Diamonds for Breakfast

Although he frequently co-starred with Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni fared less well in this collaboration with Loren's husband producer, Carlo Ponti. Coming off Visconti's The Stranger, he clearly felt the need for an easier assignment, and he sleepwalks through this dotty crime caper that, like so many 1960s co-productions, sought to reproduce the suave heroism of the Bond movies. He plays a shop owner who is fourth in line to the Russian throne. Debutant director Christopher Morahan failed to invest much fun or excitement into this tale of an impoverished nobleman's bid to swipe the Romanov gems with the help of seven sexy assistants.