You don't watch Summertime for the acting, dialogue or plot.

You watch Summertime to reminisce about Venice or prepare for it.

Starring Katherine Hepburn, the 1955 romance captures the languorous adventures of an American tourist who falls for a local shop owner.

Overall, the film is an uneven exercise. Dodgy dialogue, stiff acting, etc. In one scene, Hepburn gives a child a cigarette (yikes!), who then proceeds to smoke it (double yikes!)

But think of Summertime as more of a love letter than a love story, and you'll certainly see some sparkle.

Director David Lean is smitten with the city, lensing the complexities of Venice, from the splendor of the cityscape, the crash of tourists, the mysterious alleyways, and the quiet moments when you can hear your own footsteps clicking on Venetian pavers.

And as a bonus, Lean throws in a quick trip to Burano, "the island where the rainbow fell."

So if you're an admirer of Venice, or planning on visiting, play this in the background one Sunday afternoon.

Venice here shines - as does some of the 50s outfits.

Trivia: Hepburn's hotel interior was reportedly shot at Pensione Accademia Villa Maravege, with Lean himself staying at The Gritti Palace between takes.

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Movie poster, Summertime , United Artists / MGM