''Via Padova 46'' is a 1953 Italian

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 Giorgio Bianchi and starring

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 ...

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 ...

Giulietta Masina Giulia Anna "Giulietta" Masina (22 February 1921 – 23 March 1994) was an Italian film actress best known for her performances as Gelsomina in ''La Strada'' (1954) and Cabiria in ''Nights of Cabiria'' (1957), for which she won the Cannes Film F ...

and Arlette Poirier. The film's sets were designed by the art director

Saverio D'Eugenio Saverio is a given name of Italian origin. It is a cognate of Xavier and Javier, both of which originate from ''Xabier'', the Basque name for the Spanish town Javier. ''Xabier'' is itself the romanization of ''etxe berri'' meaning "new house" or ...

. It earned around 142 million lira at the box office.Chiti & Poppi p.400

Synopsis

In postwar

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 ...

a clerk at the finance ministry leads a dull, monotonous life at work and had home where he lives with his

hypochondriac Hypochondriasis or hypochondria is a condition in which a person is excessively and unduly worried about having a serious illness. An old concept, the meaning of hypochondria has repeatedly changed. It has been claimed that this debilitating cond ...

wife and domineering mother-in-law. His life takes on air of excitement, however, when he is invited to a rendezvous at an apartment on the Via Padova with an attractive foreign woman. On arriving there he finds her murdered and now fears that the police are close on his trail.

Songs

In the scene where Arduino Buongiorno goes alone on Sunday afternoon to the Italia bar in Piazza della Repubblica in Rome to get some vanilla cake, the song Maria Magdalena sung by Flo Sandon's with the orchestra conducted by Federico is heard to the rhythm of samba Bergamini.

Cast

as Arduino Buongiorno *

as Gianrico *

as Irene * Arlette Poirier as Marcella Dupont * Leopoldo Trieste as The Man with a Cigarette *

Ada Dondini Ada Dondini (18 March 1883 – 3 January 1958) was an Italian film actress. She appeared in 48 films between 1916 and 1954. She was born in Cosenza, Italy and died in Chieti, Italy. Selected filmography * '' The Charmer'' (1931) * '' Just ...

as Arduino's Mother-in-Law *

Lidia Martora Lidia may refer to: * Lidia (given name) * ''Lidia'' (spider), a spider genus * Hurricane Lidia, multiple storms * '' Comoedia Lydiae'', a medieval Latin elegiac comedy from the late twelfth century * Spanish Fighting Bull, also known as ''to ...

as Carmela *

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 The Office Manager *

Ernesto Almirante Ernesto Almirante (24 September 1877 – 13 December 1964) was an Italian film and stage actor. Life and career Born in Mistretta into a family of actors, Almirante worked several years on stage along his father Nunzio. He was also active as a ...

as Cesare *

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 ...

as Bertuccelli * Lamberto Maggiorani as The Porter in Via Padova *

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 ...

as Avvocato Tancredo Tancredi *

Vittorio Duse Vittorio Duse (21 March 1916 – 2 June 2005) was an Italian actor, screenwriter and film director. Biography One of Duse's first roles was in Luchino Visconti's debut feature ''Ossessione'' (1942). Outside Italy, Duse is known for his rol ...

as Policeman at the Airport *

Franco Giacobini Franco Giacobini (5 March 1926 – 27 December 2015) was an Italian actor. Born in Rome as Francesco Giacobini, he graduated at Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico in 1948, then started a prolific stage career, working in comed ...

as The Journalist

References

Bibliography

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

External links

* 1953 films Italian comedy films 1953 comedy films 1950s Italian-language films Films directed by Giorgio Bianchi Italian black-and-white films Films shot in Rome Films set in Rome 1950s Italian films {{1950s-Italy-film-stub it:Lo scocciatore (Via Padova 46)