Avanti!

Avanti!


Starring:Jack Lemmon, Juliet Mills
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
The complete obscurity of Avanti! is a cinematic injustice that needs to be rectified. Jack Lemmon and director Billy Wilder made their share of hits together (Some Like It Hot and The Apartment, for starters), but this wry, melancholy comedy was completely out of touch with its time (which recalls a Wilder one-liner from the '70s: "Who the hell would want to be in touch with these times?"). It may have flopped badly in 1972, but it wears well in retrospect. Lemmon plays a jerk American businessman called to Italy to pick up the body of his father, who died while enjoying a secret (and, it turns out, annual) liaison with a mistress. With the help of a delightful Englishwoman (Juliet Mills) who happens to be the daughter of the "other woman," Lemmon finds himself stepping in a few of Dad's footsteps, and falling under the sway of the beguiling Italian atmosphere. A very leisurely movie, but that's part of its effect. Clive Revill delivers a gem of a performance as a heroic hotel manager, and Juliet Mills (sister of Hayley, daughter of Oscar-winner John) had her finest screen hour here. As a director, Wilder spent much of his early career camouflaging his romantic streak under a cynical front; here, despite many acerbic touches and the presence of death as the central plot device, the romance is in full flower under the rich Italian sun. --Robert Horton
Avanti!
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Jack Gets His Kit Off (Juliet, Too!)
  • my grandmother's favorite movie
  • Permisso...Avanti
  • Feel good movie
  • Full Frontal Boring!
 Avanti!
Starring: Janet Agren , Edward Andrews , Francesco Angrisano , Gianfranco Barra , and Giselda Castrini
Director: Billy Wilder
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

RomanceRomance | By Genre | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video
GeneralGeneral | Italy | By Country | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video
GeneralGeneral | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
Nothing Goes RightNothing Goes Right | By Theme | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
Opposites AttractOpposites Attract | By Theme | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
Black ComedyBlack Comedy | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
Jack LemmonJack Lemmon | Comedy Stars | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
Agren, JanetAgren, Janet | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Andrews, EdwardAndrews, Edward | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Angrisano, FrancoAngrisano, Franco | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Barra, GianfrancoBarra, Gianfranco | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Lemmon, JackLemmon, Jack | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Mills, JulietMills, Juliet | ( M ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Revill, CliveRevill, Clive | ( R ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Somer, YantiSomer, Yanti | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Wilder, BillyWilder, Billy | ( W ) | Directors | Stores | DVD | Video
All MGM TitlesAll MGM Titles | MGM Home Entertainment | Studio Specials | Stores | DVD | Video
ItalyItaly | European Cinema | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
ComedyComedy | By Theme | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
DVDs Under $9.99DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
( A )( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:
  1. How to Murder Your Wife
  2. The Fortune Cookie
  3. Irma La Douce
  4. Kiss Me, Stupid
  5. One, Two, Three

ASIN: B00005JLJK
Release Date: 2003-07-15

Amazon.com

The complete obscurity of Avanti! is a cinematic injustice that needs to be rectified. Jack Lemmon and director Billy Wilder made their share of hits together (Some Like It Hot and The Apartment, for starters), but this wry, melancholy comedy was completely out of touch with its time (which recalls a Wilder one-liner from the '70s: "Who the hell would want to be in touch with these times?"). It may have flopped badly in 1972, but it wears well in retrospect. Lemmon plays a jerk American businessman called to Italy to pick up the body of his father, who died while enjoying a secret (and, it turns out, annual) liaison with a mistress. With the help of a delightful Englishwoman (Juliet Mills) who happens to be the daughter of the "other woman," Lemmon finds himself stepping in a few of Dad's footsteps, and falling under the sway of the beguiling Italian atmosphere. A very leisurely movie, but that's part of its effect. Clive Revill delivers a gem of a performance as a heroic hotel manager, and Juliet Mills (sister of Hayley, daughter of Oscar-winner John) had her finest screen hour here. As a director, Wilder spent much of his early career camouflaging his romantic streak under a cynical front; here, despite many acerbic touches and the presence of death as the central plot device, the romance is in full flower under the rich Italian sun. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Jack Gets His Kit Off (Juliet, Too!).......2007-05-25

