DEBRA PAGET: Shine of the Gypsy Queen

[Please read] "Esmeralda" beyond Victor Hugo's NOTRE DAME DE PARIS. "Hurricane at the very least..."

--Footage excerpted from the Italian adventure drama I MASNADIERI (1961). When dubbed into English, the film is also known by the titles of THE MERCENARIES or ROME 1585. It starred the ill-fated actors Antonio Cifariello (plane crash victim in 1968) and Daniela Rocca (mental illness). It was directed and co-written by Italian cinema legend Mario Bonnard.
--One of only two Italian films featuring American actress Debra Paget—the previous being IL SEPOLCRO DEI RE (1961).

I MASNADIERI is not a great adventure film. Everything about its plot of peril, subterfuge, and rescue seems derivative. The movie is a stew combining familiar ingredients from Robin Hood; King Arthur; the works of Alexandre Dumas, père; Notre Dame de Paris; the Sienkiewicz Trilogy; and Arabian Nights. The hero "Leonetto" (Cifariello) is presumptive and neither prepossessing nor deeply motivated. Greek actress Yvonne Sanson plays—without fervor—the ducal damsel in distress. Actor Folco Lulli's "Fra Silenzio" is a poor man's Friar Tuck/Falstaff/Pan Zagloba—although apparently meant to be amusing and clever, he is in fact a fist-happy and charmless hypocrite. Actress Daniela Rocca's duplicitous character is more voluptuous than intriguing. Actor Salvo Randone's altruistic "Cardinal," elevated to the papacy, makes one foolish proclamation after another (e.g. banning all citizens from carrying weapons----upon penalty of death!) The villain—played with routine menace by Livio Lorenzon ["Baker" from THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY]—lacks sense and sensibility: consider this award-winning dialogue (as dubbed) between him and the woman he has kidnapped (Sanson)...

(Sanson): "I detest you!"
Villain: "And that's exactly the reason why I adore you!"

The rest of the English-dubbed dialogue is almost as good.

All that being said----WHO THE DEVIL CARES? The film features the superlative Debra Paget (as "Esmeralda") in her sexiest film appearance ever. Other than her temple-dancer costume for DAS INDISCHE GRABMAL, Debra never wore on film anything more bewitching than her décolleté gypsy garb in I MASNADIERI. Her two temple dances in the Fritz Lang Indian films were meant to be supremely sensual in a serious religious context. Her two vivacious gypsy dances in I MASNADIERI are nested in an appropriately hedonistic milieu, and the results are the sexiest of her career.

In this YouTube video, I have chosen to "score over" the English-dubbed dialogue primarily because Debra Paget did not read for her own character's originally English-spoken lines. Her breathless conviction unheard, I refuse to countenance a second-rate and nameless substitute's voice. So enjoy the carefully chosen exotic music instead.

IMPORTANT: Questions or comments are sincerely welcome—but only if they are nice, clean, and comprehendible. If you are a professional and prefer that I delete this video, please contact me and it will promptly be done.

Thanks for viewing. If you are familiar with my channel, you already know: Debra Paget is one special actress. Watch all TWELVE of my Debra Paget videos only on YouTube!

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Debra Paget
• Elvis Presley
• Gypsy
• I MASNADIERI
• ROME 1585
• Sexy
• Dance
• Belly Dance
• Foreign Film
• Italy
• Italian Cinema
• Adventure
• Das Indische Grabmal
• Princess Nile
• Gambler Natchez
• Ten Commandments
• Love Me Tender
• 1960s
• northbreed1

[paulita0513]

WOW...... MARYLN WHO?

[belenperegrina]

Estupenda musicalizacion.

[hotwok19]

Fifties films starring Debra Paget are very rarely televised in the UK, & i would doubt if this Italian-made adventure saga has ever been televised. I have to say, though, that i have never seen Debra look more beautiful than she does here. Playing a gypsy girl with that stunningly beautiful face set against jet-black hair cascading down over her shoulders:- well what can i say but WOW! Wonderful clip of film of my favourite screen beauty, northbreed1!.

[longman718]

This is wonderfully done. It also looks very alike to the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Brilliant music by the way.