''Il comune senso del pudore'' is a 1976 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 ...

. It stars

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 ...

, which is also the director,

Claudia Cardinale Claude Joséphine Rose "Claudia" Cardinale (; born 15 April 1938) is an Italian actress. She has starred in some of the most iconic European films of the 1960s and 1970s, acting in Italian, French, and English. Born and raised in La Goulette, a ...

and

Philippe Noiret Philippe Noiret (; 1 October 1930 – 23 November 2006) was a French film actor. Life and career Noiret was born in Lille, France, the son of Lucy (Heirman) and Pierre Noiret, a clothing company representative. He was an indifferent student and ...

Plot

The film consists of four episodes. The plot centers on the changes in morality that involved Italian society in the

1970s File:1970s decade montage.jpg, Clockwise from top left: U.S. President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office following the Watergate scandal in 1974; The United States was still involved in the Vietnam War ...

, mainly focusing on the widespread circulation of erotic movies and magazines.

First episode

A mature worker, Giacinto, decides to celebrate his silver wedding anniversary bringing his wife Erminia to the cinema after a long time. Wandering around Rome, they innocently fall into a number of erotic movies. The couple is initially shocked, but soon start to be somehow fascinated by the sexual content.

Second episode

Ottavio Caramessa, a small-town teacher and writer, is hired as a director by a pornographic magazine, jumping suddenly from rags to riches with the help of his extrovert typist, Loredana. He is soon arrested but has no regrets, being certain to fight a noble fight against obscurantism.

Third episode

Tiziano Ballarin, the local magistrate of a small town in

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, takes strict measures against adult magazines. While the village is excited by his moralistic - and in some cases hypocritical - campaign, Tiziano's wife, Armida, becomes the target of one of the magazines her husband harshly fights.

Fourth episode

The award-winning German actress Ingrid Streissberg refuses to shoot a sodomy scene in a film adaptation of '' Lady Chatterley's Lover'', produced by the hot tempered Giuseppe Costanzo (somewhat inspired by

Dino De Laurentiis Agostino "Dino" De Laurentiis (; 8 August 1919 – 10 November 2010) was an Italian-American film producer. Along with Carlo Ponti, he was one of the producers who brought Italian cinema to the international scene at the end of World War II. He ...

). Having invested a great amount of money, he tries everything to convince the star, and even hires a "group of experts" - among which a self-styled progressive priest - to assert the considerable social and cultural relevance of the scene.

Epilogue

The day of the premiere, all the characters express their favorable opinion about the movie.

Cast

: Giacinto Colonna *

Cochi Ponzoni Aurelio Ponzoni (born 11 March 1941), known professionally as Cochi Ponzoni, is an Italian actor, screenwriter, singer and comedian. Life and career Born Aurelio Ponzoni in Milan, Ponzoni studied at the Italian Liceo classico in Milan, having ...

: Ottavio Caramessa *

Florinda Bolkan Florinda Bolkan (born Florinda Soares Bulcão; 15 February 1941) is a retired Brazilian actress and model. Biography She was born in Uruburetama and lived in Fortaleza and Rio de Janeiro until she moved to Italy. A former flight inspector fo ...

: Loredana Davoli *

: Armida Ballarin *

: Giuseppe Costanzo *

Rossana Di Lorenzo Rossana Di Lorenzo (4 March 1938 – 13 August 2022) was an Italian film actress. Life and career Born in Rome, the sister of actor Maurizio Arena, she debuted in a main role in 1970, playing Alberto Sordi's wife in a segment of the antholo ...

: Erminia Colonna * Silvia Dionisio: Orchidea *

Giò Stajano Countess Maria Gioacchina Stajano Starace Briganti di Panico, known simply as Giò Stajano (1931–2011), was an Italian socialite, writer, journalist, actress, and painter. In the 1960s, before her transition and gender reassignment surgery ( ...

: Fashion photographer *

Renzo Marignano Renzo Marignano (26 March 1923 - 25 November 1987), sometimes credited as Renzo Marignani, was an Italian actor and film director. Born in Genoa, after World War II Marignano was one of the founders of ''Cimofilm'', a production company speciali ...

: Director of '' Lady Chatterley '76'' *

Dagmar Lassander Dagmar Lassander (born as Dagmar Regine Hager on 16 June 1943) is a German actress. The character of Lassander Dagmar in the Italian-influenced 2015 horror film '' We Are Still Here'' is named after her. Early life and career She was born in ...

: Ingrid Streesberg *

Pino Colizzi Giuseppe "Pino" Colizzi (born 12 November 1937) is an Italian actor and voice actor. Biography Born in Rome, Colizzi started his career on stage and in 1960 he got his first major role, playing the title role in a badly received television ad ...

: Tiziano Ballarin *

Ugo Gregoretti Ugo Gregoretti (28 September 1930 – 5 July 2019) was an Italian film, television and stage director, actor, screenwriter, author and television host. He directed 20 films during his career. Biography Born in Rome, Gregoretti entered RAI ...

: Critic *

Marina Cicogna Contessa Marina Cicogna (born 29 May 1934) is a female Italian film producer and photographer. She produced the film '' Belle de Jour,'' which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1967. Personal life Cicogna was born in Rome and g ...

: an advisor *

Armando Brancia Armando Brancia (9 September 1917 – 20 June 1997) was an Italian film and television actor. Life and career Born in Naples, Brancia started his acting career at a mature age playing some minor roles in several RAI TV-series. His breakout ...

: film distributor *

Gisela Hahn Gisela Hahn (born ''Gisela Drenkhan''; 13 May 1943) is a German film actress. She has appeared in more than 40 films since 1964. She was born in Briesen. Selected filmography * ''The Merry Wives of Tyrol'' (1964) - Reni * ''In Bed by Eight'' ...

: Ursula Kerr * Manfred Freyberger: Ingrid's husband *

David Warbeck David Warbeck (born David Mitchell; 17 November 1941 – 23 July 1997) was a New Zealand actor and model best known for his roles in European exploitation and horror films. A native of Christchurch, New Zealand, Warbeck became involved in local ...

: Mellors *

Franca Scagnetti Franca Scagnetti (17 May 1924 – 1 November 1999) was an Italian film actress. She appeared in over 80 films between 1969 and 1999. She was born and died in Rome, Italy. Selected filmography * ''Ehi amigo, sei morto!'' (1970) - Nathaniel' ...

: Restaurant waitress *

Jimmy il Fenomeno Luigi Origene Soffrano, better known by his stage name Jimmy il Fenomeno (April 22, 1932 – August 6, 2018) was an Italian actor who played supporting roles within the Italian cinema. Biography Born in Lucera, Jimmy il Fenomeno began his acting ...

: Himself * Macha Magall: the countess

References

External links

* 1976 films 1970s Italian-language films Commedia all'italiana Films about pornography Films directed by Alberto Sordi Films scored by Piero Piccioni Films set in Rome Films set in Italy 1976 comedy films 1970s Italian films {{1970s-Italy-comedy-film-stub