Chapter Thirteen

Here is the cover of the DVD that catapulted Rossano to international superstar status. Summertime. In England, when it was released, it was called Summer Madness. One of the most beautiful films I've seen where all of the actors are well cast; the script is great, the setting exquisite and the storyline has depth. David Lean cited this as the film he put the most of himself into. 

Widely available on streaming services. The film was digitally remastered in the late 1990s and shown at various film festivals around the world in 2003 in memory of Katharine Hepburn who had died that year. Unusually, (as they only show new films), the Venice Film Festival showed the film that year as their closing movie, bringing the film to a whole new audience.

In this chapter, Rossano takes me to the beach resort of Fregene. The Brazzi's owned a beach hut there. I thought it would be apt to have a couple of family shots. Due to the quality of the photos, they didn't make it into the book. 

On the left is Rossano with Franco, his brother-in-law. 

On the right is Rossano (in white shorts) and Lydia (seated) at Fregene with a group of friends by their beach hut. 

Thanks to Ben, Eamon and Sean Kenny for these.

I have Rossano driving us to Fregene, a beach resort about half an hour from Rome. This was a place they frequented with friends. You'll have to get the book to learn about this but, driving with Rossano and Lydia, was quite the experience, backed up by Carlo who had his own story to tell when having his uncle in the car.

For my research, I didn't have a car, I took the train. It takes about half-an-hour to get there. On arrival, you then have to get on a bus for twenty minutes but it stops right on the sea front close to where Rossano and Lydia had their beach hut. It's a sprawling beach and, when I went, it was out of season, but a few cafes and bars were open. 

Summertime was shot entirely on location in Venice. It almost plays another character in the film and I understand that the tourist board there were very grateful to David Lean for including such stunning views of the city. Tourism increased tenfold after the film was released. Some of it was down to the fact that a lot of women were scouring the streets for Rossano Brazzi!  

It must have taken the location scouts some time to find the right areas to shoot certain scenes. I managed to find Campo San Barnaba, where Katharine Hepburn falls in the canal in front of Rossano's antique shop. It's about a ten minute walk from Piazza San Marco, the central square in Venice and it hasn't changed one bit.

A lot of filming, of course, also took place in the Piazza San Marco and along the Grand Canal. Rossano and Lydia stayed in the Gritti Palace hotel which is on the Grand Canal to the left of the photo shown. I believe the flags outside indicate where the hotel is. I visited Venice over Christmas so I escaped the overbearing heat and the influx of tourists over the summer months. A good tip if you can't bear either!

As explained, this chapter is all about the film Summertime but we talk about this film on the beach at Fregene. 

Of course, I have Rossano and Lydia in their swimming costumes. I couldn't help but mention a comment made by Mitzi Gaynor when on location with Rossano in Hawaii for the film, South Pacific. When they weren't filming, he often changed into his Speedos and went for a swim. Her comment in an interview in her later years made me laugh. When the interviewer asked her about Rossano, she gushed: "Oh, Rossano, so little fabric covering so much Italian." 

Hilarious.

On the left is Rossano at his beach hut with, I think, Lydia in the background chatting to a neighbour. 

In the middle, Rossano chatting with Anna Maria Giovannini at Fregene.

Thanks to Europeanna/Luce Images, Cinecitta Studios, for these first two photos.

The third photo shows Rossano and Lydia in the late 1970s at their beach hut. Many thanks to Umberto and Sabrina Pizzi for this image.

Here are a couple more snaps of Rossano at one of his favourite places - the beach. 

When the World premiere of Summertime took place in Venice, Rossano was mobbed by fans. This was repeated in New York when the film opened there. At one point, he almost had his shirt ripped off. 

This scene is parodied in a film called Mondo Cane. Rossano appears for a very short time and the scene is, basically, him being pursued by women! You can find the film on YouTube. Just type in 'film Mondo Cane' and it'll come up. Rossano's very brief two-minute appearance arrives about six minutes in.

Some of the most amazing and funny anecdotes about Summertime came from a book written by his agents at the time, Hank Kaufman and Gene Lerner. This was a fantastic source of information and provided some hilarious insights into Rossano and Lydia's relationship. The book is now out of print and was only published in Italy, in Italian. The anecdotes here appear no-where else so I am forever grateful to have been recommended this book by my guide in Rome, Giorgia Cadinu.

Rossano and Katharine got off to an explosive start when filming began and shooting almost stopped before it had even began. But, they resolved themselves although, as with The Barefoot Contessa, there were some fireworks going off behind the scenes, especially between the director, David Lean, and the producer, Ilya Lopert. Read the book and you'll discover some interesting and funny anecdotes connected with this film, especially where Rossano is concerned.

Here are Katharine Hepburn and Rossano chatting between scenes with little Gaetano Autiero who played the street urchin, Mauro.

My thanks to The Everett Collection Inc for allowing me to use this photo on the website as well as in the book.

Well, the differences between Rossano and Katherine sorted themselves out and they became quite friendly. Hepburn, a natural teacher in respect of acting and directing, was so taken by Rossano's performance and ambition that she insisted David Lean put his name alongside hers on the opening credits. Originally, that wasn't going to happen.

Here they are in the Piazza San Marco, Venice, sharing a laugh between filming.

Thanks to Daniel Boutteiller from TCD, Paris for allowing me to show this image.

This is the impressive Excelsior Hotel on the Via Veneto. Both David Lean and Ilya Lopert were staying here while they were trying to find the actor to cast as Renato in Summertime. It is here that Gene Lerner found Lopert and convinced him to speak with Rossano. Rossano wasn't even in the frame for this role (and Lerner didn't represent him at the time) and how he got it was really down to luck, tenacity and somewhat untoward behaviour on Rossano's part. 

Rossano met with Lopert at this hotel and, it's here that he was given the news that he had the role.

Gene Lerner and his business partner, Hank Kaufman, went on to be Rossano's agents after this film had been released. The way this happened was a real eye-opener for me in respect of research and it is here we get a real sense of both Rossano's and Lydia's raging Italian tempers when discussing representation at the offices of Lerner and Kaufman.