This is another gem from Billy Wilder. It's kind of a departure from his usual frenetic style. "Avanti!" is paced leisurely which is a blessing but a little bit of a curse. The movie is fine but the material doesn't warrant a running time of 2 hours 20 minutes. That quibble aside I like this movie alot. Jack Lemmon effortlessly contributes another fine performance as the industrialist who goes to Italy to claim his father's body only to find he died with his mistress in a car accident. Juliet Mills is equally fine as the mistress' daughter. Another quibble I had was the film portrays Mills as fat(?!) but she looked alright to me. The blossoming romance between Lemmon and Mills is not only believable but compelling. Clive Revill is an absolute delight as Lemmon's father's confidante. No Oscar nom for Clive(for the movie for that matter). Italy naturally looks great. Enjoy.

5 out of 5 stars my grandmother's favorite movie.......2007-01-10

I purchased Avanti for my 82 year old grandmother. It's her favorite movie, and she couldn't watch her copy of it anymore because it was a betamax. So I gave it to her on DVD for christmas and watched it with her the next day. I must say, it is a delightful movie. It's a love story, but it's also cute & funny (but I certainly wouldn't call it a 'romantic comedy'). Visually, the movie is stunning, with lots of gorgeous shots of the Italian seaside & countryside. The only weird part was that there are a couple of scenes that featured Juliet Mills topless or naked. For the most part, that's great -- Juliet Mills was a fox. But it's a little akward when your grandma is sitting right next to you!

5 out of 5 stars Permisso...Avanti.......2007-01-10

This is one of Billy WIlder's overlooked filmes. It includes delightlful performances by Jack Lemmon and Juliet Mills. The highlight for me though was the supurb perfomance by Clive Revill as Carlo Carlucci, the hotel concierge.

5 out of 5 stars Feel good movie.......2006-04-07

I find this gem to be simply delightful, excellent acting and great location scenery.
Here's some sampling of the humor.

A 90 year old gentleman is having his annual romp with his young nurses at the hotel. A while later a stretcher was brought to his room due to a heart attack.
Jack Lemmon: " Hope he's all right "
Hotel manager: " He's fine, it's one of the nurses. "

Hotel manager: " I have some good news and bad news, your licenses had been rejected, you will be delayed for 5 days, your wife is very angry...."
Jack Lemmon: " Stop, now tell me the good news."
Hotel manager: " That was the good news. "

OK, so I'm not a comedian. But you gotta see it. Jack Lemmon and the hotel manager is very funny and Juliet Mills is a total sweetheart.

1 out of 5 stars Full Frontal Boring!.......2006-01-30

All you have to know about Avanti: 1972. This is the old guard from the fifties trying to make a hip comedy about new sexual mores that looks less hip than the 1930's film, It happened One Night. Billy Wilder and Jack Lemmon are of the forties and fifties sexual sensibilities. This creates unintended grimacing from the actual sixties and seventies crowd. "Hey, grandpa, that's frontal nudity." It's as embarrassing as spotting your parents in the shower. Juliet Mills, cute, nice chest, but not exactly a role your father and younger sister would be proud of.

Also, the jokes fall flat then and today. It crawls to a pathetic conclusion.
The Billy Wilder DVD Collection (The Apartment / Avanti! / The Fortune Cookie / Irma la Douce / Kiss Me Stupid / One Two Three / The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes / Some Like It Hot / Witness for the Prosecution)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • classic Wilder collection
  • great collection....but.....
 The Billy Wilder DVD Collection (The Apartment / Avanti! / The Fortune Cookie / Irma la Douce / Kiss Me Stupid / One Two Three / The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes / Some Like It Hot / Witness for the Prosecution)
Starring: Jack Lemmon , Shirley MacLaine , Fred MacMurray , Ray Walston , and Jack Kruschen
Director: Billy Wilder
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

