Set in turn-of-the-century Paris, Hotel Paradiso is based on the Georges Feydeau stage farce L'Hotel du Libre Echange, which opened to great success in Paris in 1894. The play enjoyed a revival in London in 1956, with Peter Glenville as director and Alec Guinness as star - roles both would repeat in the film version. A conceit of the movie is that the two lovers, along with their spouses, are neighbors of Feydeau (played by Glenville) and attend his new play, only to discover that it mirrors their own situation.
Lollobrigida, who became a star in earthy film roles in her native Italy during the 1940s and early '50s, moved on to more glamorous Hollywood roles in 1955. By the time of Hotel Paradiso, a U.S./Italian production, she had returned to Europe. After virtually retiring from films in the 1970s to pursue a career in photography, she was lured back to Hollywood in 1984 for a role in TV's Falcon Crest.
Producer: Peter Glenville, Pierre Jourdan (associate)
Director: Peter Glenville
Screenplay: Peter Glenville from play L'Hotel du Libre Echange by Georges Feydeau as adapted by Jean-Claude Carriere and Maurice Desvallieres
Cinematography: Henri Decae
Production Design: Francois de Lamothe
Costume Design: Jacques Dupont
Original music: Laurence Rosenthal
Editing: Anne V. Coates
Cast: Gina Lollobrigida (Marcelle Cotte), Alec Guinness (Benedict Boniface), Robert Morley (Henri Cotte), Peggy Mount (Angelique Boniface), Akim Tamiroff (The Turk), Marie Bell (Le Grande Antoinette), Douglas Byng (Mr. Martin).
C-95m. Letterboxed. Closed captioning.
by Roger Fristoe
