Mary Magdalene was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to his crucifixion and resurrection. She is mentioned by name twelve times in the canonical gospels, more than most of the apostles and more than any other woman in the gospels, other than Jesus's family. Mary's epithet Magdalene may be a toponymic surname, meaning that she came from the town of Magdala, a fishing town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee in Roman Judea.
Pretty Woman is a 1990 American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall, from a screenplay by J. F. Lawton. The film stars Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, and features Héctor Elizondo, Ralph Bellamy, Laura San Giacomo, and Jason Alexander in supporting roles. The film's story centers on Hollywood prostitute Vivian Ward and wealthy businessman Edward Lewis. Vivian is hired to be Edward's escort for several business and social functions, and their relationship develops during her week-long stay with him. The film's title Pretty Woman is based on the 1964 song "Oh, Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison. The original screenplay was titled “3,000”, and was written by then-struggling screenwriter J. F. Lawton. It is the first film on-screen collaboration between Gere and Roberts; their second film, Runaway Bride, was released in 1999.
Hideyuki Hirayama is a Japanese film director. His theatrical debut was the film Maria's Stomach in 1990. He won the Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award for The Games Teachers Play in 1992. In 1995, School Ghost Stories was a big hit and made into popular series. Begging for Love in 1998 got many awards as International press award (FIPRESCI) in Montreal World Film Festival, Japan Academy Prize for Director of the Year, Mainichi Film Award for Best Director etc. In 2001, Hirayama won Best Director Choice for Turn at the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival. He also got several Japanese film awards for director, including the Best Director award for The Laughing Frog and Out at the 2003 Yokohama Film Festival.
The hooker with a heart of gold is a stock character involving a courtesan or prostitute who possesses virtues such as integrity, generosity and kindness.
Natalina "Lina" Cavalieri was an Italian operatic dramatic soprano, actress, and monologist.
Up at the Villa is a 1941 novella by William Somerset Maugham about a young widow caught among three men: her suitor, her one-night stand, and her confidant. A fast-paced story, Up at the Villa incorporates elements of the crime and suspense novel.
L'Eclisse is a 1962 Italian romance film written and directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and starring Alain Delon and Monica Vitti. Filmed on location in Rome and Verona, the story follows a young woman (Vitti) who pursues an affair with a confident young stockbroker (Delon). Antonioni attributed some of his inspiration for L'Eclisse to when he filmed a solar eclipse in Florence. The film is considered the last part of a trilogy and is preceded by L'Avventura (1960) and La Notte (1961).
Marianne Stone was an English character actress. She performed in films from the early 1940s to the late 1980s, typically playing working class parts such as barmaids, secretaries and landladies. Stone appeared in nine of the Carry On films, and took part in an episode of the Carry On Laughing television series. She also had supporting roles with comedian Norman Wisdom.
La prima notte di quiete is a 1972 romantic drama film directed by Valerio Zurlini. It stars Alain Delon, Sonia Petrovna, Renato Salvatori, Alida Valli, Adalberto Maria Merli, Salvo Randone and Lea Massari. The version released in France and West Germany runs less than the Italian cut.
The Sunday Woman is a 1975 Italian thriller film directed by Luigi Comencini. It is based on the novel of the same name by Carlo Fruttero and Franco Lucentini. Set in Turin and starring Marcello Mastroianni, Jacqueline Bisset, and Jean-Louis Trintignant, the story covers the murders of two marginal individuals who had associated with the city's élite.
Fantasma d'amore is a 1981 drama film directed by Dino Risi that stars Romy Schneider and Marcello Mastroianni.
Bandits in Milan is a 1968 Italian crime film directed by Carlo Lizzani. It was listed to compete at the 1968 Cannes Film Festival, but the festival was cancelled due to the events of May 1968 in France. It is the debut film of Agostina Belli. In 2008, the film was included on the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage’s 100 Italian films to be saved, a list of 100 films that "have changed the collective memory of the country between 1942 and 1978."
Sparrow is a 1993 Italian drama film directed by Franco Zeffirelli. It is an adaptation of Giovanni Verga's novel Storia di una capinera and was filmed in Sicily in 1993. It stars Angela Bettis, and premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival in October 1993. It was the final film performance of Valentina Cortese.
Compagni di scuola is a 1988 Italian comedy-drama film directed by and starring Carlo Verdone. It was shown as part of a retrospective on Italian comedy at the 67th Venice International Film Festival.
The Girl from Rio is a 1969 spy-fi film directed by Jess Franco and starring Shirley Eaton, Richard Wyler, George Sanders and Maria Rohm. Written and produced by Harry Alan Towers, the film follows a tribe of Amazonian women, as, led by their queen, they attack wealthy men as part of a long-term plan to take over the world. A co-production between West Germany, Spain and the United States, the film is a sequel to The Million Eyes of Sumuru (1967), and is based on Sax Rohmer's Sumuru character. Nevertheless, Sumuru's character is referred to as either "Sumitra" or "Sununda".
Margaretha Knutsdotter Krook was a Swedish stage and film actress. She won the Eugene O'Neill Award in 1974. In 1976, she won the Guldbagge Award for Best Actress for the film Release the Prisoners to Spring. She was awarded the Illis quorum in 1995.
Delia Boccardo is an Italian film, television and stage actress.
Piero Portaluppi was an Italian architect.
Piero Schivazappa is an Italian film and television director and screenwriter.
An American Love is a 1994 Italian romantic comedy film co-written and directed by Piero Schivazappa and starring Carlo Delle Piane and Brooke Shields.
