''The Art of Getting Along'' ( it, L'arte di arrangiarsi) is a

1954 Events January * January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany. * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fir ...

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 ...

and 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 ...

. Following '' Difficult Years'' and ''

Easy Years ''Easy Years'' ( it, Anni facili) is a 1953 drama film directed by Luigi Zampa and starring Nino Taranto. Cast *Nino Taranto as Professor Luigi De Francesco *Clelia Matania as Rosina, his wife *Giovanna Ralli as Teresa, his daughter *Gino Buz ...

'', it is the third and final chapter in the trilogy about Italian politics under the continuing shadow of fascism conceived by

Vitaliano Brancati Vitaliano Brancati (; 24 July 1907 – 25 September 1954) was an Italian novelist, dramatist, poet and screenwriter. Biography Born in Pachino, Syracuse, Brancati studied in Catania, where he graduated in letters and where he spent the most pa ...

. In the person of an unprincipled Sicilian rogue, it delivers a satirical portrait of Italian society from 1913 to 1953. In 2008 the film was selected to enter the list of the 100 Italian films to be saved.

Plot

Sasà Scimoni, nephew and unpaid assistant of the mayor of Catania, adapts himself to any man who may be able to help him advance and to any woman he may be able to take advantage of. Falling for the wife of an honest socialist politician, he becomes an activist and through his machinations the husband gets five years in jail. By then the First World War, which Sasà avoids after feigning madness, has come and gone. Marrying a dim but rich heiress, he becomes her brother's right-hand man in a flour milling business. When the Fascists seize power he becomes an activist, but hastily burns his insignia after the Allies land in Sicily (one of their bombs carrying off his wife) and then profits from the black market. At a beauty parade he falls for Lilli, the winner who says she wants to get into films. Hearing that backers of a film can make a fortune if it is a success, he persuades a dim but rich duke to promise initial finance and with Lilli as his "fiancée" heads for Rome. The public mood being strongly in favour of the Communist party, he becomes a supporter and plans a film about the workers. When the elections are however won by the Christian Democrats, the Catholic party, he promptly supports them and plans a film about a saint. The duke then declines further finance unless he can first get his capital out of the country, so Sasà finds him a church dignitary who can send money legally to foreign missions. The money ends up with Sasà, who buys farmland outside Rome, evicts squatters, and bribes an official to obtain permission for development. His machinations exposed, he gets five years in jail. On release he founds his own political party for victims of capitalism, but it wins few votes. The final shot shows him with his latest girl, in Bavarian dress, selling German razor blades off the back of a lorry.

Cast

– Rosario Scimoni *

Marco Guglielmi Marco Guglielmi (6 October 1926 – 28 December 2005) was an Italian actor, screenwriter and author. Life and career Born Augusto Guglielmi in Sanremo, he graduated from ragioneria, then he enrolled at the university in the faculty of economi ...

– Avv. Giardini *

Franco Coop Franco Coop (27 September 1891 – 27 March 1962), was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 65 films between 1931 and 1960. He was born in Naples, Italy and died in Rome, Italy. Selected filmography * '' Before the Jury'' (1931) * '' Moth ...

– Il sindaco *

Luisa Della Noce Maria Luisa Della Noce (28 April 1923 – 15 May 2008) was an Italian actress. She was perhaps best known for her roles in the films ''The Railroad Man'' (1956) and ''Juliet of the Spirits ''Juliet of the Spirits'' ( it, Giulietta degli spi ...

– Paola * – Pizzarro * Elena Gini – Mariuccia Guardini *

Elli Parvo Elli Parvo (17 October 1915 – 19 February 2010) was an Italian film actress, born in Milan as Elvira Gobbo. She appeared in more than 50 films between 1934 and 1960. Selected filmography * '' Loyalty of Love'' (1934) as La nobildonna al ...

– Emma Scimoni *

Armenia Balducci Armenia Balducci (13 March 1933 – 29 July 2022) was an Italian actress, screenwriter and director. Biography Balducci was elected Miss Testaccio and had a short acting career, acting under the pseudonym Bella Visconti, which spanned six films ...

– Lilli De Angelis * Carlo Sposito – Duca di Lanocita (as Carletto Sposito) * Giovanni Di Benedetto – Onorevole Toscano (as Gianni De Benedetto) * Antonio Acqua – Ing. Casamottola *

Gino Buzzanca Gino Buzzanca (8 March 1912 – 5 May 1985) was an Italian film actor. Life and career Born in Messina, Buzzanca began his career on stage, specializing as an actor of the Sicilian language theater, and starring in works by Luigi Pirande ...

– Barone Mazzei

References

External links

* 1954 films 1950s Italian-language films 1954 comedy films Italian black-and-white films Films set in Sicily Films set in Rome Films directed by Luigi Zampa Italian comedy films Films scored by Alessandro Cicognini 1950s Italian films {{1950s-Italy-comedy-film-stub