Monte Carlo (1986)

As WWII begins to rumble across Europe, Monte Carlo is a haven for a disparate group of people including a Russian cabaret singer (Joan Collins) spying for the British, an American writer (George Hamilton) living off wealthy women, an Irish mercenary (Malcolm McDowell) and an American tourist (Lisa Eilbacher). Based on the novel by Stephen Sheppard and directed by Anthony Page (I NEVER PROMISED YOU A ROSE GARDEN). A vanity project for Joan Collins (she and her then husband Peter Holm were the executive producers), this three hour telefilm seems a shallow excuse for Collins to change costumes every ten minutes (or so it seems). Collins cast herself as an internationally famous cabaret singer but when we finally hear her sing (the song is The Last Time I Saw Paris), she's flat and amateurish. WWII never looked so glamorous. Oh yes, the Nazis and the Jews are part of the plot but they seem pushed into the background to a dull romance between Collins and Hamilton. I shouldn't be too hard on it because clearly it was never intended to be a serious look at the horror of WWII but a glossy picture postcard version and on that level, I guess it works. With Lauren Hutton, Robert Carradine, Peter Vaughan and Jacques Marin.