La belle et le serpent

Amiable romantic comedy. A friend gave me this DVD of this film,originally transferred from a video he'd recorded from TV. He can't remember when.

It starts off with David Mccallum singing the opening song ! Mccallum plays a tourist guide on a bus from to Italy. Arriving accidentally in an Italian casino he has a stroke of luck and wins nearly 12,000 pounds. Beautiful Sylva Koscina plays a woman who sees an opportunity to get her hands on his money. She tells him if he openly declares his casino winnings to the Italian and British governments he'll have to pay exorbitant amounts of tax ,twice. Using her ex husband (who she despises but needs for this caper) she proposes a scheme to get the money out of the country without paying tax (without of course mentioning to Mccallum she and her ex husband are planning to steal it). Halfway through the film there's a tastefully done bed scene between Mccallum and Koscina. I won't give any more of the plot away but as its a 1960s romantic comedy you can guess whether it ends happily or not. Lovely film. Check it out if you can.

"Three Bites of the Apple" is a caper comedy and romance film that some will enjoy as much for the wonderful scenery. And, that adds one or two of the stars I give this film. Along with that is its portrayal of a European tour group and their trip. It's a rather small group - just a dozen or so people. The group here leaves from England and travels to and through some of France, much of Italy, and some of Switzerland.

But for others, this film may not be of much interest, precisely for the same reasons. That's because, following a tour group itinerary, as it shows quite a bit, can be quite slow. Maybe even boring for other than people paying for the trip to see the sights and sites.

The film is slow in that regard, and the comedy is quite thin. But there's some interest in the characters on the tour, and especially in David McCallum's very good portrayal of a tour guide. For those who have taken such travel tours, his Stanley Thrumm is a very good docent and proper and caring group leader.

The main plot of the film is the caper, and it takes time to pull off, as it follows the tour group. What the film isn't billed for is its romance, and that's okay. But it is a very good aspect of the film that helps put it over on a nice note at the end. And an extra plus for this movie is its opening prologue with all the film credits. I remember as a youngster going to movies and wishing they would skip all the upfront credits and get right to the movie. Hollywood must have caught the public drift, and by the mid-1950s, movies started to have very artistic and clever opening scenes or cartoon work with the opening credits. This one has superb comical cartoon work and a song that parody the Bible story of the temptation of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

I've been to several European countries, and driven much of the regions shown in this film. I've also gone on travel tour groups - of about 30 people, including one to eastern Europe. I don't recall having seen more than a couple movies over several decades that showed or had much content about a tour group. So, this may be the best such picture.

Cute, fun movie of the adventures of European bus tour, and the developing romance of the driver (McCallum) and the Italian tour guide (Koscina). Nothing too deep, but a chance to enjoy bus load of likable people, and relish a burgeoning love affair between the leads. One of those movies that just leaves you feeling good, though with some bittersweet moments. I saw it only once (in 35mm), back in 1968, and still have fond memories. Silva Koscina was absolutely stunning; young McCallum gives a tender performance; and the Italian scenery is breathtaking.

Less gimmicky than Hollywood's "If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium"

Deserves to be issued on DVD, especially considering the lesser films that are readily available these days.

I was only 17 or 18 when I saw it but I remember being touched by it. Sylva Koscina plays an unreachable, beautiful, sophisticated woman longed for by a simple, kindly, unflappable tour bus driver (David McCallum).

But all is not as it seems. Evil forces are at work (I can't remember the details). I do remember that David McCallum fits the role of an unfailingly polite, kind and giving man very well and that Sylva Koscina is indeed a thing of beauty. Many shady dealings and much comical happenstance precede a satisfying conclusion.

Definitely not deep but great entertainment. I really wish it would be picked up on DVD.