AllMovie

Playwright Eduardo de Fillipo not only adapted his theatrical piece Filumena Marturano to the screen, but also starred in it and directed as well. de Fillipo's sister Titina plays the title character, a Neapolitan mother who is determined to "legitimize" her three out-of-wedlock children. She targets her ex-lover Domenico Soriano (de Fillipo), a disillusioned rouge, as her future husband. The latter prefers much younger bedmates, but Filumena isn't about to give up without a fight -- albeit a gentle and loving one. Like many of Eduardo de Fillipo's films, Filumena Marturano took some time before achieving an American release.