Lina Cavalieri (née Natalina Cavalieri) was a famous belle epoque Italian opera singer who was known as the world's most beautiful woman because of her incomparable beauty and her extreme hourglass figure. Cavalieri's portrait has been also hugely popularised in many forms by artist Piero Fornasetti and writer Gabriele D'Annunzio dedicated her a copy of his book IlmPiacere.
Extremely underrated and unknown by most part of the audience -probably because it is an Italian movie and not from the USA -this film tells Lina's more or less acurate biography but, far from being a simply biopic, it excels in so many aspects that the movie should deserve a worldwide success. However, it is a hidden gem with lots of interesting points:
First of all, miss Lollobrigida cast is a total success. She does a remakable job here: not only plays her role in a very convincing way but also sings her opera parts beautifully (she was trained to be an opera singer when she was very young but had to quit because her family lack of money). In fact, she had refused to play the main role in Italian movie Aida (1953) based on Giuseppe Verdi's opera because she was required to play the role only, not doing the singing. And so the role went to Sofia Loren.
The sword duel with Gina in a D'Artagnan style costume -based in the true duel between Lina and a a theatre actress in Rome- is well done and fun to watch and reminds of Gina's previous role in Fanfan La Tulipe with Gérard Philipe. Her ultra small cinched waist is comparable to real Cavalieri's one, that made audiences gasp when she appeared on the stage.
Miss Lollobrigida's leading man in the film is great Italian actor Vittorio Gassman, who has not much to do with his role but match her nicely.
One of film's highlights are indescriptable and breathtakingly beautiful Nino Novarese's gowns. Miss Lollobrigida looks gorgeous in them. This Italian designer had studied architectural theatral design and had worked in la Scala de Milan previous to work as a fashion designer in many Hollywood movies and winning two academy awards for Cleopatra (1963) and Cromwell (1970). Also, he was nominated by Prince of foxes (1949) and he was recognized internationally for his highly detailed and historically correct fashion designs. In fact, his work in Cleopatra, where he designed most military uniforms and men wardrobe, is clearly different from Cleopatra's character one, that suffered from an excessively much more "modern" attire (by Irene Sharaff and Renié).
Also remarkable is the cast of italian tenor Gino Sinimberghi to play the role of tenor Silvani. He appeared in several films playing opera singers and he is especially remembered for his singer and acting ability in italian operas. Cast also include tenor Mario Del Monaco and Emilio Schuberth (the tailor of the stars, as this italian fashion designer was called). Robert Alda plays the villain, Ann Vernon plays Lina's friend Carmela. Directed by Robert Z. Leonard with excellent Eastmancolor photography by Mario Bava filming stunning palaces and gardens, this movie brings us all the fastuosity and grandeur of classic cinema at its best.
As a curiosity, in the Folies Plastique scene, as appear in the playbill, Lina is supposed to play three theatre tableaux: The Birth of Venus, Cleopatra, beauty of the ancient world and Lina Cavalieri, beauty of the modern world. But sadly Cleopatra's scene does never appear in the movie although it does in the trailer. Maybe it was cut due to film's length?
