''Uncle Marin, the Billionaire'' ( ro, Nea Mărin miliardar) is a 1979 Romanian
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
Sergiu Nicolaescu
Sergiu Florin Nicolaescu (; 13 April 1930 – 3 January 2013) was a Romanian film director, actor and politician.
He was best known for his historical films, such as '' Mihai Viteazul'' (1970, released in English both under the equivalent tit ...
after a script written by , , and Amza Pellea. The main roles are interpreted by Amza Pellea (in dual role),
Draga Olteanu Matei
Draga Olteanu Matei (née Olteanu) (; 24 October 1933 – 18 November 2020) was a Romanian actress. She performed in more than thirty films from 1967 to 2006.
Born in Bucharest, she studied at the Iulia Hasdeu High School in Lugoj. After mov ...
,
Jean Constantin
Jean Constantin (; born Constantin Cornel Jean; 21 August 1927 – 26 May 2010) was a well-known Romanian comedian
of Greek ethnicity.
Constantin was born in Techirghiol, and died in Constanța.
Filmography
*' (2010) .... Agârbiceanu
*''Vin ...
Sebastian Papaiani
Sebastian Papaiani (; 25 August 1936 – 27 September 2016) was a Romanian film and television actor.
He was born in Pitești; his father was of Greek origin. He graduated from the Theatrical Arts and Cinematography Institute in 1960, debutin ...
Colea Răutu
Colea Răutu (; 18 November 1912 – 13 May 2008) was a Romanian actor, born in Bălți (Russian Empire, now Republic of Moldova).
''Nea Mărin miliardar'' is ranked 1 in the top most viewed Romanian films of all time.
Plot
In a pre-credit sequence two criminals hijack a plane and kidnap a young woman. After parachuting out of the plane with the woman, they pass her over to gangsters. The gangsters then murder the kidnappers.
At a swanky hotel in a
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...
resort, Gogu, one of the hotel employees, meets his uncle Marin, an
Oltenia
Oltenia (, also called Lesser Wallachia in antiquated versions, with the alternative Latin names ''Wallachia Minor'', ''Wallachia Alutana'', ''Wallachia Caesarea'' between 1718 and 1739) is a historical province and geographical region of Romania ...
n peasant who has come to visit. Gogu says he can sneak Marin into the hotel, as one of the rooms is empty awaiting the arrival of an American billionaire, Mr. Juvett. Marin is amazed by the revealing clothing worn by women at the resort, while the hotel guests are fascinated by his quaint peasant costume. In the hotel room, Marin is perplexed by the various gadgets. Meanwhile, the gangsters learn that Juvett has arrived at the hotel. Juvett is the father of the kidnapped girl, and is coming to pass over a million dollar ransom. A rival gang, who know about the kidnapping, plan to take the ransom for themselves. They follow Marin, believing him to be Juvett.
When the real Juvett arrives, he is carrying a suitcase containing the ransom, which is identical to the one in which Marin carries his supply of leeks and cheese. He is also identical in appearance to Marin. The gangsters repeatedly mistake Marin for Juvett, while Juvett and Marin constantly exchange suitcases by mistake, leading to numerous farcical situations. Meanwhile, Juvett's daughter, Samantha, escapes from the kidnappers and tries to find her father. The two rival criminal gangs agree to team up, but in reality both plan to double-cross the other and take all the money.
At the hotel, a mysterious American guest with a remarkable resemblance to Lt. Columbo keeps an eye on things. Eventually Veta, Marin's battleaxe wife, arrives and helps her husband by belabouring the kidnappers, while Columbo takes control of the suitcase containing the ransom money. Veta and Marin are captured by the gangsters, but succeed in incapacitating them by drinking them under the table. Columbo arrests the two rival gangs, and Juvett and Samantha decide to stay in Romania a little longer and to visit Marin's home village of Băilești.
Draga Olteanu Matei
Draga Olteanu Matei (née Olteanu) (; 24 October 1933 – 18 November 2020) was a Romanian actress. She performed in more than thirty films from 1967 to 2006.
Born in Bucharest, she studied at the Iulia Hasdeu High School in Lugoj. After mov ...
as Veta
*
Jean Constantin
Jean Constantin (; born Constantin Cornel Jean; 21 August 1927 – 26 May 2010) was a well-known Romanian comedian
of Greek ethnicity.
Constantin was born in Techirghiol, and died in Constanța.
Filmography
*' (2010) .... Agârbiceanu
*''Vin ...
Sebastian Papaiani
Sebastian Papaiani (; 25 August 1936 – 27 September 2016) was a Romanian film and television actor.
He was born in Pitești; his father was of Greek origin. He graduated from the Theatrical Arts and Cinematography Institute in 1960, debutin ...
Adina Popescu
ADINA is a commercial engineering simulation software program that is developed and distributed worldwide by ADINA R & D, Inc. The company was founded in 1986 by Dr. Klaus-Jürgen Bathe, and is headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts, United S ...
as hotel maid
* Stela Popescu as the spy
* as Peach
* as the shop assistant
*
Mircea Albulescu
Iorgu Constantin Albulescu (4 October 1934 – 8 April 2016), known professionally as Mircea Albulescu (), was a Romanian actor, university professor, journalist, poet, writer, and member of the Writers' Union of Romania (''Uniunea Scriitorilor'' ...
as bandit #1
* as bandit #2
* Gil Dobrică as the singer at the bar