Robert Talbot, a wealthy American businessman, owns a stunning villa located on the picturesque Ligurian coast of Italy. Each year in September, he visits this villa to spend time with his romantic partner, Lisa Fellini, played by Gina Lollobrigida. Their relationship is a special yearly event, but Lisa, who is also engaged to a dull and eager fiancé named Spencer, begins to feel the desire for something more meaningful. When Robert unexpectedly calls her while en route from Milano in July, inviting her for a spontaneous affair, her resolve wavers. Succumbing to temptation, Lisa cancels her wedding plans and rushes to meet Robert, igniting a series of events that will change her life.
The villa isn’t just a private residence—thanks to Robert’s clever and resourceful majordomo, Maurice Clavell, played by Joel Grey, it has been transformed into a luxurious hotel that operates mainly during the months Robert isn’t in town. Maurice has been managing this venture for six years, effectively shutting down the hotel each September, but this year, the hotel is hosting an interesting mix of guests, primarily a group of college girls—including Sandy Stevens, played by Sandra Dee—and their chaperone, Margaret Allison, portrayed by Brenda de Banzie. When Robert learns that Maurice has beaten his telegram to the villa, catching him off guard, Maurice finds himself in a tricky situation. He must juggle keeping both his boss's interests and his guests satisfied, leading him to craft a series of clever deceptions.
While en route to the villa, Robert encounters a group of four college boys, led by Tony, who mock his age and the classic luxury of his vintage convertible. Denied reservations, they set up camp outside the villa, eager to be close to the group of girls. Maurice, aware that the guests are planning to leave the next day, fabricates a story that Robert is a mentally ill “shell-shocked” veteran who believes he still owns the villa due to childhood trauma and delusions. Maurice persuades Robert to go along with this false narrative, requesting the guests to play along to prevent any embarrassment or complications. This ruse becomes more complicated when Margaret unfortunately slips on a champagne cork and is hospitalized, delaying the guests’ departure.
Despite the deception, Robert becomes increasingly suspicious of Maurice’s plans, especially after Sandra Dee tries to help him understand that he no longer owns the hotel. Yet, Lisa, amused by the chaos and Maurice’s dedication, intervenes to keep Robert from firing Maurice. She also assists him in appreciating the lengths Maurice has gone to in maintaining the villa, even at his own expense. Playing along with the hotel ruse becomes important, especially when Robert begins to see the college students’ drunken partying and inappropriate behavior with the girls. Determined to protect the young women, Robert, with Lisa by his side, takes them on a long bicycle tour around the hilly countryside, hoping to tire them out.
Later, at a nightclub, Robert dances with each girl, emphasizing the importance of virtue and respectful relationships. Things take a turn when Tony, drunken and bold, makes a failed romantic advance toward Sandy. She, feeling disillusioned, confides in Lisa, and Robert’s strict stance on virtue causes Lisa to feel insulted, believing that Robert does not respect her independence or newfound attitude. The next morning, overwhelmed by frustration and a sense of confinement, Lisa decides to leave Robert and reunite with her original fiancé, Spencer.
In a series of chaotic events, Robert, trying to pursue her, mistakenly thinks he is chasing after her by stealing a car. He proposes to Lisa in an effort to make amends but is met with her rejection, feeling her doubts about his seriousness. Maurice, always scheming, tries to manipulate the situation further by falsely claiming to the police that Robert is a notorious criminal and that Lisa is his accomplice—plans that ultimately fail. Heartbroken, Lisa retreats to her apartment, where Sandy comforts her, mourning missed opportunities and her sense of misplaced love. During a fitting for her wedding gown, Lisa has a moment of clarity about her future. She realizes that settling for Spencer might not bring her happiness, and in a spontaneous decision, she sets off to be with Robert again.
On her way, Lisa, dressed in her wedding gown, encounters Tony, who she directs to her apartment, where he reunites with Sandy. At the train station, Robert, upset and determined not to lose her, refuses to board the train that is about to depart. In a bold, last-minute move, Lisa borrows a toddler to convince the conductor that her “father” is abandoning her, a ploy that causes Robert to be taken off the train. Moved by her boldness and realizing her feelings, Robert finally reconciles with Lisa. They return to the villa, only to find Maurice running the property as a hotel once again—this time, occupied by a group of nuns, symbolizing a new chapter of peace and hope.
Throughout this charming and lively story, themes of love, deception, societal expectations, and self-discovery intertwine, making it a delightful exploration of modern relationships against the stunning backdrop of the Italian Riviera.
