You don’t need me to tell you who Rock Hudson is. The former Roy Scherer was – and remains – one of the quintessential stars of Hollywood. After gaining traction as a leading man in action films of the early 1950s, Hudson was cast in various melodramas that elevated him to superstar status. Some time later, he began a string of romantic comedies that thrilled audiences including three with Doris Day and two of my faves, Come September with Gina Lollobrigida and Man’s Favorite Sport? with Paula Prentiss. Between 1957 and 1964, Rock was a Top Ten Star in Hollywood a record eight times.

1964’s Send Me No Flowers with Doris and directed by Canadian Norman Jewison was popular but the writing was on the wall in the form of some mixed reviews. And then 1965 brought Strange Bedfellows, a dud that re-teamed Rock with Gina and A Very Special Favor, another “sex comedy” that elicited a lament from Hudson that this type of film had run its course and that audiences were beginning to desire different types of entertainment. 1966’s Blindfold was only slightly different. Written and directed by Philip Dunne (Wild in the Country), it added elements of espionage but later that year Rock Hudson truly broke out of the constraints of his past image and embarked on a new phase of his career with his performance in the John Frankenheimer psychological horror science fiction film Seconds. Soon after, Rock joined our merry band of ExPat Cinema Americans when he worked abroad in a film that reunited him with his gorgeous co-star from Blindfold.

I am always seemingly teetering on the edge devoting myself to watching only those films that feature Claudia Cardinale. Born in Tunisia to Sicilian parents, Cardinale began her career in Italian cinema where she worked until 1963 when she gained international notice in 8 1/2 and The Pink Panther. She is nothing less than one of the most beautiful and charming actresses to have ever lived. Full. Stop.

Francesco Maselli was a director of little note outside his native Italy. A member of the Italian Communist party from 1948 until his death in 2023, Maselli had already directed Claudia in two films when he got the job on the film we are looking at today. Later, Maselli would direct Valeria Golino in her breakout role in Storia d’amore (Tale of Love, 1986). Now to the main event.

Ruba al prossimo tuo – also lasciviously titled A Fine Pair – is a crime/comedy film that stars Rock Hudson – 42 by this point – as no-nonsense New York cop Capt. Mike Harmon. Claudia (29 here) plays vivacious Esmeralda Marini, who travels to the Big Apple to see Mike who had been a friend and co-worker of her father’s; in fact, Mike had frolicked with Esmeralda when she was but a child. Miss Marini spins a yarn for Mike – a story of having married a thief who has stolen 2 kilos of jewels from the Austrian home of the wealthy Fairchild family. The Fairchilds are soon to leave New York to return to their home in Salzburg and Esmeralda wants Harmon’s help to replace the jewels before the family knows they’re gone. Eventually, Esmeralda admits that there is no husband, that she stole the diamonds and desperately needs Mike’s help to right her wrong. Straight-laced Harmon is not interested until he hears the name of Esmeralda’s accomplice – Mitchell is a world renowned thief and Harmon wants a chance to nab him. So, Harmon and Esmeralda travel together to Austria to case the Fairchilds’ castle and to see if the job can be done. Eventually, they fall for each other. Their affair flames brightly until they fall out over Esmeralda’s duplicity.

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If you’ve spent any time here at Your Home for Vintage Leisure – and if you haven’t, what’s the problem? – then you’ll know that we feel a film doesn’t have to be great for a viewer to “get something” out of it. Case in point is Ruba al prossimo tuo, a film that definitely has its problems but one that is not without its charms. First of all, Claudia Cardinale. Secondly, there are a few other faces to look out for including those belonging to Tomas Milian, Ellen Corby and Tony LoBianco. Additionally, you’ll be treated to two things we love here at SoulRide – a location shoot and cool apartments. Here is a great winter movie and, dang, does it look cold. There is wonderful winter footage of New York and Austria – streets and landscape – and even some snowmobiling from a time when that was pretty new. And how about the crazy rooftop apartment that Mike and Esmeralda share? It is a fascinating clear glass box. I feel like I could talk about it at length but there’s not much to say. It is certainly cool.

There are other, ummm, items of interest. Director Maselli was savvy enough to get lots of shots of Claudia wet. In a gratuitous part of the plot, the security in the castle depends on the temperature in the room Mike and Esmeralda are working in staying above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The two swoon in the heat and Esmeralda, naturally, has to shed most of her clothes. Mike helps by going behind the bar and spraying the poor girl with water. It is quite a sequence. Added to all this is a jaunty score by Il Maestro himself, Ennio Morricone. What you have then is a film that is kind of fun and certainly interesting, one worth seeking out.

Rock Hudson had still to make some pretty decent films before turning to television. Later in 1968 came Ice Station Zebra – in fact, another decidedly “winter” movie – followed by The Undefeated with Duke, Pretty Maids All in a Row and the exciting and prototypical Hornets’ Nest, an Italian-American action film featuring a moustachioed Rock. This was shot in Italy by Phil Karlson and included a score by Morricone.

You can add Rock Hudson, one of the biggest stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood, to the impressive list of Americans who feature in ExPat Cinema. Starring alongside the eternally gorgeous Claudia Cardinale certainly helps his foray in this crime-comedy stand out. I have watched it in Italian online and some prints include outrageously indecipherable English subtitles. Sure adds to the fun!