Tormenta no Paraíso

Made in Italy, and financed on the cheap by Universal, "Raw Wind in Eden" isn't a particularly good-looking movie, but there are some compensations for its tatty look. Esther Williams plays a surly fashion model working in Rome who flies off on a date with a handsome millionaire; forced down on a small island near Sardinia--inhabited by a gypsy girl, her father, and a reclusive American--the couple renovate a boat in hopes of being rescued. Tedious romantic adventure, albeit one with a jaunty pace, has enough tart lines in the script to hold interest in the characters. Performances from both Williams (who gets to swim) and Jeff Chandler aren't too bad, though the filmmakers have no idea how to end this saga, and the hectic last reel is a squashy mess. Still, you have to give Esther credit: even while stranded in the sticks, she manages several changes in her hairstyle and goes through a myriad of colorful outfits. *1/2 from ****