''The Letters Page'' ( it, Piccola posta) is a

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by Steno, starring

Alberto Sordi Alberto Sordi (15 June 1920 – 24 February 2003) was an Italian actor, voice actor, singer, comedian, director and screenwriter. Early life Born in Rome to a schoolteacher and a musician and the last of five children, Sordi was named in hon ...

. Actually the film's full title is ''Piccola posta ovvero: cercasi vecchia con dote'' (translation: "The Letters Page, or Searching for a Rich Older Woman"). Co-writer

Lucio Fulci Lucio Fulci (; 17 June 1927 – 13 March 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Although he worked in a wide array of genres through a career spanning nearly five decades, including comedies and Spaghetti Westerns, he garn ...

has a cameo appearance in the film (young man with glasses). Cameraman Delli Colli's wife (Alexandra) years later wound up co-starring in one of Fulci's later

slasher film A slasher film is a genre of horror films involving a killer stalking and murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed or sharp tools like knife, chainsaw, scalpel, etc. Although the term "slasher" may occasionally be used informally as a ...

s, ''The New York Ripper'' (1982). ''Piccola Posta'' is a sequel of sorts to Steno's earlier film ''

A Day in Court ''A Day in Court'' (Italian: ''Un giorno in pretura'') is a 1954 Italian comedy film directed by Steno and starring Peppino De Filippo, Silvana Pampanini, Sophia Loren, and Alberto Sordi. The film is an anthology, consisting of a day's cases b ...

'', similarly formatted into a series of short vignettes, each involving different characters, and the stories are all tied together through Lady Eva and her "Dear Abby"-style column. Steno said in interviews that he liked Sordi and allowed him to adlib some of the scenes, Sordi basing his material on past experiences he claimed to have had with older women.Howarth, Troy (2015). Splintered Visions: Lucio Fulci and his Films. Midnight Marquee Press. page 40.

Plot

Alberto Sordi plays Rodolfo Vanzino, a phony nobleman / con man who runs a nursing home in which he preys upon the aged old ladies in his care, hoping to get their insurance money when they die. Franca Valeri plays Lady Eva, a seemingly wealthy Polish woman of noble birth, who writes a popular "Advice to the Lovelorn" column in a newspaper. Although Eva is well intentioned, her advice get some of her readers in a bind, such as one woman who enters Vanzino's nursing home as a patient on Eva's advice. But although she freely dispenses romantic advice to her readers, her own love life suffers as she is hopelessly in love with a veterinarian who doesn't even known she exists. The phony noblewoman opens a dog salon in the hopes of attracting her true love's attention, but the dogs escape and cause a disturbance in the town. The finale has a number of the characters all meeting up again at the local police station for various reasons.

Cast

Franca Valeri Alma Franca Maria Norsa (31 July 1920 – 9 August 2020), known professionally as Franca Valeri, was an Italian actress, playwright, screenwriter, author, and theatre director. Life and career Born in Milan as Alma Franca Maria Norsa, she manage ...

Lady Eva *

: Rodolfo Vanzino *

Peppino De Filippo Peppino De Filippo (born Giuseppe De Filippo; 24 August 1903 – 27 January 1980) was an Italian actor. De Filippo was born in Naples, brother of actor and dramatist Eduardo De Filippo and of Titina De Filippo. He made his stage debut at th ...

: Gigliozzi *

Memmo Carotenuto Memmo Carotenuto (23 August 1908 – 23 December 1980) was an Italian actor. He appeared in 125 films between 1941 and 1980. Selected filmography *''The Wedding Trip'' (1969) * ''Assassination in Rome'' (1965) * ''Male Companion'' (1964) ...

: Ranuccio * Anna Maria Pancani: Franchina *

Nanda Primavera Nanda Primavera (23 August 1898 – 9 August 1995) was an Italian actress. She appeared in more than thirty films from 1936 to 1988. Filmography References External links * 1898 births 1995 deaths Italian film actresses {{Ita ...

: Lady Eva's Mother * Sergio Raimondi: Marco Cappelli * Amalia Pellegrini: Donna Virginia *

Nietta Zocchi Nietta Zocchi (10 July 1909 – 23 April 1981) was an Italian film actress. She appeared in 70 films between 1936 and 1976. Selected filmography * ''The Amnesiac'' (1936) - Zelinda (uncredited) * '' To Live'' (1936) - Una spettatrice al concer ...

: Gigliozzi's Wife * Nicoletta Orsomando: Herself *

Vincenzo Talarico Vincenzo Talarico (28 April 1909 – 16 August 1972), was an Italian screenwriter and film actor. He wrote for 27 films between 1940 and 1966. He also appeared in 15 films between 1946 and 1964. He was born in Acri, Italy and died in Fiuggi ...

: The Editor *

Salvo Libassi A salvo is the simultaneous discharge of artillery or firearms including the firing of guns either to hit a target or to perform a salute. As a tactic in warfare, the intent is to cripple an enemy in one blow and prevent them from fighting b ...

: Eng. Tamburella

References

External links

* 1955 films Italian comedy films 1955 comedy films Films directed by Stefano Vanzina Italian black-and-white films 1950s Italian films {{1950s-Italy-comedy-film-stub