GeneralGeneral | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
Jack LemmonJack Lemmon | Comedy Stars | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
GeneralGeneral | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video
Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes | Mystery & Suspense Masters | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video
Adams, EdieAdams, Edie | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Holiday, HopeHoliday, Hope | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Jameson, JoyceJameson, Joyce | ( J ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Kruschen, JackKruschen, Jack | ( K ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Lemmon, JackLemmon, Jack | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
MacLaine, ShirleyMacLaine, Shirley | ( M ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
MacMurray, FredMacMurray, Fred | ( M ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Shawlee, JoanShawlee, Joan | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Stevens, NaomiStevens, Naomi | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Walston, RayWalston, Ray | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Waterman, WillardWaterman, Willard | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Wilder, BillyWilder, Billy | ( W ) | Directors | Stores | DVD | Video
All MGM TitlesAll MGM Titles | MGM Home Entertainment | Studio Specials | Stores | DVD | Video
ComedyComedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video
DramaDrama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video
ClassicsClassics | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video
( B )( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:
  1. The Billy Wilder DVD Collection (Stalag 17 Special Collector's Edition / Sunset Boulevard / Sabrina 1954)
  2. Billy Wilder DVD Collection (Sunset Boulevard/Stalag 17/Sabrina)
  3. Classic Comedies Collection (Bringing Up Baby / The Philadelphia Story Two-Disc Special Edition / Dinner at Eight / Libeled Lady / Stage Door / To Be or Not to Be)
  4. The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection (Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Edition / North by Northwest / Dial M for Murder / Foreign Correspondent / Suspicion / The Wrong Man / Stage Fright / I Confess / Mr. and Mrs. Smith)
  5. Alfred Hitchcock - The Masterpiece Collection (Psycho / Vertigo / Rear Window / The Birds / Shadow of a Doubt / Family Plot / Frenzy / The Man Who Knew Too Much / Marnie / Rope / Saboteur / Topaz / Torn Curtain / The Trouble with Harry)

ASIN: B00008ZZ9T
Release Date: 2003-07-15

Amazon.com

Even if "nobody's perfect," Billy Wilder sometimes came close. This DVD box presents a strong cross-section of films by one of Hollywood's greatest directors, and although his early Paramount years are not covered (they're available in a different set), the box does include a couple of Wilder's woefully underappreciated autumnal gems. Chronologically speaking, 1957's Witness for the Prosecution is the earliest film in the set, a crackerjack courtroom drama derived from Agatha Christie. It gives especially tasty roles to Charles Laughton and Marlene Dietrich. With Some Like It Hot, Wilder merely created the film widely considered the best comedy of the sound era, with Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon impersonating female musicians in the Roaring Twenties. Marilyn Monroe is the songbird tired of getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop. Wilder took home three Oscars® for The Apartment, his exquisitely bittersweet look at an organization man (Lemmon) who loans out his flat for his boss's liaisons.

One, Two, Three is a breathless Cold War comedy (and a time capsule of its era) with James Cagney as a Coca-Cola executive in Berlin. Irma La Douce teams Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine in a racy Parisian love story that became a box-office smash. With Kiss Me, Stupid, Wilder suffered a rare flop, although the once-scandalous sex comedy looks better and sharper as it ages. The Fortune Cookie, which nabbed an Oscar for Walter Matthau, is one of Wilder's most cynical tales, but the last two films in the set represent Wilder's late-career romantic flowering. The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes arranges slapstick around the melancholy, misogynistic figure of Holmes, who might just be a directorial self-portrait. Avanti! is a delightful, leisurely romance about a businessman (Lemmon again) who loosens up while in Italy settling his late father's business. It's a lovely end note for a snappy, often acerbic collection. --Robert Horton

Description

The Billy Wilder DVD Collection includes the following films: The Apartment, Avanti!, The Fortune Cookie, Irma la Douce, Kiss Me Stupid, One Two Three, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, Some Like It Hot, and Witness for the Prosecution.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars classic Wilder collection.......2006-02-25

For Billy Wilder fans, this is a must. Get this box set now before it is discontinued now that Sony distributes MGM's library.

