Treasure of San Gennaro
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''Treasure of San Gennaro'' ( it, Operazione San Gennaro) is a 1966 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 ...
starring
Nino Manfredi Saturnino "Nino" Manfredi (22 March 1921 – 4 June 2004) was an Italian actor, voice actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, comedian, singer, author, radio personality and television presenter. He was one of the most prominent Italian a ...
,
Senta Berger Senta Verhoeven (née Berger; ''Austrian German:'' , ; born 13 May 1941) is an Austrian-German actress. She received many award nominations for her acting in theatre, film and television; her awards include three Bambi Awards, two Romys, an A ...
,
Totò Antonio Griffo Focas Flavio Angelo Ducas Comneno Porfirogenito Gagliardi de Curtis di Bisanzio (15 February 1898 – 15 April 1967), best known by his stage name Totò (), or simply as Antonio de Curtis, and nicknamed ''il Principe della risata ...
and
Claudine Auger Claudine Auger (born Claudine Oger; 26 April 1941 – 18 December 2019) was a French actress best known for her role as a Bond girl, Dominique "Domino" Derval, in the James Bond film '' Thunderball'' (1965). She earned the title of Miss F ...
. It is directed by
Dino Risi Dino Risi (23 December 1916 – 7 June 2008) was an Italian film director. With Mario Monicelli, Luigi Comencini, Nanni Loy and Ettore Scola, he was one of the masters of ''commedia all'italiana''. Biography Risi was born in Milan. He had an o ...
and is a funny classic
story Story or stories may refer to: Common uses * Story, a narrative (an account of imaginary or real people and events) ** Short story, a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting * Story (American English), or storey (British ...
of a perfect robbery plan gone wrong in the Italian way. It was entered into the
5th Moscow International Film Festival The 5th Moscow International Film Festival was held from 5 to 20 July 1967. The Grand Prix was shared between the Soviet film '' The Journalist'', directed by Sergei Gerasimov and the Hungarian film ''Father'', directed by István Szabó. The fe ...
where it won a Silver Prize.


Plot

In
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
in the Sixties, a gang of American thieves arrive in
Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
to steal the famous Treasure of San Gennaro. However the Americans do not know how to move in the picturesque town, because for them the customs of the natives are too weird and incomprehensible. So the two men and the girl (the gang members) go to a prison, following the advice of a friend. There they would find, the man who would assist them in their case, a certain Don Vincenzo, who is a famous thief in the city. However, since he is known by everyone in the prison, he is treated by the guards as a gentleman and with respect. The Americans, when they see this type of treatment, which would be impossible in their country, are quite stunned. Don Vincenzo warmly receives them and advises them to go to Naples and look for a certain Armandino Girasole, known as "Dudù". He says that Dudù is a young thief by profession and he could help them. But the Americans, do not reveal to Don Vincenzo what they intend to steal. They meet Dudù and he agrees to work with them. During their various meetings to prepare the plan, the Americans witness the cheerfulness as well as the grotesque situation of the city of Naples, a symbol of Italy. Everyone whether rich or poor, thinks of nothing but amusement, taking care only to live life as best they can. In fact, the economic boom occurred in Italy during these years. Jack, the leader of the gang, views Dudù's behavior as unacceptable. In fact, although he is known throughout the city as a professional thief, friend of even the cops, he behaves in a manner completely flippant. According to Jack, Dudù should show at least some seriousness and study the plan at his seaside villa. Instead, Dudù tells Jack that can not study the plan because one of his own gang members has to go to the football game, and another must attend a wedding or christening and also celebrate at the evening's huge banquet. While other colleagues are having fun, Jack is frustrated because, he thinks, one does not agree to commit a robbery with adults who act like children. During the wedding banquet in which Dudù is also invited, the Americans, to their surprise, also meet the prisoner Don Vincenzo who was released from the prison for the day only to join the party! Jack has had enough but he must also contend with his friend Joe, who was seated at the table to taste a delicious plate of mussels, a typical Italian dish almost unknown in America. Joe, gorged himself on the mussels. Unfortunately, he dies from indigestion. After the funeral Jack thinks of giving up the job, but eventually convinces himself to again give the plan a shot. Without him noticing, however, his girlfriend Maggie slowly begins to fall in love with Dudù. The day before the famous heist, Dudù and the rest of his gang, including his right arm man Sciascillo, meet in his villa by the sea. Jack, on the verge of losing patience, orders the fool Sciascillo to guard the house and not let anyone disturb him during the discussion of the plan. Unfortunately Sciascillo falls asleep yet every five minutes or so he wakes up and enters the house, trying to sell fake watches and other junk like that. Jack, unable to contain the absurdity of Naples, comes out of the house with a gun in his hand and starts to chase Sciascillo while shooting. The plan is complete but on the last day Dudù and his gang go to the Cathedral of San Gennaro to pray to the saint so that he will not become angry by the theft. Dudù, since he knows the real reason for the heist, is very concerned because he does not want to betray his country, and especially his favorite saint. However, he also speaks with Don Vincenzo, who is again free, and tells him that he will give part of the Treasure of San Gennaro to charities. All are convinced finally to do the job that night, but it soon turns into a mess. In fact, Dudù has just forgotten that night in Italy would begin the celebration of the Song Festival of Naples. An event so famous all over the country and should not be taken so lightly in Naples: people will come out to the streets to comment on the various songs and celebrate in bars. Jack and Maggie, as Americans, do not understand the huge fuss that would be created in the streets of Naples. So Dudù and Sciascillo think to providing the nearby houses and even the police stations with TVs to keep them off the streets. Once they've carried out the task, Dudù can now work, until the end of the festival, as best he can. In the catacombs of the cathedral and in the channels of the sewers, he smashes all the protective walls with dynamite, but there is one last concrete wall to break through. Unfortunately, however, the hole made in the wall to put the TNT is too small, so Dudù has an idea: an idea that would not come to anyone else except to an Italian. He grabs a rat and binds the TNT to it, making him run away in a hole which leads behind the wall, soon the explosion breaks down the wall. Now, finally, the three can access the treasure room of San Gennaro and after a few attempts to break through the strong crystal display case, they finally are successful and remove the treasure. The next day Dudù learns that Jack is dead, betrayed and killed by his partner Maggie, who, he learns, wants to fly back to America with the treasure. Dudù must prevent or rather delay the departure of the aircraft. Who to contact if not Don Vincenzo? Dudù calls his friend at the prison, and requests he phone a friend of his at the airport and to delay the departure of the flight to the United States. Don Vincenzo, with absolute calm, replied that delaying the flight of a plane is not something unimportant, but reassures him that he will do everything possible. His friend at the airport agrees help. Dudù rushes to the airport and tries to find Maggie, who is disguised as a nun to avoid recognition. Without being discovered, Dudù, in the guise of a porter, starts to open Maggie's checked bags, trying to find the treasure. In fact, Maggie is wearing all the jewels on herself, fearing that her baggage could be seized. She assumes she has fooled everyone in Italy, but Sciascillo and Dudù are smarter than her and thus take back the treasure from her, returning the Treasure of San Gennaro to Naples. Though Dudu attempts to take the treasure for himself, he is picked up by a Cardinal in a car after Mamma Assunta tells the Cardinal that Dudu was 'recovering' the jewels, and Dudu is greeted as a public hero when he returns to Naples, with the jewels returned to Saint Gennaro.


