''I'll Give a Million'' ( it, Darò un milione) is a 1935 Italian " white-telephones"

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

Mario Camerini Mario Camerini (6 February 1895 – 4 February 1981) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. The cousin of Augusto Genina, he made the most well-known films in Italy during the 1930s, most of them comedies starring Vittorio De Sica. H ...

and starring

Vittorio De Sica Vittorio De Sica ( , ; 7 July 1901 – 13 November 1974) was an Italian film director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement. Four of the films he directed won Academy Awards: ''Sciuscià'' and ''Bicycle Thieves'' (honorary) ...

. It is based on the first screenplay by

Cesare Zavattini Cesare Zavattini (20 September 1902 – 13 October 1989) was an Italian screenwriter and one of the first theorists and proponents of the Neorealist movement in Italian cinema. Biography Born in Luzzara near Reggio Emilia in northern Italy, o ...

which tells the story of a disillusioned millionaire who, tired of the attempts of greedy friends and relatives to sponge off of him, becomes a bum in order to find a decent human being. It had an American remake in 1938, again titled '' I'll Give a Million'' and starring

Warner Baxter Warner Leroy Baxter (March 29, 1889 – May 7, 1951) was an American film actor from the 1910s to the 1940s. Baxter is known for his role as the Cisco Kid in the 1928 film ''In Old Arizona'', for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor at ...

as the millionaire. It was shot at the

Cines Studios The Cines Studios were film production studios located in the Italian capital Rome. They were established on Via Veio in 1930 by Stefano Pittaluga, head of the Cines film company, at the beginning of the sound era. It produced Italy's first sound ...

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 ...

Plot

A millionaire is about to commit suicide by leaping off of his yacht into the sea. He is just about to go when he spies a bum attempting suicide himself. The rich man saves the bum and tells him of his frustration with his friends and relatives who are always seeking a handout. He then claims that he will give a million francs to the first person to treat him kindly without thinking about his wealth. The next day, the tramp awakens to find the millionaire gone, and that his own tattered rags have been replaced by the finest clothing, along with a large roll of francs. The bum then begins circulating the millionaire's story around the town. As a result, people all over the country begin treating the homeless with kindness and respect. Eventually the disguised millionaire meets and marries a circus performer and donates his million francs to the whole community.

Cast

as Gold *

Assia Noris Assia Noris (16 February 1912 – 27 January 1998) was a Russian-Italian film actress. Born Anastasia Noris fon Gerzfeld (Anastassia Noris von Herzfeld), she appeared in over 35 films between 1932 and 1965. She starred in films such as the Ma ...

as Anna *

Luigi Almirante Luigi Almirante (30 September 1884 – 6 May 1963) was an Italian stage and film actor. He appeared in 62 films between 1921 and 1955. Life and career The son of a stage actor, Almirante was born in Tunis, where the theatrical company of ...

as Blim *

Mario Gallina Mario Gallina (23 March 1889 – 26 September 1950) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Biography Gallina was born in Trieste, which was then a possession of Austria-Hungary (now Italy). He was the son of theatre actors Enrico Gallina and Elena ...

as Cavalier Primerose *

Franco Coop Franco Coop (27 September 1891 – 27 March 1962), was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 65 films between 1931 and 1960. He was born in Naples, Italy and died in Rome, Italy. Selected filmography * '' Before the Jury'' (1931) * '' Moth ...

as Il banditore *

Gemma Bolognesi Gemma Bolognesi (4 November 1894 – 26 March 1983) was an Italian actress. She appeared in more than thirty films from 1916 to 1954. Biography Bolognesi began acting at an early age and made her debut with the ensemble of the Teatro Manzoni in ...

as Maria *

Cesare Zoppetti Cesare Zoppetti (January 1, 1876 – March 15, 1940) was an Italian stage and film actor. Zoppetti was a prolific film actor of the 1930s, appearing in nearly fifty productions between 1930 and his death in 1940 including the comedy ''What S ...

as Falso milionario

References

External links

* {{Mario Camerini 1935 films 1935 comedy films 1930s Italian-language films Italian black-and-white films Italian comedy films Films directed by Mario Camerini Films with screenplays by Cesare Zavattini Cines Studios films