The Love Specialist [La ragazza del palio] ** (1958, Diana Dors, Vittorio Gassman, Franca Valeri, Bruce Cabot) – Classic Movie Review 7009

Swindon-born Diana Dors is bizarrely cast in director Luigi Zampa’s scenic but unlikely 1958 Italian-French movie The Love Specialist as Texan young woman Diana Dixon, who wins a quiz show jackpot and goes to Italy. Her car breaks down near Siena, where she meets the handsome Italian Prince Piero di Montalcino (Vittorio Gassman). They each mistakenly think the other must be rich.

[Spoiler alert] At Siena’s Palio horse race, Diana breaks up with the prince after finding he bribed the jockey of the rival contrada into throwing the race so that his horse could win. But she talks the rival horse’s owner into letting her ride, wins the Palio, and agrees to marry the Prince.

Whatever its drawbacks as convincing romantic melodrama are, and they are a few, The Love Specialist certainly looks a treat in Giuseppe Rotunno’s Technicolor cinematography, and Tuscany as always looks a dream, while Dors looks very imposing too.

It was filmed in 1958 as La ragazza del palio, and released in the US in 1959 as The Love Specialist.

Also in the cast are Franca Valeri as Contessa Bernardi, Bruce Cabot as Mike, Teresa Pellati as Laura, Tina Lattanzi as Piero’s mother, Enrico Viarisio as Piero’s uncle, Nando Bruno as Papà Ferrari and Ronaldo Bonacchi as Tino.

Many extras in the horse race scenes were real jockeys, one of whom, Pietro De Angelis [Pietrino], winner of two previous Palio races, died of a heart attack while the movie was being filmed.

The movie was also a showcase for the sole woman jockey of the modern Palio, Rosanna Bonelli [Diavola or Rompicollo]. She raced as stuntwoman for Dors in the victory scenes, riding the mare Gaudenzia. She then raced in the real Palio of 16 August 1957 for the Aquila team and earned the title of honorary jockey from the contrada.

The Love Specialist [La ragazza del palio] runs 102 minutes, is directed by Luigi Zampa, is produced by Cité Films, G.E.S.I. Cinematografica and Olimpo, is distributed by Medallion Pictures, is written by Ennio De Concini, Liana Ferri, Giuseppe Gironda and Luciano Martino, is shot by Giuseppe Rotunno, and is scored by Renzo Rossellini.

Diana Dors also appeared in another notable film where a woman famously rode a horse – Lady Godiva Rides Again [Bikini Baby] (1951).

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7009

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