IT CAME FROM THE BOTTOM SHELF!

I absolutely adore Avanti!   This late career work from writer/director Billy Wilder is generally considered one of the lesser entries in his filmography.  In truth, it doesn’t achieve the near perfection of Sunset Boulevard (1950) or The Apartment (1960), but it is still smarter and wittier than the best films from many other directors.  Like Wilder’s previous Sabrina (1954) and Irma La Douce (1963), Avanti! is a confection; and it is my favorite of the three.  It is light, sweet, lush, (mostly) uncynical, and unapologetically romantic.  In short, it is a charmer.

Jack Lemmon stars as Wendell Armbruster, Jr., a wealthy American executive, who must travel from Baltimore to the Italian isle of Ischia, to claim his father’s body when the pater dies in a car accident.  The consummate ugly American, Armbruster is averse to anything unfamiliar (espresso) and is belligerent to the locals, whose more relaxed lifestyle threatens Wendell’s strict timetable to get the body back to Baltimore for the funeral.  He is completely unmoved by the charms of the island, until he meets Pamela Piggott (Juliet Mills).  It turns out that Miss Piggott is also in Ischia to claim the body of a parent — her mother, who died in the same car accident.  It is revealed that during the ten years that Armbruster Sr. made an annual pilgrimage to Ischia for the health spa, he was actually having a secret affair with Pamela’s mother.  Armbruster Jr. suddenly finds himself mixed up with potential scandal, bodysnatchers, governmental red tape, blackmail, the U.S. State Department, and the feminine charms of Miss Piggott.  Can he navigate these storms?  With the help of Carlo Carlucci (Clive Revill), the extraordinarily resourceful and discreet hotel manager, anything is possible.

As previously mentioned, the movie is a delightful lark.  It is the type of film that spreads a romantic spell over the audience, and it may be the most sweetly good natured of all of Wilder’s films.  While the protagonist is initially an asshole, the casting of the always likable and comically adept Jack Lemmon helps the audience navigate the rough patches with the character and helps sell his eventual transformation.  And Juliet Mills, who gained 25 pounds for the part, is enchanting as the delicate, humane woman that leads to that transformation.  Best of all is Clive Revill, who turns in a “Claude Rains in Casablanca”-level supporting performance as the hotel manager who will go to any lengths to support and protect his guests.

The script by Wilder and frequent collaborator Izzy Diamond is light and witty, but not as fast-paced as some of their previous work (e.g. One, Two, Three).  The slower pace is perfectly appropriate for a story set on an island where the lunch hour is from 1 to 4 in the afternoon, and the 144 minute running time doesn’t feel labored or excessive.  Wilder never directed with a frothier, more Lubitschian touch, and the lush, romantic score arranged by Carlo Rustichelli is the icing on the cake (or the rum in the tiramisu).  All in all, Avanti! is a delight.

US-Italy/C-144m./Dir: Billy Wilder/Wr: Billy Wilder and I. A. L. Diamond (based on a play by Samuel A. Taylor/Cast: Jack Lemmon, Juliet Mills, Clive Revill, Edward Andrews, Gianfranco Barra, Franco Angrisano, Pippo Franco, Franco Acampora, Giselda Castrini

For Fans of: If you like Billy Wilder’s less cynical films, such as Sabrina and Irma La Douce, you are likely to love Avanti!

Video: Kino Lorber Studio Classics has released a very nice Avanti [Blu-ray]. Apart from a few speckles on the print, the presentation is fantastic. The photography isn’t ultra-sharp, but that is no fault of the transfer. The look and color palate of the picture appear to be accurate to the original film. The lush soundtrack also sounds lovely in the 2.0 DTS-HD sound mix.

Special features include:

• An interview with star Juliet Mills
• An interview with star Clive Revill
• The original theatrical trailer
• Additional trailers for Billy Wilder’s Witness for the Prosecution (1957), One, Two, Three (1961), and The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)

Streaming: At the time of this review, Avanti! is streaming on the subscription service FilmStruck.

More to Explore: Another underrated Billy Wilder film ripe for rediscovery is The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970), which is also available through Kino Lorber Studio Classics.  It also features a suppoerting performance by Clive Revill.

Trivia: The part of J.J. Blodgett of the State Department was originally written for Wilder regular Walter Matthau, but according to Juliet Mills there was a bit of a falling out between the actor and director at the time.  However, the strain on the relationship was cleared up by the time of Wilder’s next film, as Matthau starred in The Front Page (1974).

For More Info: There are many fine books on the life and work of Billy Wilder, but my favorite is the interview book, Conversations with Wilder by fellow director Cameron Crowe.