''The Cuckoo Clock'' (Italian: ''L'orologio a cucù'') is a 1938 Italian

historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' Films * ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film * ''Mystery'' ( ...

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...

directed by

Camillo Mastrocinque Camillo Mastrocinque (11 May 1901 – 23 April 1969) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed more than 60 films between 1937 and 1968, and is known to horror film fans for directing ''Terror in the Crypt'' (1964) starring ...

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) ...

Oretta Fiume Oretta Fiume (6 June 1919 – 22 April 1994) was an Italian actress who became a star during the Fascist era after winning a competition.Gundle p.111 One of her final screen roles was in ''La Dolce Vita'' (1960). She was born in Fiume (now Ri ...

and

Laura Solari Laura Solari ( Camaur; 5 January 1913 – 13 September 1984) was an Italian film actress. Early and personal life Laura Camaur was born on 5 January 1913, in Trieste, then part of Austria-Hungary. She was the daughter of sculptor and arti ...

.Aprà p.85 It was shot at the

Cinecittà Studios Cinecittà Studios (; Italian for Cinema City Studios), is a large film studio in Rome, Italy. With an area of 400,000 square metres (99 acres), it is the largest film studio in Europe, and is considered the hub of Italian cinema. The studios wer ...

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 ...

and on location in

Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 158,493 residents in December 2017. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn (pronou ...

. The film's sets were designed by artistic director Gino Brosio.

Synopsis

At the time of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

's escape from

Elba Elba ( it, isola d'Elba, ; la, Ilva) is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano National ...

, a wealthy

banker A bank is a financial institution that accepts Deposit account, deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital m ...

from

hides his gold in a

cuckoo clock A cuckoo clock is, typically, a pendulum clock that strikes the hours with a sound like a common cuckoo call and has an automated cuckoo bird that moves with each note. Some move their wings and open and close their beaks while leaning forwards ...

to protect it from seizure by revolutionaries.

Cast

as Il capitano Ducci *

as Paolina *

as Elvira *

Lamberto Picasso Lamberto Picasso (21 October 1880 – 17 September 1962) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 70 films between 1914 and 1953. Selected filmography * ''The Naked Truth'' (1914) * ''The Doctor's Secret'' (1931) * ''Paradise'' (1932) * ' ...

as Il conte Scarabelli *

Ugo Ceseri Ugo Ceseri (30 June 1893 – 3 December 1940) was an Italian stage and film actor. He appeared in forty two films between 1931 and his death in 1940. In 1934 he appeared in the play '' 18 BL'', an attempt to create a mass theatre by the Fascist ...

as Barni, il fanatico bonapartista *

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 La 'Nenna' *

Guglielmo Sinaz Guglielmo Sinaz (20 November 1885 – 5 February 1947) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in more than 60 films between 1935 and 1947. He was born and died in Rome, Italy. Selected filmography * ''I Love You Only'' (1935) * '' The Grea ...

as Il banchiere Rosen *

Augusto Marcacci Augusto Marcacci (4 June 1892 – 7 December 1969) was an Italian actor and voice actor.Mancini p.229 Selected filmography * '' Dimmed Lights'' (1934) * '' Lady of Paradise'' (1934) * '' Golden Arrow'' (1935) * ''Condottieri'' (1937) * '' The Cuc ...

as Kreuss, l'ispettore di polizia *

Guglielmo Barnabò Guglielmo Barnabò (11 May 1888 – 31 May 1954) was an Italian stage and film actor. He appeared in more than 90 films between 1926 and 1954. Life and career Born in Ancona, Barnabò made his stage debut in 1921 at the Greek Theatre of ...

as Il sergente MacNeill * Sergio Dani as Il lord ammiraglio * Checco Rissone as Narciso *

Giuseppe Pierozzi Giuseppe Pierozzi (8 March 1883 – 22 April 1956) was an Italian stage and film actor.Goble p.349 Selected filmography * ''Maddalena Ferat'' (1920) * '' Through the Shadows'' (1923) * ''Samson'' (1923) * '' The Faces of Love'' (1924) * '' The F ...

as Tonino

References

Bibliography

* Aprà, Adriano. ''The Fabulous Thirties: Italian Cinema 1929-1944''. Electa International, 1979.

External links

* 1938 mystery films 1930s historical films Italian historical films Italian mystery films 1938 films 1930s Italian-language films Films directed by Camillo Mastrocinque Italian black-and-white films Films shot at Cinecittà Studios Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films set in the 1810s Films set in Livorno 1930s Italian films {{1930s-Italy-film-stub