The first impression is a romantic comedy melded to a slapstick comedy which starts out showing off Italy at its best and ends up showing Gina Lollabrigida in marvelous couture.Her tight ensemble cast features leads by Rock Hudson, Bobby Darrin and Sandra Dee supported by Walter Slezak, Joel Grey and Brenda de Banzie, star turns by all. The photography and editing are lush but the shortcomings of 1960's color filming blare with starker color contrasts than we are accustomed to today and less dimension in the panoramic views than we are accustomed to today. The screwball or slapstick sequences work well as do the romantic comedy sequences. What is jarring is most films try to be one or the other and this one alternates one with the other from moment to moment.

Robert Talbot (Rock Hudson) is a rich American who only visits his Italian villa - and his mistress (Gina Lollobrigida) - one month a year, in September. When he arrives early one year, he's shocked to find his servant (Walter Slezak) has been using the place as a hotel while Robert is away. The current guests, a bunch of teenage girls, include Sandy (Sandra Dee) who soon falls for the charms of a brash young tourist (Bobby Darin). Robert starts to sort out the problem but becomes protective of the girls and his relationship with his girlfriend changes.This is a terrible movie. Okay, the scenery and wardrobe are gorgeous and Gina and Rock are, too, but the script is cringe-worthy and makes no sense. Robert could have evicted the girls in one minute and gone on to enjoy life with his lover, but instead he becomes fatherly toward them and suddenly the adults and kids all see the error of their ways and reform their romantic lives. Gina and Rock are so nice to look at that one can almost forgive them for being completely vapid, but they have no rapport and are forced to say ridiculous lines. Slezak is totally miscast as the comic-relief Italian butler. Darin is annoyingly off-putting and Dee just phones it in.With a better script, this could have been bright and funny, but as it is, it's tedious and disappointing.

Rock Hudson and Gina Lollabrigida star in "Come September," a 1961 comedy beautifully photographed to showcase the glorious scenery of Portafino, Italy, and the exquisiteness of Gina Lollabrigida, a knockout if there ever was one. Haven't seen her lately, but 25 years later, she was every bit as gorgeous.Hudson plays a millionaire who comes to Italy to spend time in his villa each September. This year, he arrives early, looking forward to a dalliance with Lollobrigida as well. But she's through with him and planning to marry someone else - until she hears his voice. When Hudson arrives at his fabulous villa, he discovers that his major domo (expertly played by Walter Slezak) has, for the last six years, been turning his place into a hotel. There is a bus load of young girls staying there with their chaperone, who slips on a champagne cork and is put out of commission. Thus, the girls can't leave and Hudson feels compelled to chaperone them. When Lollobrigida hears the advice he's giving the young women to keep them out of the clutches of some young men who have arrived with reservations - she's not happy. The young men figure Hudson is too old to compete with them so they try exhausting him, hoping to get some time alone with the women.Though this comedy sags in the middle, it's a cute story and the cast is delightful, including Sandra Dee and Bobby Darrin, who sings the title song and also "Multiplication" at a night club. A great talent, his is a sad story of a gifted song stylist who didn't live to mine his full potential. It is during this film that he met his future wife, Dee.Hudson is handsome and fit and again shows his ability for comedy, and Lollabrigida gives an energetic, sexy performance. Their dance together in the nightclub is a high point.One of the posters mentioned that Hudson's films today are diminished because of his now-known sexual preference. I submit this is ridiculous. Straight people have played gay people for years, and vice versa. The fact that we may not be aware of it doesn't make it any less true. Hudson plays a straight man in this, and he's effective. When did it become a mandate that actors could only play themselves? It's not called acting for nothing.

This picture is a picture postcard on film--everything is beautiful, the scenery and the actors. The acting is adequate--Sleazak and Lollabridgida are excellent. Hudson does an OK job, he's more eye candy than anything, but then again this is not Shakespeare you are watching. What I found interesting was the generational conflict between the Hudson/Lollabridgida generation and Darren/Dee generation. Up to this time everyone seemed to looked to adults as models of deportment and style, in this movie we see that undergoing some change. It is particularly interesting considering modern times when young people are impressed by the likes of Brittany Spears, etc and not people of an older generation who know something of life. Anyway, when you get around to seeing this movie, don't think to hard about it, just sit back in a comfortable chair, with your favorite snack food and enjoy the scenery.