It Started in Naples

By the time anyone reads this, I’ll already be gone. That’s right- I’m pulling a Clark Gable (and a Jack Lemmon, and a Richard Burton, and an Elizabeth Taylor, and a Matt Damon) by heading to the Campania region of Italy for some much needed R&R. This week’s movie might be called It Started In Naples (Disc/Download), but for me, it finishes there too. Lucky for you Cinema Sips readers, you don’t need a passport to come along if you watch this charming romp.

In the second-to-last movie he ever made (and the final one released in theaters before his death), Clark Gable stars as a buttoned-up American tasked with collecting his orphaned nephew in Italy. The sunshine foil to his grumpy curmudgeon? The boy’s cabaret singer aunt, played by the always-delightful Sophia Loren. She lives a bohemian life on the island of Capri and is more than happy to let this little rascal skip school, shill for her on the street, and generally never take a bath. Also the cute old landlord from Roman Holiday hangs out in her kitchen eating spaghetti all day, and if I were this kid, I wouldn’t want to trade such a fun life for a trip to Philadelphia either (no offense, Philly). Clark has some great one-liners, Sophia reverts to her zany, sexy Houseboat persona, and there are several scenes in tourist hotspots like The Blue Grotto, the Faraglioni rocks, and the Mount Solaro chairlift. Although I’m skipping Capri in favor of Ischia on my trip (I’m more of an Avanti! / Cleopatra / Talented Mr. Ripley gal), I feel like I got to see the highlights thanks to this movie.

If you want to really want the experience of an Italian vacation at home, then I highly recommend picking up a bottle of Campari to make this sour variation on the classic Americano cocktail. Refreshing on a hot day, you can almost picture the Bay of Naples sparkling below you. While watching It Started in Naples, I recommend drinking a Campania Spritz.

Campania Spritz

2 oz Campari

1 oz Sweet Vermouth

3/4 oz Lemon Juice

3/4 oz Simple Syrup

2 oz Sparkling Water

Pour sparkling water into a Collins glass and fill with crushed ice. Set aside. Combine Campari, Vermouth, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled, then strain into prepared glass. Stir gently to combine.

I can’t help but marvel at how much Clark Gable looks like my late father in this film, and it’s kind of spooky given that I planned my trip to Naples and Ischia in the wake of my dad’s death two years ago. Now that I’m finally taking it, it feels (in many ways) like both a beginning and an end: an end to my 30s, an end to dealing with the aftermath of death and all its entanglements, and an end to being too fearful to really live. But it’s also the beginning of what I hope will be an exciting chapter in my new life as a published author, and the beginning of living more fully in the present, appreciating each day as the gift that it is. Gable didn’t know when he went to Naples that his time was almost up, but that’s what makes this movie even more poignant to me. It’s about finding joy and connection in unexpected places, and that’s just what I intend to do on this long-awaited trip. Cheers, and I’ll see ya in a few weeks!