''The Last Judgment'' ( it, Il giudizio universale) is a 1961 commedia all'italiana film by Italian director

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 was coproduced with France. It has an all-star Italian and international cast, including Americans

Jack Palance Jack Palance ( ; born Volodymyr Palahniuk ( uk, Володимир Палагню́к); February 18, 1919 – November 10, 2006) was an American actor known for playing tough guys and villains. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, all fo ...

, Ernest Borgnine; Greek

Melina Mercouri Maria Amalia "Melina" Mercouri (, 18 October 1920 – 6 March 1994) was a Greek actress, singer, activist, and politician. She came from a political family that was prominent over multiple generations. She received an Academy Award nomination a ...

and French Fernandel,

Anouk Aimée Nicole Françoise Florence Dreyfus (born 27 April 1932), known professionally as Anouk Aimée () or Anouk, is a French film actress, who has appeared in 70 films since 1947, having begun her film career at age 14. In her early years, she studi ...

and

Lino Ventura Angiolino Giuseppe Pasquale Ventura (14 July 1919 – 22 October 1987), known as Lino Ventura, was an Italian actor who grew up in France and starred in many French films. Born in Italy, he was raised in Paris by his mother. After a first caree ...

. The film was a huge flop, massacred by critics and audiences when it was released. It was filmed in black and white, but the last sequence, the dance at theatre, is in color.

Plot

At the morning of a normal day of a Naples that begins to hear complex and not always positive effects of the economic boom, a stentorian voice (Nicola Rossi-Lemeni) which seems to come down from heaven announces that "At 18 begins the Last Judgement!". The announcement is repeated with increasing insistence, first treated with disdain and then more and more frightening. The plot is fragmented into a series of scenarios and stories intertwined: the preparation of the great ball of the Duke to whom all Naples is requested, the struggle to get dressed up in the poorest districts, bored rich you are courting, a husband who accidentally discovers his wife with her lover, a cynical imagine that ekes out a living selling children in America, a young man of good company made the subject of sneers from fierce populace, the unlikely defense of a lobbyist by a wordy lawyer (the by De Sica), and the impact of the increasingly mysterious voice shaking innovation of this human variety. Those who repent too late, he who gives himself to the mad joy, who flaunts a false indifference. Announced time, the city is impacted by a terrible flood (the mysterious voice that has already passed the stage of sanctions?) After which, with great solemnity, the Last Judgment begins and ends, however, as mysteriously as it is announced. The sun came out, people rushed to the ball of the Duke and soon everything is forgotten, the sound of an ironic "Lullaby", coined shortly before by a hypocritical and false slavery.

Cast

* Alberto Sordi - Merchant of children *

Vittorio Gassman Vittorio Gassman (; born Gassmann; 1 September 1922 – 29 June 2000), popularly known as , was an Italian actor, director and screenwriter. He is considered one of the greatest Italian actors, whose career includes both important productions ...

- Cimino *

- Giorgio's wife Irene * Fernandel - The widower *

Nino Manfredi Saturnino "Nino" Manfredi (22 March 1921 – 4 June 2004) was an Italian actor, voice actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, comedian, singer, author, radio personality and television presenter. He was one of the most prominent Italian a ...

- Waiter * Silvana Mangano - Letizia Matteoni * Paolo Stoppa - Giorgio *

Jaime de Mora y Aragón Don Jaime de Mora y Aragón (19 July 1925 – 26 July 1995) was a Spanish aristocrat and actor. He appeared in more than thirty films from 1961 to 1995. He was also a brother of Queen Fabiola of Belgium Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy ...

- Ambassador * Renato Rascel - Coppola *

- Foreign lady *

- Matteoni *

- Giovanna's father * Elisa Cegani - Giovanna's mother *

- Defense lawyer * Ernest Borgnine - the pickpocket *

Eleonora Brown Eleonora Brown (born August 22, 1948, in Naples) is an Italian film actress. Her first, and perhaps biggest, role was at age twelve as the daughter of Sophia Loren's character in ''Two Women'' (1960). Career Brown's primary acting role was in ...

- Giovanna *

Jimmy Durante James Francis Durante ( , ; February 10, 1893 – January 29, 1980) was an American comedian, actor, singer, vaudevillian, and pianist. His distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced song ...

- the big nose man *

Franco Franchi Franco Franchi (born Francesco Benenato; 18 September 1928 – 9 December 1992) was an Italian actor, comedian and singer. He was born in Palermo, Sicily and began his career in the 1950s, although his career only really took off in the 1960s. ...

and

Ciccio Ingrassia Francesco Ingrassia (5 October 1922 – 28 April 2003) was an Italian actor, comedian and film director. He was born in Palermo, Sicily, and began his career in the 1950s, although his career only really took off in the 1960s. He starred in m ...

- the unemployed men *

Domenico Modugno Domenico Modugno (; 9 January 1928 – 6 August 1994) was an Italian singer, actor and, later in life, a member of the Italian Parliament. He is known for his 1958 international hit song "Nel blu, dipinto di blu (song), Nel blu dipinto di blu", ...

- the singer *

Marisa Merlini Marisa Merlini (6 August 1923 – 27 July 2008) was an Italian character actress active in Italy's post-World War II cinema. Merlini appeared in over fifty films during her career, which spanned from World War II to 2005. In Luigi Comencini's 1953 ...

- a mother *

Mike Bongiorno Michael Nicholas Salvatore Bongiorno (; May 26, 1924 – September 8, 2009) was an Italian-American television host. After a few experiences in the US, he started working on RAI in the 1950s and was considered to be the most popular host in Italy ...

- himself *

Akim Tamiroff Akim Mikhailovich Tamiroff, russian: Аким Михайлович Тамиров (born Hovakim Tamiryants; October 29, 1899 – September 17, 1972) was an Armenian-American actor of film, stage, and television. One of the premier character act ...

- the director *

Maria Pia Casilio Maria-Pia Casilio (5 May 1935 – 10 April 2012) was an Italian film actress, best known for major roles in ''Umberto D.'' and ''Un americano a Roma''. Born in San Pio delle Camere, L'Aquila, Casilio was quite active between 1952 and 1960, ...

- the waitress *

Alberto Bonucci Alberto Bonucci (; 19 May 1918 – 5 April 1969) was an Italian film actor and director. He appeared in 53 films between 1950 and 1967. He was born in Campobasso, Italy and died in Rome, Italy. Partial filmography * ''Variety Lights'' (1950) - ...

- the guest in Matteoni's house *

Lamberto Maggiorani Lamberto Maggiorani (28 August 1909 – 22 April 1983) was an Italian actor remembered for his portrayal of Antonio Ricci in the 1948 Vittorio De Sica film ''Bicycle Thieves''. He was a factory worker (he worked as a turner) and non-profess ...

- a poor man

External links

* 1961 films Films directed by Vittorio De Sica 1960s Italian-language films Commedia all'italiana Films set in Italy Films set in Naples 1961 comedy films Magic realism films Films produced by Dino De Laurentiis Films with screenplays by Cesare Zavattini Apocalyptic films Films scored by Alessandro Cicognini 1960s Italian films {{1960s-Italy-comedy-film-stub