''Love of a Clown'', or '' Pagliacci'', is a

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...

Italian film The cinema of Italy (, ) comprises the films made within Italy or by Italian directors. Since its beginning, Italian cinema has influenced film movements worldwide. Italy is one of the birthplaces of art cinema and the stylistic aspect of film h ...

based on

Ruggero Leoncavallo Ruggero (or Ruggiero) Leoncavallo ( , , ; 23 April 18579 August 1919) was an Italian opera composer and librettist. Although he produced numerous operas and other songs throughout his career it is his opera '' Pagliacci'' (1892) that remained hi ...

's opera ''

Pagliacci ''Pagliacci'' (; literal translation, "Clowns") is an Italian opera in a prologue and two acts, with music and libretto by Ruggero Leoncavallo. The opera tells the tale of Canio, actor and leader of a commedia dell'arte theatrical company, who m ...

'', directed by Mario Costa. The film stars

Tito Gobbi Tito Gobbi (24 October 19135 March 1984) was an Italian operatic baritone with an international reputation. He made his operatic debut in Gubbio in 1935 as Count Rodolfo in Bellini's ''La sonnambula'' and quickly appeared in Italy's major opera ...

and

Gina Lollobrigida Luigia "Gina" Lollobrigida (born 4 July 1927) is an Italian actress, photojournalist, and politician. She was one of the highest-profile European actresses of the 1950s and early 1960s, a period in which she was an international sex symbol. As o ...

. It recounts the tragedy of Canio, the lead clown (or ''pagliaccio'' in Italian) in a

commedia dell'arte (; ; ) was an early form of professional theatre, originating from Italian theatre, that was popular throughout Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was formerly called Italian comedy in English and is also known as , , and . Charact ...

troupe, his wife Nedda, and her lover, Silvio. When Nedda spurns the advances of Tonio, another player in the troupe, he tells Canio about Nedda's betrayal. In a jealous rage Canio murders both Nedda and Silvio. The only actor in the cast who also sang his role was the celebrated Italian

baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...

, Tito Gobbi, but the film is largely very faithful to its source material, presenting the opera nearly complete. The film premiered on 16 April 1950 in the USA. It is notable for having been filmed largely in outdoor settings, much like a big-budgeted film version of a Broadway musical.

Plot

Cast

as Tonio, the hunchback / Silvio *

as Nedda, wife of Canio * Onelia Fineschi as Nedda (singing voice) *

Afro Poli Afro Poli (22 December 1902 in Pisa – 22 February 1988 in Rome) was an Italian operatic baritone, particularly associated with the Italian repertory. Kutsch, Karl J. and Riemens, Leo (2004)"Poli, Afro" ''Großes Sängerlexikon'' 4th Edition, V ...

as Canio, master of the troupe *

Galliano Masini Galliano Masini (7 February 1896 – 15 February 1986) was a leading Italian operatic tenor, particularly associated with the ''spinto'' (lyric-dramatic) roles of the Italian repertory. Masini was born in Livorno in humble circumstances. He stud ...

as Canio (singing voice) *

Filippo Morucci Filippo is an Italian male given name, which is the equivalent of the English name Philip, from the Greek ''Philippos'', meaning "amante dei cavalli".''Behind the Name''"Given Name Philip" Retrieved on 23 January 2016. The female variant is Filip ...

as Beppe, troupe harlequin * Gino Sinimberghi as Beppe (singing voice)

Sources

* 1948 films 1948 musical films Italian musical films 1940s Italian-language films Italian black-and-white films Films based on operas Films set in the 1860s Films about theatre Films about clowns Opera films Films directed by Mario Costa 1940s Italian films {{musical-film-stub