''The Scientific Cardplayer'', also known as ''The Scopone Game'' ( it, Lo scopone scientifico), is a 1973 Italian
comedy-drama film
Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
directed by
Luigi Comencini
Luigi Comencini (; 8 June 1916 – 6 April 2007) ''The Guardian'' was an Italian
An aging and wealthy American woman journeys to Rome each year with her chauffeur George to play the card game scopone with destitute Peppino and his wife Antonia. The annual scenario remains unchanged: she donates the initial stakes, then ultimately wins the game, shattering the couple's dream of scoring a victory and improving their lot in life. Eventually their daughter Cleopatra seeks revenge on her parents' behalf.
Production notes
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...
was in the midst of a three-week vacation at the La Costa health spa in Carlsbad, California when she received the script. On 24-hour notice, she flew to Rome for filming, but did not learn that the dialogue was to be recorded in Italian until the first day of shooting.
This was the third on-screen pairing of Davis and
Joseph Cotten
Joseph Cheshire Cotten Jr. (May 15, 1905 – February 6, 1994) was an American film, stage, radio and television actor. Cotten achieved prominence on Broadway, starring in the original stage productions of '' The Philadelphia Story'' and '' Sab ...
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...
as The Millionairess
*
Joseph Cotten
Joseph Cheshire Cotten Jr. (May 15, 1905 – February 6, 1994) was an American film, stage, radio and television actor. Cotten achieved prominence on Broadway, starring in the original stage productions of '' The Philadelphia Story'' and '' Sab ...
as George
*
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 ...
as Peppino
*
Silvana Mangano
Silvana Mangano (; 21 April 1930 – 16 December 1989) was an Italian film actress. She was one of a generation of thespians who arose from the neorealist movement, and went on to become a major female star, regarded as a sex symbol for the 19 ...
as Antonia
* Antonella Demaggi as Cleopatra
*
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 ...
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 ...
* Original music by
Piero Piccioni
Piero Piccioni (; December 6, 1921 – July 23, 2004) was an Italian film score composer and lawyer.
A pianist, organist, conductor, composer, he was also the prolific author of more than 300 film soundtracks. He played for the first time on ...
* Cinematography by
Giuseppe Ruzzolini
Giuseppe Ruzzolini (21 May 1930 - 16 April 2007) was an Italian cinematographer.
Career
Ruzzolini is known for lensing such films as Stephen King's '' Firestarter'', '' Oedipus Rex'', Sergio Leone's '' Duck, You Sucker!'', and '' My Name is ...
* Art direction by
Luigi Scaccianoce
Luigi Scaccianoce (July 12, 1914, in Venice, Italy – October 18, 1981) was an Italian production designer, art director and set decorator. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Art Direction for his work in '' The Gospel According ...
* Costume design by Bruna Parmesan
Awards
* 1973
David di Donatello Award
The David di Donatello Awards, named after Donatello's ''David'', a symbolic statue of the Italian Renaissance, are film awards given out each year by the '' Accademia del Cinema Italiano'' (The Academy of Italian Cinema). There are 26 award ca ...
for Best Actor (Alberto Sordi, winner)
* 1973 David di Donatello Award for Best Actress (Silvana Mangano, winner)
* 1973 Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists
Nastro d'Argento
The Nastro d'Argento, also known by its translated name Silver Ribbon, is an Italian film award awarded each year since 1946 by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists (Italian: ''Sindacato Nazionale Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani ...
for Best Supporting Actor (Mario Carotenuto, winner)