''Riusciranno i nostri eroi a ritrovare l'amico misteriosamente scomparso in Africa?'', internationally released as ''Will Our Heroes Be Able to Find Their Friend Who Has Mysteriously Disappeared in Africa?'', is a

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Janu ...

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

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 Ettore Scola. Production of the film started in 1965, with the working title ''Mister Sabatini, suppongo'' (''Mister Sabatini, I suppose''). It started a trend in Italian cinema of using extremely long names for movies. The film was the sixth highest grossing release at the Italian box office in the 1968/69 season. The plot is loosely based on books by

Salgari Emilio Salgari (, but often erroneously ; 21 August 1862 – 25 April 1911) was an Italian writer of action adventure swashbucklers and a pioneer of science fiction. In Italy, his extensive body of work was more widely read than that of Dante Al ...

, Verne and Conrad that Scola read as a child and on Italian Disney comics artist

Romano Scarpa Romano Scarpa (September 27, 1927 – April 23, 2005) was one of the most famous Italian creators of Disney comics. Biography Growing up in Venice he developed a particular love for American cartoons and Disney comics, that, at the time, were ...

's comic ''Topolino e il Pippotarzan'' (1957).Andrea Tosti, Topolino e il fumetto Disney italiano. Storia, fasti, declino e nuove prospettive, Latina, Tunuè, 2011.

Plot

The Roman businessman Fausto Di Salvio can no longer stand his work and his sloppy and emotionless way of life. The chance to escape from this "prison" occurs when the news of the death of his brother-in-law, Oreste Sabbatini, known as "Titino", arrives from

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. Fausto, with his employee Ubaldo, his firm's accountant, leaves immediately to

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

in search of Titino, a journey that will take many months of travel and will involve them in many adventures. They follow in Titino's tracks, but it seems that he cannot be found. From what they learn by speaking to people who have met him, Titino appears to be a man of many resources who has left behind him many people crazy of him, but even someone who was cheated by him and who would be glad to lay hands on him. As they lose hope that they will ever find Titino, Fausto and Ubaldo are captured by a tribe of natives who turn out to be governed by the shaman Oreste, the brother-in-law of Fausto. They propose to Titino to come back with them to

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 ...

. After some hesitation, Titino makes up his mind to follow them to Italy, but when they are on board the vessel leaving the site where he has lived with the natives, he cannot bear separation from the tribe, who welcomed and loved him for so long. So he jumps off the ship leaving for Europe and swims to his beloved people.

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 ...

: Fausto Di Salvio *

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 ...

: Oreste Sabatini (Titino) *

Bernard Blier Bernard Blier (11 January 1916 – 29 March 1989) was a French character actor. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where his father, a researcher at the Pasteur Institute, was posted at the time. Life and career His rotund features and ...

: Ubaldo Palmarini * Giuliana Lojodice: Marisa *

Franca Bettoia Franca Bettoia (or Bettoja; born 14 May 1936) is an Italian actress. Life and career Born in Rome, she made her first film appearance in ''Un palco all'opera ''(1955, by Siro Marcellini). The following year she appeared in ''Los amantes del de ...

: Rita *

Manuel Zarzo Manuel López Zarza (born 26 April 1932) better known as Manuel Zarzo is a Spanish film actor. He has appeared in more than 150 films since 1951. Selected filmography * '' Day by Day'' (1951) * '' Love in a Hot Climate'' (1954) * '' Cursed M ...

: Pedro Tomeo *

Erika Blanc Enrica Bianchi Colombatto (born 23 July 1942), usually known by her stagename of Erika Blanc, is an Italian actress. Career Her most notable role was as the first fictional character Emmanuelle in '' Io, Emmanuelle'' (1969). Blanc starred in se ...

: Genevieve

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Will Our Heroes Be Able To Find Their Friend Who Has Mysteriously Disappeared In Africa? 1968 films Italian satirical films Commedia all'italiana Films directed by Ettore Scola Films set in Rome Films set in Angola Films based on Italian comics Films with screenplays by Age & Scarpelli Films scored by Armando Trovajoli Films with screenplays by Ettore Scola Films based on works by Joseph Conrad 1960s Italian-language films 1960s Italian films