While Lino Banfi is given a "with the participation of" credit (the last one on the list) it is clear from the start he is playing the dominant part, while top billed Gloria Guida appears in the opening (under the credits), only to disappear for almost 20 minutes until all the other characters and plot lines are neatly set up, which includes some if not all of the following:
Banfi is dentist Nicola Pischella, once again married (on film) to Francesca Romana Coluzzi and cheating on her within the first five minutes with Paola Senatore. As always Alvaro Vitali (he of convenient face-slapping height) plays the assistant dentist, Peppino. Nothing new so far. Word comes by telegram (delivered by one scene wonder Jimmy Il Fenomeno) that rich uncle Alfredo (Mario Carotenuto) is coming over to visit and, what a surprise, change his last will and testament. But Alfredo is actually a thief in disguise, there to find a diamond hidden amongst the chandelier 20 years earlier. Pretending to be extremely ill, now all he needs is a nurse to care for him at night. So Lino hires the granddaughter of one of his clients, Angela (Gloria Guida) returning just in time to hit that 20 minute mark.
Meanwhile, Lino and Francesca Romana's son Carlo (Leo Colonna) is being stalked by a lonely boxer's wife (Annamaria Clementi) living downstairs, while falling for Angela at the local disco. The silly boy is kept in the dark about her night job, being too busy studying for his medical exams in the next room. Lino, that is to say Nicola, starts to lust after Angela himself (while wooing her for his son at a restaurant in a rock) as if having two women to please weren't enough.
Carlo and Angela enter a dance contest at "La Discoteca Io Valentino", and get Pepino Vitali to fill Guida's little nurse's outfit in her absence. Naturaly the same night Nicola tries to make his move and 'uncle Alfredo' makes a final grab for the diamond. This summary may sound like the same old cockamamie as usual, yet "L'Infermiera di Notte" somehow manages to outgrow the sum of it's parts. This is mainly thanks to the great ensemble cast of Italian regulars, including three beauties in various stages of undress (compared to the usual one). Even Guida's disco number 'La Musica è' (an instrumental version of which runs through the entire film as the main theme) worked for me. Must have been the mood I was in.
8 out of 10
