Come September

An American millionaire arrives at his Italian villa each September to meet the same woman. This time he comes early and finds two surprises: she has stopped waiting and is about to marry somebody else, and his major domo has been running the villa as a hotel for the rest of the year. Inside there is a party of young women and the young men circling them. The appeal is scenery and pace. Robert Mulligan keeps the quarrels light, nobody is genuinely wounded, and Italy functions as a postcard. Rock Hudson and Gina Lollobrigida carry the couple, with Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin on the younger side. It was the first film Hudson produced through his own company. Part of the reason for shooting in Italy was that Lollobrigida's contract barred her from appearing in films made in America. Its flaws: two hours feels long, the comedy built on spying on the young women is uncomfortable now, and there is almost no tension anywhere. Who it is for: fans of light 1960s Hollywood romance. Who it is not for: anyone wanting sharp comedy or a real conflict.