Come September

Rock Hudson stars with the ravishing Gina Lollobrigida in a "…racy, romantic romp" (Motion Picture Herald) set on the breathtaking Italian Riviera.Every September, this successful New York businessman (Hudson) visits his Italian villa to relax and to romance his Roman girlfriend (Lollobrigida). But after arriving unannounced one July day, he's in for a huge surprise! During his absence, the luxurious home has become a hotel. What's more, the current guest list accommodates a gaggle of American girls with persistent boys pining after them. In a desperate attempt to regain control, Hudson manages to lose his privacy, his girlfriend and his mind - until he comes up with a plan of his own.This is the film in which Bobby Darin not only makes his feature debut, but also ends up marrying his lovely co-star, Sandra Dee, just ten days after filming wrapped. Come September also features beautiful camerawork by Greta Garbo's favorite cinematographer, William Davis, with designer Morton Haack creating Ms. Lollobrigida's exquisite gowns.

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Hanging out at an Italian villa with Rock Hudson and Gina Lollobrigida sounds like a painless way to kill a vacation--and Come September is a pretty painless movie, too. Rock is a millionaire who spends a month at his home on the Riviera every year, except this year he's come early and surprised his staff, who've been running the place as a paying hotel. This is one of those comedies of sexual frustration--Rock can't get alone with Gina, because the "hotel" is overrun with American teenagers (chief among them Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin, who married after meeting on the shoot). The plot is labored, and director Robert Mulligan shows little feel for farce (he would shortly hit his stride with To Kill a Mockingbird). At least the location shooting has a nice summer breeze to it, and Darin sings "Multiplication" in a nightclub, complete with hepcat moves. --Robert Horton