''Cardinal Lambertini'' (Italian: ''Il cardinale Lambertini'') is a 1954 Italian

historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Giorgio Pastina Giorgio Pastina (1905–1956) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He directed '' Henry IV'', a 1943 film version of Luigi Pirandello's '' Henry IV''.Anile, Alberto, '' Orson Welles in Italy'' (Indiana University Press, 2013), p. 94 S ...

and starring

Gino Cervi Luigi Cervi (3 May 1901 – 3 January 1974), better known as Gino Cervi (), was an Italian actor. He was best known for portraying Peppone in a series of comedies based on the character ''Don Camillo'' (1952-1965), and police detective Jules M ...

Nadia Gray Nadia Gray (born Nadia Kujnir; 23 November 1923 – 13 June 1994) was a Romanian film actress. Biography Gray was born into a Jewish family in Bucharest. Her father moved to Romania from Russia, and her mother was from Akkerman (Bessarabia). ...

and

Arnoldo Foà Arnoldo Foà (24 January 1916 – 11 January 2014) was an Italian actor, voice actor, theatre director, singer and writer. He appeared in more than 130 films between 1938 and 2014. Biography Foà was born in Ferrara, Italy, to a Jewish fa ...

. It is an adaptation of

Alfredo Testoni Alfredo Testoni (1856–1931) was an Italian playwright and poet known for his work in the Bolognese dialect. In 1888 he established his own company at the Teatro Contavalli in Bologna. Amongst his best known plays is ''Cardinal Lambertini'', a 1 ...

's 1905 play ''

Cardinal Lambertini Pope Benedict XIV ( la, Benedictus XIV; it, Benedetto XIV; 31 March 1675 – 3 May 1758), born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 17 August 1740 to his death in May 1758. Pope Be ...

'', which had previously been turned into a 1934

film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...

. The film was released by Minerva Film. Interiors were shot at studios in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

while

location shooting Location shooting is the shooting of a film or television production in a real-world setting rather than a sound stage or backlot. The location may be interior or exterior. The filming location may be the same in which the story is set (for exam ...

took place in

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...

and the small town of Ceri in

Lazio it, Laziale , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...

Peppino Piccolo. It earned around 241 million

lira Lira is the name of several currency units. It is the current currency of Turkey and also the local name of the currencies of Lebanon and of Syria. It is also the name of several former currencies, including those of Italy, Malta and Israe ...

at the box office.

Plot

1739. Cardinal Prospero Lambertini, very attentive to the political dynamics in Bologna garrisoned by the Bourbon troops and to the sufferings of the Bolognese, did not hesitate to intervene between the Spaniards and an awkward Bolognese nobility, piloted by Countess Gabriella di Roccasibalda, a casual adventurer, and the people, towards which a massacre disguised as an attempted revolt had been planned, which should have been the casus belli of a repression and the establishment of the gonfalonierate for life of a puppet of the Bourbons. The cardinal also takes to heart the story of two young lovers who are prevented from getting married, Carlo Barozzi, the son of his lackey, and the stepdaughter of Gabriella di Roccasibalda herself, Countess Maria (daughter of her husband's deceased first wife, Count Goffredo) betrothed by her stepmother to the perfidious Duke of Montimar, also with profound political implications.

Cast

as Cardinal Lambertini *

as Isabella di Pietramelara *

as Duke of Montimar *

Carlo Romano Carlo Romano (8 May 1908 – 16 October 1975) was an Italian actor, voice actor and screenwriter. Biography Born in Livorno, Romano was the son of actress Dina Romano and the younger brother of actor Felice Romano. Romano started his acting ...

as Goffredo di Pietramelara *

Virna Lisi Verna or Virna may refer to: People * Verna Aardema (1911–2000), American author of children's books * Verna Bloom (1939–2019), American actress * Virna De Angeli (born 1976), Italian former sprinter * Virna Dias (born 1971), Brazilian reti ...

