''The Merry Widower'' (Italian: ''Il vedovo allegro'') is a 1950 Italian

romance film Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...

directed by

Mario Mattoli Mario Mattoli (; 30 November 1898 – 26 February 1980) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed 86 films between 1934 and 1966. His 1939 film ''Defendant, Stand Up!'' was shown as part of a retrospective on Italian comedy ...

and starring

Carlo Dapporto Carlo Dapporto (26 June 1911 – 1 October 1989) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 35 films between 1944 and 1987. He was born in Sanremo, Italy and died in Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC ...

Isa Barzizza Isa Barzizza (born 22 November 1929) is an Italian actress who has appeared in 46 films since 1947. Life and career Early life Born in Sanremo, Barzizza is the daughter of the conductor and composer Pippo Barzizza.Gianfranco Baldazzi. "Isa Barz ...

and

Amedeo Nazzari Amedeo Nazzari (10 December 1907 in Cagliari – 5 November 1979 in Rome) was an Italian actor. Nazzari was one of the leading figures of Italian classic cinema, often considered a local variant of the Australian–American star Errol Flynn. Al ...

.Chiti & Poppi p.394 It was shot at the

Farnesina Studios Farnesina may refer to: Architecture * Casa della Farnesina, an historic building of the ancient Rome, in the neighborhood of Trastevere, Rome * Palazzo della Farnesina, the headquarters of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the government of the ...

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 ...

. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...

Piero Filippone Piero Filippone (1911–1998) was an Italian art director who designed the sets for around two hundred films. He created the sets for Roberto Rossellini's 1954 film '' Journey to Italy''.Brunette p.416 Selected filmography * '' Three Cornered H ...

Plot

Bebè, a variety artist, runs a

nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

Cannes Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions I ...

on the

French Riviera The French Riviera (known in French as the ; oc, Còsta d'Azur ; literal translation " Azure Coast") is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is usually considered to extend fro ...

. Unknown to both his girlfriend Lucy and the other performers, he has a young daughter living in San Remo with his grandmother. Lucy becomes suspicious due to his repeated absences, unaware that Bebè's daughter is ill and needs an expensive operation.

Cast

as Bebè *

as Lucy *

as Il professore De Carlo *

Ave Ninchi Ave Maria Ninchi (14 December 1914 – 10 November 1997) was an Italian supporting actress who played character roles on stage, television, and in over 98 feature films that included ''Tomorrow Is Too Late'' (1949) and Louis Malle's ''Murmur ...

as Dolores *

Irasema Dilián Irasema Dilián (born Eva Irasema Warschalowska; May 27, 1924 – April 16, 1996) was an actress. Born in Brazil to Polish parents, she began her film career in Italy, and appeared in Italian, Spanish and Mexican films. Biography Irasema Dili ...

as Peggy *

Luigi Pavese Luigi Pavese (25 October 1897 – 13 December 1969) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Biography Born in Asti, Pavese started his career in 1916 working as a silent film actor at 19 years of age. He then began his theatrical debut in 192 ...

as Il commissario dell'Interpol * Mimma Beccari as La piccola Anna Maria *

Arnoldo Foà Arnoldo Foà (24 January 1916 – 11 January 2014) was an Italian actor, voice actor, theatre director, singer and writer. He appeared in more than 130 films between 1938 and 2014. Biography Foà was born in Ferrara, Italy, to a Jewish fa ...

as Roy *

Tina De Mola Ernesta De Mola, best known as Tina De Mola (28 October 1923 – 18 April 2012), was an Italian actress, singer and television personality. Life and career Born in Milan, De Mola was the daughter of a barber. After winning a contest for new ...

as La maestrina *

Toti Dal Monte Antonietta Meneghel (27 June 189326 January 1975), better known by her stage name Toti Dal Monte, was a celebrated Italian operatic lyric soprano . She may be best remembered today for her performance as Cio-cio-san in Puccini's ''Madama Butterf ...

as La suocera *

Cesco Baseggio Francesco "Cesco" Baseggio (1897–1971) was an Italian stage, film and television actor. He was born in Venice, and was identified with Venetian roles during his film career.Brunetta p.87 He appeared in a mixture of serious, dramatic films, as w ...

as Il suocero *

Laura Gore Laura Gore (30 September 1918 – 27 March 1957) was an Italian actress and voice actress. She appeared in 39 films between 1945 and 1955. She was born in Bussoleno, Turin as Laura Emilia Regli. While studying accounting, in 1940 she won th ...

as La dottoressa *

Ubaldo Lay Ubaldo Lay (14 April 1917 - 27 September 1984) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Life and career Born in Rome as Ubaldo Bussa, after graduating in law, Lay was admitted to the Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1939, from which he graduated with ...

as Shaphiro *

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 Il primo portiere del tabarin *

Mario Pisu Mario Pisu (21 May 1910 – 17 July 1976) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Biography Born in Montecchio Emilia, Pisu was considered to be one of the most elegant performers of the Italian cinema. He began his career on stage and screen in ...

as Il nuovo portiere del tabarin *

Aldo Silvani Aldo Silvani (21 January 1891 – 12 November 1964) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in more than 110 films between 1934 and 1964. He was born in Turin, Italy and died in Milan, Italy. Selected filmography * ''Cardinal Lambertini'' ...

as Un medico anziano *

Vinicio Sofia Vinicio Sofia (13 November 1907 – 30 December 1982) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Biography Born in Corleone, Sofia began his career on screen in 1933 when he made his film debut in '' Black Shirt'' directed by Giovacchino Forzano ...

as Un poliziotto

References

Bibliography

* Chiti, Roberto & Poppi, Roberto. ''Dizionario del cinema italiano: Dal 1945 al 1959''. Gremese Editore, 1991.

External links

*
Il vedovo allegro in CineDataBase
1950 films 1950s Italian-language films Italian black-and-white films Films directed by Mario Mattoli 1950s romance films Italian romance films Films set in Cannes Films set in Italy 1950s Italian films {{1950s-romance-film-stub