Naples Under the Kiss of Fire

...was covered by Elvis Presley and was a big hit in 1960 as "It's now or never" .You can hear Corsican Tino Rossi croon this traditional accompanying himself on the guitar on his balcony looking over Napoli.As this is mainly a vehicle for the singer ,you can hear him every ten minutes ,notably "Tarantelle D'Amour" .

As for the plot itself ,it's the story of a good guy about to marry a good girl ,Assunta ,the niece of the owner of the restaurant where the boy ,Mario,sings .But alas,his room mate ,Michel (Michel Simon) takes in a very unfortunate orphan girl who's lost everything and tries to start all over again under the blue sky of Italy.Lolita (Vivianne Romance) is actually the perfect bitch (this actress was a specialist in this kind of part);when the two friends watch her sleeping ,she's hearing their conversation and a malicious smile forms on her lips . Vivianne Romance's portrayal verges on caricature :provocative poses,sheep's eyes at every man,swaying walk and the whole kit.

As always in this kind of mawkish melodrama,the best moments come from the supporting cast:Michel Simon having a quarrel with the aunt (Jeanne Lory) about what the fiancés bring (he brings his voice!she brings a house!) is much fun to watch;and Marcel Dalio plays Marcel Dalio,that is to say the part of a yellow-bellied coward.