Jessica (1962)

A young American widow (Angie Dickinson) is newly arrived in a small Italian village to work as a midwife and nurse. However, her presence in the village causes a disruption when the men of the town lust after her and the jealous wives treat her shabbily. Based on the novel THE MIDWIFE OF PONT CLERY by Flora Sandstrom and directed by Jean Negulesco (THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN). A wispy rural comedy filmed in Sicily that never comes alive. Handsomely shot in wide screen Panavision by Piero Portolupi (Visconti's BELLISSIMA), the film benefits from the attractive presence of Angie Dickinson but we're saddled with a lump of a narrative about small town pettiness among ignorant peasants. Then there's the singing, folksy country priest played by Maurice Chevalier at his Gallic worst. With Gabriele Ferzetti, Agnes Moorehead, Sylva Koscina, Marcel Dalio, Danielle De Metz, Marina Berti, Rossana Rory and Kerima.