During a press event for the 1962 film, “Jessica,” Neapolitan-born actor Antonio Cifariello invites Angie Dickinson to get onto a Vespa. She accepts his invitation and holds onto him for dear life. (Who can blame her?) The two swerve in and out of Rome traffic as two paparazzi follow. They switch and Dickinson gets onto the driver’s seat as the two speed by the arch of Constantine where a police officer writes them a ticket.
“Jessica” was directed by Jean Negulesco and Oreste Palella. It stars Dickinson along with Cifariello and Maurice Chevalier. Set in a Sicilian village, the film follows a beautiful widow as the envious locals plot her ruin. Click on the image to stream it on Amazon..
Antonio Cifariello was a prolific actor in the 1950s and ‘60s. Among his early roles is Federico Fellini's "Agenzia Matrimoniale," a vignette in Cesare Zavattini's 1953 “L’amore in città” (Love in the City). He tragically died in a plane crash in 1968 at the age of 38. Fortunately, many of his films are available to stream on Amazon Prime. I am enjoying them as I explore the 1950s decade of Italian cinema.
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