nowhere, though, and Nancy Kwan really has nothing to do in the movie, even if she is on the video box cover nowadays. However, Zsa Zsa Gabor has her one perfect, if brief, role of her otherwise inexplicable career in the first part of the movie.

I think that Zsa Zsa Gabor looked old even when she was a teenager. Next year, in 2017, she will be 100 years old and nobody can call her a spinster, having to her credit only...nine marriages. About her talent as an actress, let us not pronounce, never. It's good that she went into the orbit with that rocket, at least in this film... The fact is that she landed in 77 productions, including this. Tony Curtis is more seductive and charming than ever. Rosanna Schiaffino, the beauty from "Simón Bolívar"(1969) and "The Long Ships"(1964), is beautiful here too. The subject? Well, I was thinking myself to marry a very old and filthy rich woman, ideally an Englishwoman, the kind which does not know anything except to say: "You're rude!" This film is absolutely delicious. The scene when Zsa Zsa Gabor(Gigi) is nagging Tony Curtis (Nick Johnson) under the sea is enchanting, and the same is the one in which Fenella Fielding(also Fenella in the film)is jumping with the horse into the abyss. Excellent!

My goodness, this movie is silly! I sat through it because I was hoping to see Nancy Kwan given a decent role, and I thought the premise had a neat twist to it. But the script didn't really live up to the "what if" in the screenwriters' boardroom, and the ninety minutes it took to unfold the thin plot made me roll my eyes more than laugh. Still, if you're a Tony Curtis fan and want to see him in something lighthearted before he goes against type in The Boston Strangler, you can check it out.

Tony plays a womanizing con artist, go figure. I guess he never got past the typecast of Some Like It Hot, poor guy. In this movie, he and his faithful sidekick, Lionel Jeffries, scheme up ways to marry rich women and then kill them to inherit their fortunes. So while Tony has a steady girl, Nancy Kwan, he leaves her side on a moment's notice to pursue a rich widow, Rosanna Schiaffino, in Italy. Some of the gags are funny, like when Lionel creates a croquet explosive ball for Rosanna to hit, and he and Tony cower in fear when Rosanna starts tossing the ball around. But most of it is pretty silly and drags on a little too long. The beginning has some ridiculous flashback sequences that are very tongue-in-cheek, as an adult Tony pretends to be a child in an orphanage. These also go on too long, so watch with these warnings in mind.

Saw 'Drop Dead Darling' as part of my Tony Curtis completest quest after being recommended many of his films here in the recommended for you section. It was not something that was intended initially but actually it has proven to be a generally worthwhile experience, even with a couple of missteps.

While there were and are better actors about and he didn't always look comfortable in his early films, Curtis was always immensely likeable and had a charming charisma with many good and more performances under his belt. The cover and premise (haven't admittedly read the source material) were great and the cast is a talented one, have always liked Lionel Jeffries in particular.

'Drop Dead Darling' turned out to be watchable with enough strengths to keep it afloat, but it did disappoint and could have been much better.

The cast is its main selling point and the best thing about it. Curtis exudes both charm and creepiness in a despicable "Bluebeard" sort of role, with enough to him to make it easy to see what others see in him, one doesn't associate with him. Rosanna Schiaffino is an alluring presence and is no slouch in the acting stakes. Jeffries could have had more to do but makes much of what he has. Zsa Zsa Gabor, in briefly but one of her better performances actually, and Anna Quayle bring some welcome very funny light-heartedness, especially Quayle.

Other than those two's scenes, the other highlight is the tense chemistry between Curtis and Schiaffino, followed by the croquet match. There are enough moments of amusement, especially in the first half. 'Drop Dead Darling' looks good, with beauty and atmosphere in the way it's shot.

However, 'Drop Dead Darling' fares less good in the darker elements, where there is not enough tension or suspense let alone creepiness or surprises. It feels bland and sometimes tasteless, and some of the final act is aimless. Tonally the film feels muddled, mixing light hearted comedy with a dark undercurrent that jars too much and makes it all rather mean-spirited. The comedic scenes fare better but are similarly uneven and could have been more. While the cast are more than game, Nancy Kwan has practically nothing to do and makes no impression at all.

Found the script weak in spots, with some clumsy attempts at breaking the fourth wall. The direction is workmanlike at best with no real distinction or inspiration. The music does its job alright on its own, but it's also somewhat forgettable and didn't seem to fit particularly well or be harmonious with the film's tone. The pace can be dreary in the latter stages.

In summation, not bad but nothing special. The cast and some good scenes make it watchable, it's just let down by most of everything else. 5/10 Bethany Cox