''The Downfall'' ( el, O Katiforos, el, Ο Κατήφορος) is a

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 ...

Greek drama

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

made by

Finos Film Finos Film (Greek: Φίνος Φιλμ) is a film production company that dominated the Greek film industry from 1943 to 1977. It was founded by Filopimin Finos in 1942 during World War II. It was the biggest film production company in Greece at ...

s. It was directed by

Giannis Dalianidis Giannis Dalianidis ( el, Γιάννης Δαλιανίδης; 31 December 1923 – 16 October 2010) was a Greek film director. His first film was ''Mousitsa'', released in 1959, which was followed by a series of musicals. Between 1974 and 1981, ...

and starring

Zoi Laskari Zoe Laskari ( el, Ζωή Λάσκαρη, ; 12 December 1942 – 18 August 2017) was a Greeks, Greek film and stage actress. Life Zoe Laskari was born Zoe Kouroukli in Thessaloniki, Greece, on 12 December 1942—not 1943 or 1944, as had been mis ...

Nikos Kourkoulos Nikos Kourkoulos ( el, Νίκος Κούρκουλος; December 5, 1934 in Athens, Greece – January 30, 2007) was a highly respected Greek theatrical and film performer, one of the most talented and recognizable actors in Greece of modern tim ...

, Vangelis Voulgaridis and

Pantelis Zervos Pantelis Zervos ( el, Παντελής Ζερβός, Born 1908 in Loutraki – January 22, 1982 in Athens) was a Greek theatrical and a film actor. Biography Zervos was born in Loutraki near Corinth in Perachora. He attended the Art Theatre S ...

. The movie made 161,331 tickets first class cinemas in Athens and Piraeus.

Plot

A group of Greek youngster in the early 1960s, lead their lives ignoring their parents. Three of them are: Rea (Zoe Laskari), whose parents do not pay much attention to the carefree way of life she leads, Costas (Nikos Kourkoulos), Rea's boyfriend, who comes from a broken home and is secretly engaging in love affairs with other girls and Petros (Vangelis Voulgaridis), who is a kind and gentle person and is also in love with Rea. Their main concern is the same as most of the 1960s youngsters, i.e. going to parties where we can see the decadent way in which they have fun (passionate dancing, kissing, striptease etc.). A few days later, Rea learns about Costas' promiscuous life, dumps him and decides to have an affair with Petros. Costas, in order to get his revenge, arranges a meeting in a park where he abandons her naked. After humiliating her like that, he has an affair with her sister, Lena (Mirka Kalantzopoulou). Rea gets furious and wanting to protect her sister from that evil person, kills him. She is led to court, where her attorney is her own father, and after a very long trial, Lena reveals the true reason the crime took place, an action that helps Rea get a lighter sentence.

Cast

Zoe Laskari Zoe Laskari ( el, Ζωή Λάσκαρη, ; 12 December 1942 – 18 August 2017) was a Greek film and stage actress. Life Zoe Laskari was born Zoe Kouroukli in Thessaloniki, Greece, on 12 December 1942—not 1943 or 1944, as had been misreported ...

.... ''Rea Nikolaou'' *

.... ''Kostas Petrakis'' * Vangelis Voulgaridis .... ''Petros Kyriazopoulos'' *

.... ''Leonidas Nikolaou'' *

Kostas Voutsas Kostas Voutsas ( el, Κώστας Βουτσάς; born Konstantinos Savvopoulos ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Σαββόπουλος; 31 December 1931 – 26 February 2020) was a Greek actor, director, and writer. Personal life Voutsas was b ...

.... ''Bisbiras'' *

Mirka Kalatzopoulou Mirka ( ar, مِركة) is a Palestinian village in the West Bank, located Southwest of the city of Jenin in the northern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of 1,555 inhabitants in mi ...

.... ''Lena Nikolaou'' *

Nitsa Marouda Eleni Marouda ( Greek: Ελένη Νίτσα Μαρούδα; 5 May 1935 – 10 November 2022) was a Greek actress. Life and career Born in Patras, Marouda studied acting at the Theofanidis School and made her official debut in 1960, in the K ...

.... ''Maria Siaka'' * Eleni Zafeirou .... ''Elizabeth Nikolaou'' *

Periklis Christoforidis Periklis Christoforides (1907 – 30 September 1983) was an Ottoman-born Greek film actor. He appeared in more than 120 films between 1929 and 1979. He was born in Trebizond, Ottoman Empire, and died in Thessaloniki, Greece, following a ...

.... ''Filippas Kyriazopoulos'' *

Angelos Mavropoulos Angelos Mavropoulos ( el, Άγγελος Μαυρόπουλος, 1901 in Asia Minor (now Turkey) – 5 March 1979 in Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city ...

.... ''judge'' *

Lavrentis Dianellos Lavrentis Dianellos (Greek: Λαυρέντης Διανέλλος; 1911 – 16 September 1978) was a Greek actor. From 1948 to 1975, he appeared in 200 films, leading one reviewer to call him "ubiquitous." Indicative filmography * ''The Germans ...

.... ''Sotiris Siakas''

Trivia

* The film marked Zoe Laskari's debut in cinema. * The role of protagonist was offered to Aliki Vougiouklaki but she turned it down due to the nude scenes. * Zoe Laskari poses as a threat to Aliki Vougiouklaki's vast popularity. * The film boosted

's and Vangelis Voulgaridis's popularity. * The movie reached number one at the Greek

box office A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicke ...

that year. * After the movie Zoe Laskari signed an exclusive contract with

Finos Films Finos Film (Greek: Φίνος Φιλμ) is a film production company that dominated the Greek film industry from 1943 to 1977. It was founded by Filopimin Finos in 1942 during World War II. It was the biggest film production company in Greece at ...

her being paid every month. * The movie was screened worldwide and was number one in the box-office in Mexico during the season 1962-63 and was played for 57 consecutive weeks in the cinemas of Mexico City. * The movie was due to be shown at the 1961

Thessaloniki Film Festival The Thessaloniki Film Festival is a Thessaloniki-based cultural institution focusing on cinema. The Institution organizes the Thessaloniki International Film Festival every November and the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival every March, while its y ...

, but

Filopimin Finos Filopimin Finos ( el, Φιλοποίμην Φίνος; 1908 – January 26, 1977) was a Greece, Greek film producer of 186 films and the founder of Finos Film, whose first film was in 1939. He built the first sound recording device in Greece, a ...

withdrew it (along with two others) because he didn't agree with the festival schedule. * The success of the movie led to more films dealing with the issues of the so-called "raging youth" and "teddy boys" (punks) to be produced in the Greek cinema.

References

External links

''O Katiforos''
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Downhill, The 1961 films 1961 drama films 1960s Greek-language films Finos Film films Greek drama films Films directed by Giannis Dalianidis 1960s Greek films

Plot

Cast

Trivia

See also

References

External links