It Started in Naples (1960) April 2, 2007
Posted by jackal in : Films , trackbackIt’s an utterly hollow, lightweight piece of fluff; so how is it that It Started in Naples is so much fun?
When Mike Campbell (Clark Gable) travels to Naples to clear up the estate of his late brother, he finds more than be bargained for: an eight year-old nephew he never knew he had, now living with his maternal aunt, Lucia (Sophia Loren) who is a nightclub dancer on the isle of Capri. Gradually developing a bond with the impetuous little tyke, Campbell decides to take him back to the States for a “better” life. Naturally, this doesn’t go down well with Lucia, and the pair become locked in a battle for the child’s affection. This being a romantic comedy, I don’t think it’ll come as a shock when I say that love wins out at the end. Awwww.
The plot (making time for a couple of song and dance numbers from Loren) is thin at best, and struggles to hold out for the film’s full length, but somehow it just doesn’t matter. The locations are so breathtaking, the warm Italian sunshine so palpable, the mood so relaxed, that It Started in Naples amounts to a 100 minute virtual vacation. The fact that Gable and Loren are really there (no fiddling about with doubles and rear-projection) adds immensely to the genuine atmosphere. Take a look at the pics herein and tell me you wouldn’t want to retire there. Tomorrow.
While filming in Naples and at Cinecitta studios, Gable apparently developed such a taste for the pasta dishes Loren cooked for him that his weight shot up to an all-time high 240lbs. The fluctuation is slightly noticeable during the film, but even so I didn’t find the Gable-Loren pairing to be too unrealistic. Despite being an astounding 33 years older than his leading lady, Gable is one of those actors who - for me - never gets old, he merely gains gravitas. I can watch a late-career Gable in anything; he exudes gruff charisma by the bucketload. Here, in his penultimate film, he’s no different.
Loren is arguably the film’s highlight: radiant and energetic, she provides enough momentum to stop the flimsy plot from collapsing in on itself. According to a recent Gable biography, the two stars got on well, despite an early tiff in which Loren complained to director Melville Shavelson that Gable was hogging the best camera angles for himself. When informed of this, Gable replied that he needed to: “she looks good from any angle; I’ve only got two sides, and they’re both bad.”
In the role of Gable’s young nephew Nando, child actor Marietto (no surname, apparently) is simply wonderful, giving a natural, free-spirited performance that provides much of the film’s amusement. Finally, the music score must get a mention: a delightful Neopolitan selection that sets up the mood perfectly even as the opening credits start to roll.
Paramount’s recent DVD release is, in my humble opinion, near-flawless (check out the Beaver’s review here). The film looks eye-poppingly good, brand new in fact. Watching Clark Gable - a long-dead actor I associate with the ’Golden Age’ of Hollywood - in a beautiful Technicolor film that could have been filmed last week took a little getting used to. It’s no masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but It Started in Naples is mellow, genial and warm-hearted entertainment. Perfect viewing for a lazy afternoon.
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