Tarantella napoletana (1953)

Combining musical and dance numbers with comedy sketches (performed by members of The Armando Curcio Company and The Gauthier Ballet Troupe)without any plot, this is more of a revue than a movie, along the lines of The Ed Sullivan television series in the U.S. It begins with a puppet show that shows the changes in Naples from the past to the present; a slapstick takeoff on "La Traviat" with local songs substituted for the Verdi music; two men comment on the monotony of life, followed by a Charlie Chaplin impersonator;and a sketch portraying an Italian-American who returns to the old country to marry the simple girl he left behind, only to learn she has assumed many of the qualities of the American women. Along the way, an elaborate ballet sequence created by Mady Odolensky and danced by Claudia Lawrence and Teddy Barnett is tossed in. Armando Curcio wrote the story, book and lyrics.