Che bella citta Roma! Vincent Minnelli’s “Two Weeks In Another Town” is pure glamour, trash, camp and Hollywood glitz. In other words it is great fun. Don’t go into it expecting anything more than over the top soap opera with the suds on overflow and you won’t be disappointed.
Rome takes center stage in the film and is shown in all its “La Dolce Vita” glory of 1962. So much was happening there at this time. The birth of the paparazzi, the filming of “Cleopatra” and the international “Jet Set” had just landed in Rome to make it the fun capital of the world. The film captures all of this with high gloss and a tip of the fedora to Fellini who had first shown a light on the goings on along the Via Veneto a few years earlier.
Kirk Douglas plays a down and out movie star just released from a mental institution / rehab center when he is invited to fly to Rome by his old director and ex friend Edward G. Robinson to take a small comeback part in his epic being filmed at the famed Cinecitta Studios. Well I don’t want to spoil the fun so all I will say is that there are plenty of gorgeous Italians running amok and lots of fabulous jewels bedecking Cyd Charisse. Tons of locations throughout the Eternal City and even an orgy! But the highlight of the film is the climactic scenic drive through the streets of Rome that Douglas takes Miss Charisse on after the orgy. That drive has to be seen to be believed! Words fail me at the sheer joy of this over wrought fun fest.
Trust me, it isn’t anywhere near the brilliance of “The Bad and The Beautiful” of which it is a kind of follow up on, But it is beautifully bad in the very best way.
The DVD says remastered. But don’t expect Blu-ray quality, it is fine nothing spectacular in it’s re-mastering. But the color is good and the picture is clear.
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All those jewels and great gowns on Miss Charisse lead me to wonder what perfume her character would have worn? Well, it has to be nothing less than, Caleche Parfum by Hermes, a heady floral aldeyhyde with seductive notes of Iris, Gardenia, Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang, Sandalwood and Amber. Those are just the notes that stand out to me. A lush, even cinematicly dramatic fragrance that is perfect of a night of abandon in Rome.
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SCENTS MEMORY 
Great post Lanier! Ciaoooo!!!!
Grazie amico mio. I am so happy you enjoyed it. Ciao!
Very nicely done Sig. Smith. I see some of the photos on your post and I have to say, I love and have collected costume jewelry for some time . I love the early Czechoslovakian pieces from Europe and the work of Carl Otto. Many of the Czech jewelry craftsmen immigrated here to the states because of the problems Europe was having and the growing demand for costume jewelry. So you had top quality jewelers who used to make gorgeous gold and precious stones jewelry making costume jewelry . This all started before hand, but a big thank you to Joseff of Hollywood for his contribution . You know all those gorgeous fur coats in the movies and how they had those beautiful pins adorned on them, well in the beginning , they used to give those pins when you would purchase a coat . Women used to buy the coats just to get the exclusive pins. Some makers like Weiss or Eisenberg made exceptional pieces. Those are my two favorite designers . I still haven’t got a Weiss butterfly though, but I will. Of course, Coco played a major part in all of this as well as Dior. I love all these glamour pieces . Thank you so much Lanier for all the wonderful work you do in regards to post/blogs like this and all the wonderful fragrance videos you do on You Tube. Your always cordial and respectful in your replies. It’s nice to see that in this day and age.
JBS thank YOU so much for this wonderful information that adds so much to our shared Hollywood as well as fragrance history. Someday I hope you find your butterfly. How magical that would be! Cheers