4 out of 5 stars great collection....but............2004-12-29

This is a great collection but why is one of the best, Double Indemnity, missing ??? It is a good collection of a genius who was such a major influence on modern film making. Both his comedy and dramatic films are in this set. I have to say that his dramas hold up a lot better then the comedy films. The constent theme of stupid women, or the whore with "a heart of gold" now seems just pathatic and not endearing.
Automobiles - Avanti (History Channel)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Automobiles - Avanti (History Channel)

    Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
    ProductGroup: DVD
    Binding: DVD

    All A&E TitlesAll A&E Titles | A&E Home Video | Television | Genres | DVD | Video
    All TitlesAll Titles | History Channel | Television | Genres | DVD | Video
    AutomobilesAutomobiles | History Channel | Television | Genres | DVD | Video
    ( A )( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
    ASIN: B000F6ZCHK
    Release Date: 2006-04-25
    Avanti! [Region 2]
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Jack Gets His Kit Off (Juliet, Too!)
    • my grandmother's favorite movie
    • Permisso...Avanti
    • Feel good movie
    • Full Frontal Boring!
    		 Avanti! [Region 2]
    Starring: Jack Lemmon , Juliet Mills , Clive Revill , Edward Andrews , and Gianfranco Barra
    Director: Billy Wilder
    ProductGroup: DVD
    Binding: DVD

    GeneralGeneral | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
    Agren, JanetAgren, Janet | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Andrews, EdwardAndrews, Edward | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Angrisano, FrancoAngrisano, Franco | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Barra, GianfrancoBarra, Gianfranco | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Lemmon, JackLemmon, Jack | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Mills, JulietMills, Juliet | ( M ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Revill, CliveRevill, Clive | ( R ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Somer, YantiSomer, Yanti | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Wilder, BillyWilder, Billy | ( W ) | Directors | Stores | DVD | Video
    ( A )( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
    Similar Items:
    1. How to Murder Your Wife
    2. The Fortune Cookie
    3. Irma La Douce
    4. Kiss Me, Stupid
    5. One, Two, Three

    ASIN: B0001Y9YL6

    Amazon.com

    The complete obscurity of Avanti! is a cinematic injustice that needs to be rectified. Jack Lemmon and director Billy Wilder made their share of hits together (Some Like It Hot and The Apartment, for starters), but this wry, melancholy comedy was completely out of touch with its time (which recalls a Wilder one-liner from the '70s: "Who the hell would want to be in touch with these times?"). It may have flopped badly in 1972, but it wears well in retrospect. Lemmon plays a jerk American businessman called to Italy to pick up the body of his father, who died while enjoying a secret (and, it turns out, annual) liaison with a mistress. With the help of a delightful Englishwoman (Juliet Mills) who happens to be the daughter of the "other woman," Lemmon finds himself stepping in a few of Dad's footsteps, and falling under the sway of the beguiling Italian atmosphere. A very leisurely movie, but that's part of its effect. Clive Revill delivers a gem of a performance as a heroic hotel manager, and Juliet Mills (sister of Hayley, daughter of Oscar-winner John) had her finest screen hour here. As a director, Wilder spent much of his early career camouflaging his romantic streak under a cynical front; here, despite many acerbic touches and the presence of death as the central plot device, the romance is in full flower under the rich Italian sun. --Robert Horton

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Jack Gets His Kit Off (Juliet, Too!).......2007-05-25

    This is another gem from Billy Wilder. It's kind of a departure from his usual frenetic style. "Avanti!" is paced leisurely which is a blessing but a little bit of a curse. The movie is fine but the material doesn't warrant a running time of 2 hours 20 minutes. That quibble aside I like this movie alot. Jack Lemmon effortlessly contributes another fine performance as the industrialist who goes to Italy to claim his father's body only to find he died with his mistress in a car accident. Juliet Mills is equally fine as the mistress' daughter. Another quibble I had was the film portrays Mills as fat(?!) but she looked alright to me. The blossoming romance between Lemmon and Mills is not only believable but compelling. Clive Revill is an absolute delight as Lemmon's father's confidante. No Oscar nom for Clive(for the movie for that matter). Italy naturally looks great. Enjoy.

