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 o ...
directed by
Luigi Zampa
Luigi Zampa (2 January 1905 – 16 August 1991) was an Italian film director.
Biography
Son of a worker, Zampa studied filmmaking from 1932 to 1937 at the Italian film school Centro sperimentale di cinematografia in Rome.
He directed several ...
. 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 ...
and Sylva Koscina, it tells the story of a young woman in
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 ...
who is first sucked into a life of crime by a released convict and then has an awakening of conscience.
Plot
From a poor district beside the railway tracks, Cesira tries to earn a living as an ill-paid salesgirl but will not accept the male advances that go with the job. Back into her life breezes Cencio, a career criminal who is just out of jail and looking for new opportunities. He tries blackmailing all of Cesira's former employers who have forced their attentions on her, and from one of them steals an expensive watch. This he gives to Cesira as a present but she, needing money not useless ostentation, sells it to a jeweller who is also a notorious fence. Cencio dresses as a policeman, arrests the jeweller, empties his safe, and takes him to jail. The man gets 10 years for his crimes.
Cesira's last employer, Raimondi, repents of the way he treated Cesira and sets her up to sell some of his stock in a little shop of her own. But his business is not doing well and his accountant advises him to get what money he can out of the country before it is seized by taxman and creditors. The owner of a dress shop knows of a Vatican official who can arrange such things and Cencio dresses as the man, with Cesira as his lookout. When Raimondi arrives, he is shocked to see the two about to swindle him and leaves in disgust.
Cesira realises how stupid she has been to go along with Cencio's rackets, and is ashamed of how Raimondi has been treated. The police meanwhile, who have been looking for the fake policeman who dumped the fence at the jail, trace him and recoup his loot. He goes back to jail, asserting that Cesira was not a knowing accomplice, while Raimondi asks Cesira if she will help rebuild his business as his wife.
Cast
*
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 ...
Alberto Bonucci
Alberto Bonucci (; 19 May 1918 – 5 April 1969) was an Italian film actor and director. He appeared in 53 films between 1950 and 1967. He was born in Campobasso, Italy and died in Rome, Italy.
Partial filmography
* ''Variety Lights'' (1950) ...
- Dr. Valletti
*
Mario Carotenuto
Mario Carotenuto (30 June 1916 – 14 April 1995) was an Italian actor of film and theatre.
Biography
Carotenuto, the son of a silent film actor and younger brother of the actor Memmo Carotenuto, took various humble jobs for many years be ...
Mario Riva
Mario Riva (26 January 1913 – 1 September 1960) was an Italian television presenter and actor. He appeared in 51 films between 1941 and 1960.
Life and career
Born in Rome as Mariuccio Bonavolontà, the son of a composer, Giuseppe (Joseph) ...
- Commendator Maghetti
*
Marisa Merlini
Marisa Merlini (6 August 1923 – 27 July 2008) was an Italian character actress active in Italy's post-World War II cinema. Merlini appeared in over fifty films during her career, which spanned from World War II to 2005. In Luigi Comencini's 19 ...
- Marialele
*
Ettore Manni
Ettore Manni (6 May 1927 – 27 July 1979) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1952 and 1979.
Life and career
Born in Rome, Manni debuted as an actor in 1952, when in spite of his acting inexperience he wa ...
- Raimondi
*
Anita Durante
Anita Durante (28 September 1897 – 2 May 1994) was an Italian actress.
Born Anita Bianchi in Rome into a humble family, after attending a dramatic society for several years Durante made her official debut on stage in 1919, in Ettore Petro ...
- Cencio's Mother
*
Carlo Delle Piane
Carlo Delle Piane (2 February 1936 – 23 August 2019) was an Italian film actor. From 1948 until his death, he appeared in more than 100 films.Nando Bruno - Policeman
*
Mino Doro
Mino Doro (6 May 1903 – 13 April 1992) was an Italian actor who appeared in more than a hundred films between 1932 and 1970. Doro generally played supporting and character roles. He appeared as a blackshirt in the 1934 Fascist propaganda fi ...
- Jeweller
*
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 ...
Ada Colangeli
Ada Colangeli (5 March 1913 – 29 February 1992) was an Italian character actress.
Life and career
Born in Rome, Colangeli began acting in the early 1940s, and she was mainly cast in roles of women from a low social class. Active for about tw ...