Poor But Beautiful

"Poor But Beautiful" (Poveri ma belli, 1957) — watch online on iFILM, an Italian comedy directed by Dino Risi at the peak of Roman working-class charm. Best friends Salvatore and Romolo share a courtyard on Piazza Navona, the same commute, and a permanent shortage of cash. They have each other and nothing else.

Then a menswear shop opens next door with Giovanna working behind the counter. Both men fall for her at once, and the friendship starts to crack. Maurizio Arena and Renato Salvatori throw themselves into the rivalry with a loose, street-corner ease — it was this film that made them household names in Italian cinema. Marisa Allasio as Giovanna turned it into a box-office hit.

Risi's touch is light but precise: the competition is silly, the feelings are real, and Rome in summer has rarely looked so alive on screen. Sequels followed almost immediately. Watch "Poor But Beautiful" (1957) online on iFILM.