Movie review - "Smiles of a Summer Night" (1955) ****

This is so sexy. Ulla Jacobsen shimmies and pouts as the 19 year old virgin bride, Harriet Andersson also pouts as a Bardot-like maid Petra, flirting with everyone, Eva Dahlbeck being wise and world weary, Margit Carlqvist being proud as she's cuckolded. The men are behind the eight ball most of the time - pompous Gunnary Bjornstrand who hasn't had sex with his wife in two years (this actor always leaves me a bit cold in comedy), Bjorn Bjelfvenstam as his dumb son... you're not likely to remember the guys actually (including Andersson's guy who just sort of randomly comes along) but the women are so good.

The jokes aren't terribly memorable, the situations and characters not exactly fresh (sexy maid, sexually experienced actress, naive young man, randy count) but it has an air of magic about it, like those Shakespeare comedies set in a forest. Lovely.