It Started in Naples

A minor entry in the fabled careers of Clark Gable and Sophia Loren, It Started in Naples is slight, but enjoyable fluff. As the title indicates, the story begins in Naples, although the action takes place on the Isle of Capri. Michael (Gable in his penultimate performance) is a lawyer recently arrived from Philadelphia to put his late brother's affairs in order. The result of one of those "affairs" is a street urchin named Nando (Marietto), whose mother is also deceased. Her nightclub singer sister, Julia (Loren), is his lax, if loving caretaker. Straight-laced Michael, who is engaged, believes Nando would be better off in the States. So he takes the matter to court, where he is represented by the dapper Mario (Vittorio De Sica, who directed Loren to an Oscar in Two Women). The conclusion to this harmless bit of escapism is almost as charming as it is inevitable. --Kathleen C. Fennessy