''The Return of Don Camillo'' (Italian: ''Il ritorno di Don Camillo''; French: ''Le Retour de don Camillo'') is a 1953 French-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 Julien Duvivier and starring

Fernandel Fernand Joseph Désiré Contandin (8 May 1903 – 26 February 1971), better known as Fernandel, was a French actor and singer. Born near Marseille, France, to Désirée Bedouin and Denis Contandin, originating in Perosa Argentina, an Occitan t ...

Gino Cervi Luigi Cervi (3 May 1901 – 3 January 1974), better known as Gino Cervi (), was an Italian actor. He was best known for portraying Peppone in a series of comedies based on the character ''Don Camillo'' (1952-1965), and police detective Jules ...

and Édouard Delmont. The film's sets were designed by Virgilio Marchi. It was the second of five films featuring Fernandel as the Italian priest

Don Camillo Don Camillo () and Peppone () are the fictional protagonists of a series of works by the Italian writer and journalist Giovannino Guareschi set in what Guareschi refers to as the "small world" of rural Italy after World War II. Most of the Don Ca ...

and his struggles with Giuseppe 'Peppone' Bottazzi, the Communist

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

of their rural town.

Plot

is exiled to a remote and bleak mountain parish by his bishop at the request of Peppone, the Communist mayor of a small Po Valley town named Brescello. But the mayor develops problems with the citizens of the town, who want Camillo back as parish priest. In addition, a flood threatens to destroy Brescello and its environs. So Peppone calls back the priest, and he tries to raise the money needed to prevent damage from the imminent flood. However, delays occur and the flood devastates the area. Don Camillo insists on remaining in the town as the townspeople flee to safety, but the film ends on a heart-warming note as the sun breaks out heralding the end of the flood.

Cast

as Don Camillo *

as Giuseppe 'Peppone' Bottazzi * Édouard Delmont as Dr Spiletti *

Paolo Stoppa Paolo Stoppa Knight Grand Cross (6 June 1906 – 1 May 1988) was an Italian actor. Biography Born in Rome, he began as a stage actor in 1927 in the theater in Rome and began acting in films in 1932. As a stage actor, his most celebrated ...

as Marchetti *

Alexandre Rignault Alexandre Rignault (14 February 1901 – 2 April 1985) was a French actor. He appeared in more than a hundred films between 1931 and 1985. Selected filmography External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rignault, Alexandre 1901 births 1985 deaths ...

as Franceso 'Nero' Gallini * Thomy Bourdelle as Cagnola *

Leda Gloria Leda may refer to: Mythology * Leda (mythology), queen of Sparta and mother of Helen of Troy in Greek mythology Places * Leda, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia * Leda makeshift settlement, Bangladesh, a refugee camp ...

as Signora Bottazzi * Charles Vissières as the Bishop * Claudy Chapeland as Beppo Bottazzi * Tony Jacquot as Don Pietro *

Saro Urzì Rosario "Saro" Urzì (24 February 1913 – 1 November 1979) was an Italian actor. He is best known for his roles in the films '' In the Name of the Law'' (1949), '' The Railroad Man'' (1956), '' Seduced and Abandoned'' (1964), which earned him ...

as Brusco the barber * Manuel Gary *

Lia Di Leo Lia Anna Di Leo (22 July 1923 – 15 December 2006) was an Italian actress and model. She entered the 1951 Miss Italy contest and then began acting in films, generally playing glamorous supporting roles. Di Leo's parents died while she was very ...

as the schoolmistress *

Marco Tulli Marco Tulli (20 November 1920 – 20 March 1982) was an Italian character actor, probably best known in the role of "Smilzo" in the Don Camillo film series. Born in Rome, Tulli debuted as actor while he was still a university student, at the end ...

as Lo Smilzo *

Arturo Bragaglia Arturo Bragaglia (7 January 1893 – 21 January 1962) was an Italian actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films from 1938 to 1961. Selected filmography References External links * 1893 births 1962 deaths Italian male f ...

as the roadworker (who gives Don Camillo a lift on his motorbike) *

Enzo Staiola Enzo Staiola (born 15 November 1939) is an Italian actor best known for playing, at the age of nine, the role of Bruno Ricci in Vittorio De Sica's neorealist 1948 film ''Bicycle Thieves''. He appeared in several other films including, in 1954, ...

as Mario Cagnola *

Miranda Campa Miranda Campa (31 January 1914 – 7 May 1989) was a Swiss-born Italian actress and voice actress. Life and career Born Liliana Campa Capodaglio in Geneva, the nephew of actors Pio Campa and Wanda Capodaglio, Campa studied acting at the ...

as Signora Spiletti

Reception

It was the second most popular film of the year at the French box office in 1953.

Sequel

*''

Don Camillo's Last Round ''Don Camillo's Last Round'' (French: ''La grande bagarre de Don Camillo'', Italian: ''Don Camillo e l'onorevole Peppone'') is a 1955 French-Italian comedy film directed by Carmine Gallone and starring Fernandel, Gino Cervi and Leda Gloria. It was ...

'' (Italian: ''Don Camillo e l'onorevole Peppone''; French: ''La Grande Bagarre'') (1955) *'' Don Camillo: Monsignor'' (Italian: ''Don Camillo monsignore ma non troppo''; French: ''Don Camillo Monseigneur'') (1961) *''

Don Camillo in Moscow ''Don Camillo in Moscow'' ( it, Il compagno Don Camillo, "Comrade Don Camillo"; french: Don Camillo en Russie, "Don Camillo in Russia") is a 1965 Italian comedy film directed by Luigi Comencini. It was the fifth film in the Don Camillo series ...

'' (Italian: ''Il compagno don Camillo''; French: ''Don Camillo en Russie'') (1965) *''Don Camillo e i giovani d'oggi'' (French: ''Don Camillo et les contestataires''; English translated: ''Don Camillo and the youth of today'') (1970) (unfinished film)

References

Bibliography

* Moliterno, Gino. ''The A to Z of Italian Cinema''. Scarecrow Press, 2009.

External links

* 1953 films French comedy films Italian comedy films 1953 comedy films 1950s Italian-language films Films about Catholic priests Films based on short fiction Films based on works by Giovannino Guareschi Films directed by Julien Duvivier Films set in Italy Films shot in Abruzzo Films with screenplays by René Barjavel Italian sequel films French sequel films French satirical films Italian satirical films French political satire films Italian political satire films Films critical of communism Films scored by Alessandro Cicognini French black-and-white films Italian black-and-white films 1950s French films 1950s Italian films {{1950s-Italy-comedy-film-stub