as Maria di Pietramelara *

Sergio Tofano Sergio Tòfano (20 August 1886 – 28 October 1973) was an Italian actor, director, playwright, scene designer and illustrator. Tofano was born in Rome. In 1909, he made his first appearance on stage with Ermete Novelli, then joined Virgil ...

as Canonico Peggi *

Paolo Carlini Paolo Carlini (6 January 1922 – 3 November 1979) was an Italian stage, television and film actor. He appeared in 45 films between 1940 and 1979. He is perhaps best-known to international audiences for his supporting role as the hairdresser ...

as Lawyer Carlo Barozzi *

Gianni Agus Gianni Agus (17 August 1917 – 4 March 1994) was an Italian actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1938. He appeared in more than 60 films between 1938 and 1991. Life and career Born in Cagliari, Sardinia, after his di ...

as Count Pepoli *

Tino Buazzelli Agostino "Tino" Buazzelli (13 September 1922 – 20 October 1980) was an Italian stage, television and film actor. He appeared in 46 films between 1948 and 1978. After a diploma of education, Buazzelli enrolled the Accademia d'Arte Dramma ...

as Count Davia *

Agnese Dubbini Agnese is a given name and a variant of Agnes. Its name day is 21 January in Italy. People with the name Agnese include: *Agnese Allegrini (born 1982), Italian badminton player *Agnese Bonfantini (born 1999), Italian football player *Agnese Kokla ...

as Tata, the maid *

Mario Mazza Mario Mazza (7 June 1882 - 22 November 1959) was an Italian educator. In 1916 he was one of the founding members of ASCI (Italian: l'Associazione Scautistica Cattolica Italiana) which became The Scouts Scouting, also known as the Scout Movem ...

as Anastasio *

Aldo Fiorelli Aldo Fiorelli (1915–1983) was an Italian actor who appeared in around thirty films between 1938 and 1960. One of his final roles was Argos, the Shipbuilder in the 1958 film ''Hercules''Hughes p.2 and its 1959 sequel ''Hercules Unchained ''He ...

as Abbot Cavalcanti *

Loris Gizzi Loris Gizzi (16 August 1899 – 6 October 1986) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Life and career Born in Rome, after his university studies Gizzi attended a school of dance and singing. He abandoned the courses when he became an employee ...

as Count Orsi *

Piero Pastore Pietro Mario Pastore, also known as Piero Pastore (3 April 1908, in Padua – 8 January 1968, in Rome) was an Italian professional footballer who played as a striker; he later became an actor. Football career Pastore was the youngest ever playe ...

as Papal messenger *

Armando Migliari Armando Migliari (29 April 1889 – 15 June 1976) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 103 films between 1914 and 1965. He was born in Latium, Italy and died in Rome, Italy. Selected filmography * ''The Last of the Bergeracs'' (1934 ...

as Physician *

Mario Siletti Mario Giovanni Siletti (22 July 1903 – 19 April 1964) was an Italian actor. He was born in Turin. He performed in more than 160 films from 1932 to 1964. He began appearing in American films no later than 1946. From 1962 to 1964, he also portra ...

as Butler *

Emilio Petacci Emilio Petacci (1886–1965) was an Italian film actor.Goble p.74 Selected filmography * '' Love Everlasting'' (1913) * '' The Wedding March'' (1934) * ''The Joker King'' (1935) * ''Sette giorni all'altro mondo'' (1936) * ''Joe the Red'' (1936) ...

as Costanzo * Rita Glori as Marquess Gozzadini

References

Bibliography

* Chiti, Roberto & Poppi, Roberto. ''Dizionario del cinema italiano: Dal 1945 al 1959''. Gremese Editore, 1991. * Goble, Alan. ''The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film''. Walter de Gruyter, 1999.

External links

1954 films Films directed by Giorgio Pastina 1950s Italian-language films Italian historical comedy films 1950s historical comedy films Films set in the 1730s Films set in Bologna 1954 comedy films Italian films based on plays Minerva Film films Italian black-and-white films 1950s Italian films {{1950s-Italy-film-stub it:Il cardinale Lambertini (film 1954)