Arabesque

Fluffy espionage caper has an American hieroglyphics professor visiting Oxford, agree to decipher a secret message--the contents of which are wanted by spies, oil sheiks, and Middle Eastern leaders-- aided by the sensuous mistress of a politically ambitious oil tycoon. Donen repeated CHARADE in the making of this film, rightly assuming that film's success deserved another attempt. Loren's glamorous wardrobe is by Dior and included some 50 pairs of shoes for her character--a 50,000-pound costuming expense--explained away by her lover's shoe fetish! It's all mindless, absurdly complex and hopelessly hip in that 1960s sort of way, but an agreeable way to pass ...