Cast

*
Nino Manfredi Saturnino "Nino" Manfredi (22 March 1921 – 4 June 2004) was an Italian actor, voice actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, comedian, singer, author, radio personality and television presenter. He was one of the most prominent Italian a ...
as Armandino Girasole *
Senta Berger Senta Verhoeven (née Berger; ''Austrian German:'' , ; born 13 May 1941) is an Austrian-German actress. She received many award nominations for her acting in theatre, film and television; her awards include three Bambi Awards, two Romys, an A ...
as Maggie *
Harry Guardino Harry Guardino (December 23, 1925 – July 17, 1995) was an American actor whose career spanned from the early 1950s to the early 1990s. Biography Guardino was born to an Italian family on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and raised in Bro ...
as Jack *
Claudine Auger Claudine Auger (born Claudine Oger; 26 April 1941 – 18 December 2019) was a French actress best known for her role as a Bond girl, Dominique "Domino" Derval, in the James Bond film '' Thunderball'' (1965). She earned the title of Miss F ...
as Concettina *
Totò Antonio Griffo Focas Flavio Angelo Ducas Comneno Porfirogenito Gagliardi de Curtis di Bisanzio (15 February 1898 – 15 April 1967), best known by his stage name Totò (), or simply as Antonio de Curtis, and nicknamed ''il Principe della risata ...
as Don Vincenzo *
Mario Adorf Mario Adorf (; born 8 September 1930) is a German actor, considered to be one of the great veteran character actors of European cinema. Since 1954, he has played both leading and supporting roles in over 200 film and television productions, am ...
as Sciascillo *
Ugo Fangareggi Ugo Fangareggi (30 January 1938 – 20 October 2017) was an Italian actor. Life and career Born in Genoa, Fangareggi worked as a dental technician when in 1961 he was noticed by Luigi Squarzina who chose him to act in the play ''Ciascuno a suo ...
as Agonia *
Dante Maggio Dante Maggio (2 March 1909 – 3 March 1992) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 115 films between 1940 and 1975. Born in Naples into a family of actors, Maggio had a turbulent adolescence that led his father to send him in an institu ...
as Il capitano * Giovanni Bruti as Il cardinale * Pinuccio Ardia as Il barone *
Vittoria Crispo Vittoria Crispo (1 May 1900 – 24 December 1973) was an Italian film and television actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the thea ...
as Mamma assunta *
Ralf Wolter Ralf Wolter (26 November 1926 – 14 October 2022) was a German stage and screen actor. Wolter appeared in nearly 220 films and television series in his over 60 years as a character actor. Life and career Wolter began his long career on the B ...
as Frank


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Treasure Of San Gennaro 1966 films 1966 comedy films Italian comedy films Italian heist films 1960s Italian-language films Films directed by Dino Risi Films scored by Armando Trovajoli Films set in Naples 1960s heist films 1960s Italian films