Too Bad She's Bad (1954)

A blonde Sophia Loren, an unknown Marcello Mastroianni and a comic turn by BICYLCE THIEF director Vittorio de Sica are the active ingredients in the Italian treat, TOO BAD SHE’S BAD.

"SHE" of course is the Italian "anatomic bomb" Loren, stealing hearts as a lusciously larcenous petty thief. Mastroianni is the naïve young cabbie who tries to set her straight, while de Sica, as Loren’s smooth con man papa makes sure his not so little girl stays on the crooked and narrow.

Already the "Number 1 Cover Girl of Europe," "New York Times" critic Bosley Crowther wrote of her attributes: "One striking point is the luxurious Sophia Loren, who is something to look at from any angle or any side . . . she displays such a full and shapely figure she makes it a pleasure to consider being robbed."

Artfully directed by Alessandro Blasetti, TOO BAD SHE’S BAD is a delightful romp , the first pairing of Lorena & masrotinana not too mention the historic first appearance together of these three legends of Italian cinema.

Sophia and Marcello ham it up in 50s style.

It is quite a kick to see Ms Loren and Senori DeSica & Mastroianni so ageless! They look practically the same decades later as they did in this 50s flick, "Too Bad She's Bad". Marcello is the beefcake straight guy, Sophia is the devastating lure and Vittorio is hilarious as a hapless ageing carpetbagger and thief. And the old cars are great to see in their real original condition.
This Morality Tale is told with humour in the poverty of post war Italy. You get a sense of the renewal of energy of a people who were kicked around by the fascists then intruded upon by the allies. The characters seem to be breathing easier a decade after the war's end and the fun has come back into the Italian psyche.
Of course, Sophia's luscious beauty is enough but seeing her with her colleagues as they were beginning their breakthrough into international stardom is a treat, too.
I really enjoyed this romp into Italian cinema history but the gags are still funny - especially Vittorio's little hollow thief satchel that is mechanically faulty preventing him from successfully robbing people - a very funny tongue-in-cheek metaphor for the haplessness of the post Mussolini infrastructure. August 4, 2008

No one was prettier than Sophia!

A very entertaining film, the first teaming of the 3, as you most likely know. And Sophia. Oh my! So beautiful at such an early age! They just ran this on TCM, great print, so you know the DVD will look good as well. Was shocked to see a very brief nipple slip, as she was changing behind a bush while on the beach....if she had stopped one foot sooner, she wouldn't have shown anything! thank goodness she went just a little further! :) June 6, 2008

Early Sofia Loren at her best

A fun film to watch. Great Italian sense of humor. Sofia at the time when she and other actresses like Marilyn Monroe could show some curves and not be considered obese (as our anorexic actresses of today's film industry are.) The group of pickpockets and scam artists are hilarious and Marcello Mastroianni as a cabbie more obsessed with his shiny car than with his passion for Sofia (or is he) is a comic example of the boys with toys complex.
Director Alessandro Blasetti never was fully appreciated in America, therefore his two other hits "Altri Tempi" and "1860" were never put into USA format. January 12, 2008

A Triple Play of Italian Legends Together For the First Time

This movie was enjoyable to watch for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was to witness the first time that Sophia Loren, Vittorio de Sica, and Marcello Mastroianni act together in a motion picture. It was a pleasant experience to hear "La Loren" speaking her native language after being so accustomed to seeing her in American pictures over the years. She displays much talent for comedy. Mastroianni, who was relatively unknown when this movie came out, ably shows his comedic "chops" and you know he is destined for greatness in the cinematic world. Vittorio de Sica, as always, is a thorough delight to watch. Seeing this picture made me want to find other Italian movies he made. If you can understand the language, this picture is even more enjoyable, but if not, I would still recommend it for the stars in it. Some of the best movies ever made are subtitled, and it is a provincial mind that dismisses these movies out of hand because they are either too lazy to read the subtitles or fear that they will not be able to follow the movie because the subtitles get in the way or go by too fast. That's what a pause button is for! Try it! You'll like it! August 26, 2007

Worth watching

Charming and funny. Loren, Mastroianni and De Sica have great chemistry from their very first collaboration! More than 50 years after it was made, the movie is still fresh and will keep your attention. August 7, 2007

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