Woman Times Seven ** (1967, Shirley MacLaine, Alan Arkin, Rossano Brazzi, Michael Caine, Vittorio Gassman, Peter Sellers, Elspeth March) – Classic Movie Review 10,278

Shirley MacLaine tries her hand at playing seven roles in seven flimsy, sporadically entertaining sketches, tales of adultery, blandly directed by the prestigious Vittorio De Sica.

Billed as a witty examination of female behaviour, Woman Times Seven (1967) is actually little more than a showcase for the young MacLaine’s breezy comedy skills and, as such, it is reasonably enjoyable.

But it is a careless waste of Alan Arkin, Rossano Brazzi, Michael Caine, Vittorio Gassman, Peter Sellers and all the other considerable acting talent on offer. The slim premise for the idea of packing in seven little short stories into a 99 minute running time is not great, but Cesare Zavattini’s tepid screenplay is the main problem. These anthology films, or omnibus films, have gone through various phases of popularity, and this was one of them, but the films are rarely very satisfying, and this is one of them.

Also in the cast are Alan Arkin, Rossano Brazzi, Michael Caine, Vittorio Gassman, Peter Sellers, Vittorio De Sica, Elsa Martinelli, Robert Morley, Adrienne Corri, Anita Ekberg, Patrick Wymark, Philippe Noiret, Catherine Saime, Judith Magre, Lex Barker, Elspeth March, and Clinton Greyn.

The extended DVD version runs 108 minutes.

The tales are Funeral Possession, Amateur Night, Two Against One, Super Simone, At the Opera, Suicides and Snow.

This was the most expensive film shot in Europe in 1966.

MacLaine starred with Caine in Gambit, and with Sellers in Being There.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,278

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