Casablanca, a film regularly cited as one of the greatest movies of all time, was released 70 years ago. It gave us phrases that have passed into the English language, ("Here's looking at you, kid," "Round up the usual suspects", "We'll always have Paris," and "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship", to name but a few). And it cemented Humphrey Bogart's reputation as the most irresistible anti-hero to cast his weary gaze on the silver screen.
But Casablanca also set a noble and inspiring standard at a time of moral equivalence, prodding the United States to enter the war raging in Europe. Its message is as important today as it was in 1942.
Casablanca was set in contemporary North Africa, during the Second World War, and it involved a love triangle. Humphrey Bogart's character had a choice: to keep Ingrid Bergman, the love of his life, with him in Casablanca, or to send her away with her Czech resistance leader husband. In the end, Bogart sacrificed his own happiness, knowing his rival, fighting against fascism, needed the support of Bergman. As Bogart says at the end of the film, "The problems of three little people in a big world don't add up to much."
I first saw It Started in Naples when I was a young child. I really didn't know what it was about, but I liked it. I liked it I guess, as one of the three main characters was a young boy like myself, though he was an Italian boy, and I American. Anyway I liked it. And the fact that the gorgeous Sophia Loren was the female lead didn't hurt at all. She was gorgeous in this film, along with her awesome co-star, the imcomparable
Clark Gable. What a cast?
Though the name implies that the story is set in the southern Italian City of Naples (Napoli), it actually takes place on the beautiful ISle of Capri, in the Bay of Naples. The film was shot on location and is quite lovely. The film is a light romantic comedy that is quite entertaining.
When American lawyer Michael Hamilton (Clark Gable) hears that his estranged younger brother and sister-in-law have died in a car accident, he flies to Naples, Italy, to settle their estate. Upon arriving, the xenophobic Hamilton meets his impish nephew, Nando (Marietto), for the first time, and decides he will bring the boy back with him to the United States. But when Nando's gorgeous aunt, Lucia Curcio (Sophia Loren), protests, a lengthy and heated custody battle ensues.
Two of the most memorable scenes in the movie are, 1) when Clark Gable host his nephew Nando to lunch to teach him the art of eating one of America's most iconic and enduring foods, the Hamburger. The scene is very cute, as the child actor playing Nando (the nephew) is quite comical.
The second scene that is very memorable is when Mr. Hamilton (Gable) goes to the night club that Lucia works at, and she is singing the iconic Neapolitan song Tu vuo fa l'Americano ( Do you want to be American). This scene is iconic and everyone should see it at least once in their life. Take note, that 30 years later, Jude Law and Matt Damon would sing this song in the popular hit movie The Talented Mr. Ripley.
Anyway, It Started in Naples in a wonderful little film. If you ever get the cahnce to see it, you must. Watch the charms of three great actors: Clark Gable, Sophia Loren, and yes Carlo Angeletti, playing little Nando, and doing a terrific job, hold his own with both the great Clark Gable and Sophia Loren herslf.