    5 out of 5 stars my grandmother's favorite movie.......2007-01-10

    I purchased Avanti for my 82 year old grandmother. It's her favorite movie, and she couldn't watch her copy of it anymore because it was a betamax. So I gave it to her on DVD for christmas and watched it with her the next day. I must say, it is a delightful movie. It's a love story, but it's also cute & funny (but I certainly wouldn't call it a 'romantic comedy'). Visually, the movie is stunning, with lots of gorgeous shots of the Italian seaside & countryside. The only weird part was that there are a couple of scenes that featured Juliet Mills topless or naked. For the most part, that's great -- Juliet Mills was a fox. But it's a little akward when your grandma is sitting right next to you!

    5 out of 5 stars Permisso...Avanti.......2007-01-10

    This is one of Billy WIlder's overlooked filmes. It includes delightlful performances by Jack Lemmon and Juliet Mills. The highlight for me though was the supurb perfomance by Clive Revill as Carlo Carlucci, the hotel concierge.

    5 out of 5 stars Feel good movie.......2006-04-07

    I find this gem to be simply delightful, excellent acting and great location scenery.
    Here's some sampling of the humor.

    A 90 year old gentleman is having his annual romp with his young nurses at the hotel. A while later a stretcher was brought to his room due to a heart attack.
    Jack Lemmon: " Hope he's all right "
    Hotel manager: " He's fine, it's one of the nurses. "

    Hotel manager: " I have some good news and bad news, your licenses had been rejected, you will be delayed for 5 days, your wife is very angry...."
    Jack Lemmon: " Stop, now tell me the good news."
    Hotel manager: " That was the good news. "

    OK, so I'm not a comedian. But you gotta see it. Jack Lemmon and the hotel manager is very funny and Juliet Mills is a total sweetheart.

    1 out of 5 stars Full Frontal Boring!.......2006-01-30

    All you have to know about Avanti: 1972. This is the old guard from the fifties trying to make a hip comedy about new sexual mores that looks less hip than the 1930's film, It happened One Night. Billy Wilder and Jack Lemmon are of the forties and fifties sexual sensibilities. This creates unintended grimacing from the actual sixties and seventies crowd. "Hey, grandpa, that's frontal nudity." It's as embarrassing as spotting your parents in the shower. Juliet Mills, cute, nice chest, but not exactly a role your father and younger sister would be proud of.

    Also, the jokes fall flat then and today. It crawls to a pathetic conclusion.
    DVD t/a Avanti
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		DVD t/a Avanti
      Starring: Janice Aski , and Diane Musumeci
      Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
      ProductGroup: DVD
      Binding: DVD

      ItalianItalian | Instruction | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
      Pop CulturePop Culture | Note Cards | Book Accessories | Our Favorites | Gift Ideas
      ASIN: 0073216550
      Studebaker West Coast Meet Classic Car Show DVD
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		Studebaker West Coast Meet Classic Car Show DVD
        Director: Kelly Rundle
        Manufacturer: Fourth Wall Films
        ProductGroup: DVD
        Binding: DVD

        DVDs Under $14.99DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
        Product Features:
        • - Interactive DVD menu
        • - Restoration stories and tips
        • - Highlights from the Studebaker Meet

        ASIN: B000F0DXVI

        Product Description

        Highlights of the Studebaker meet held at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Includes interviews with the owners of featured Studebakers and general coverage of the show in several music montages. Professionally shot and edited on digital video.

        DVD:

        1. Shakespeare in Love
        2. The Fisher King
        3. Vagina Monologues
        4. After the Fox
        5. Beetlejuice
        6. Head over Heels
        7. Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
        8. Polyester
        9. Ghostbusters
        10. A New Kind of Love

        DVD List

        DVD

        DVD

        Paul Anka - Destiny

        Cheech and Chong's Next Movie

        Youth of the Beast (REGION 1) (NTSC)

        DVD: Death: The Final Journey, Vol. 1

        Star Trek - The Next Generation 10: Prüfungen/Worfs Brüder