''Quanto sei bella Roma'' ( es, ¡Qué bella eres, Roma!) is a 1959 Italian-Spanish

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

film directed by

Marino Girolami Marino Girolami (1 February 1914 – 20 February 1994) was an Italian film director and actor. Biography Marino Giorlami was born on 1 February 1914 in Rome, Italy. Formally a Professional boxer, Girolami ended his boxing career when he was 20. ...

and starring

Claudio Villa Claudio Villa (born Claudio Pica; 1 January 1926 – 7 February 1987) was an Italian singer and actor. Biography Tenor Claudio Villa was born Claudio Pica in the Trastevere quarter of Rome in 1926. He recorded over 3000 songs, sold 45 millio ...

.Renato Venturelli. ''Nessuno ci può giudicare: il lungo viaggio del cinema musicale italiano''. Fahrenheit 451, 1998. .

Plot

Gino and Claudio are two young friends who work for Nando, one as a mechanic, the other as a taxi driver. Both are officially engaged, and the girlfriends are two sisters, Lorella and Patrizia. Nonetheless, the two young men are not alien to allowing themselves some innocent sentimental adventure when the opportunity arises. Gino by chance makes the acquaintance of Ava and Mary, two American girls who have come to visit Rome and, supported by his friend Claudio, briefly makes friends with the two foreigners. In order not to be disturbed in their adventure, Gino and Claudio give their shy friend Nino the task of keeping the two girlfriends at bay. Despite this precaution, Lorella and Patrizia soon discover the devious undertaking to which their boyfriends are dedicated: stung by jealousy, they protest vigorously and contemplate revenge. Ava and Mary also realize that their knights are doing a bad deed and having met Lorella and Patrizia by chance, they agree with them in order to punish the two Don Juan. They first introduce Gino and Claudio to their father, a rude businessman who by dint of terrible handshakes reduces them as submissive as ever, while poisoning them with diabolical cocktails. At this point the two are put with their backs to the wall and invited to make their choice: either Ava and Mary (and America), or Lorella and Patrizia (and Italy). Gino chooses America and together with his friend goes to the Grand Hotel to ask for Ava's hand, but, instead of the American, he finds Sor Checco, father of Lorella and Patrizia who urges the two young people to keep their commitments . Of course, everything fits in the best way: the two couples reconstitute themselves. Ava has found her prince charming in Nino and Nando will also marry an American.

Cast

as Claudio *

Ennio Girolami Enio Girolami (14 January 1935 – 16 February 2013), sometimes credited as Thomas Moore, was an Italian film and television actor. Born in Rome, son of director Marino Girolami and brother of director Enzo G. Castellari, Girolami made his ...

as Gino *

Lorella De Luca Lorella De Luca (17 September 1940 – 9 January 2014) was an Italian film, television, and voice actress. One of the most recognized ingenues of Italian cinema during the mid-to-late 1950s, she is best known for having played naive young girls ...

as Lorella *

Maria Fiore Maria Fiore (1 October 1935 – 28 October 2004) was an Italian film and television actress. She appeared in 50 films between 1952 and 1999. Life and career Born Jolanda Di Fiore in Rome, in spite of a non-professional acting background, sh ...

as Ava * María del Valle as Mary * Laura Granados as Elizabeth *

Raffaele Pisu Raffaele Pisu (24 May 1925 – 31 July 2019) was an Italian actor and comedian. Life and career Born in Bologna as Guerrino Pisu into a family of Sardinian origin, Pisu debuted in the drama theater and in 1945 he was one of the founders of th ...

as Nando *

Carlo Delle Piane Carlo Delle Piane (2 February 1936 – 23 August 2019) was an Italian film actor. From 1948 until his death, he appeared in more than 100 films.Fanfulla Luigi Visconti, better known by his stage name Fanfulla, (26 February 1913 – 5 January 1971) was an Italian actor and comedian. Life and career Born in Rome, Visconti debuted at very young age on stage alongside his mother, the actress Merc ...

as "Angoscia" * Giancarlo Zarfati as Cesaretto * Maruja Bustos as Patrizia *

Manolo Gómez Bur Manolo Gómez Bur (21 April 1917 – 30 May 1991) was a Spanish actor of theatre and films. He appeared in over 90 films between 1943 and 1983. He was born in Madrid and he was soon an actor and he died in Andalucía, Spain. Selected filmogr ...

as Nino * Mimmo Poli as Director of "Carillon" * Tony Aloisi as Gegè *

Enzo Girolami Enzo Girolami Castellari (born 29 July 1938) is an Italian director, screenwriter and actor. Life and career Early life Castellari was born in Rome into a family of filmmakers. His father was a boxer turned film maker Marino Girolami. His uncle ...

as Kid Sventola *

Alberto Sorrentino Alberto Sorrentino (16 February 1916 – 31 January 1994), was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 89 films between 1943 and 1988. He was born in La Spezia, Italy. Selected filmography * '' The Last Wagon'' (1943) - Un passante * '' I c ...

* Juan Calvo as Sor Checco *

Félix de Pomés Félix de Pomés (5 February 1892 – 17 July 1969) was a Spanish footballer, fencer and film actor.Ignazio Dolce Ignazio Dolce (born 26 March 1933) is an Italian director and actor. Life and career Born in Palermo, Sicily, Dolce graduated at Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, and starting from the late 1950s he began a career as a character actor. ...

as Giorgio *

Ughetto Bertucci Ughetto Bertucci (18 October 1907 – 25 June 1966) was an Italian film and stage actor. He appeared in more than 40 films between 1945 and 1960. Life and career He was born and died in Rome, Italy. A fruit vendor in a Roman market square ...

as Taxi Driver

References

External links

* 1959 films 1959 romantic comedy films Italian romantic comedy films Films directed by Marino Girolami 1950s Italian films {{romantic-comedy-film-stub