Follie per l'opera (1949)

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Director:

Mario Costa

Writers:

Mario Costa (screenplay)
Mario Costa (story)

Release Date:

5 April 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical

Plot:

There has been no more catholic church in the Italian district of London since the one existing was bombed during the Blitz...

Plot Keywords:

Church | Beautiful Woman

Cast

Gino Bechi	...	Himself
Maria Caniglia	...	Herself
Tito Gobbi	...	Himself
Gina Lollobrigida	...	Dora Scala
Carlo Campanini	...	Uncle Carlo Scala
Constance Dowling	...	Margaret Jones
Aroldo Tieri	...	Guido Marchi
Aldo Silvani	...	Don Antonio Capenno
Lamberto Picasso
Franca Marzi
Guglielmo Barnabò
Nico Pepe
Luigi Almirante
Michele Riccardini
Arturo Bragaglia

Also Known As:

Mad About Opera (USA)

Runtime:

USA:95 min | Argentina:97 min | Italy:94 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:15 | Argentina:13

Company:

G.E.S.I. Cinematografica

Trivia:

Italian censorship visa #4449 dated August 10th 1949.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Soho Conspiracy (1950)

Soundtrack:

Carmen

Fast comedy and wonderful music

It's a fastpaced, fast talking comedy. There's such a lot of wheeling and dealing going on in this film even from the start. Guido Marchi is a journalist with the idea of raising funds for rebuilding their damaged Italian church in post-war London. He hopes to succeed and thereby persuade Uncle Carlo to allow his daughter Dora to marry him. With a bit of sleight-of-hand he obtains letterhead stationery on which to arrange agreements with a handful of world famous singers to come and give a benefit performance.

We get to see and hear Gigli, Bechi, Gobbi, Schipa, and Maria Caniglia in popular operatic arias. Guido's sweetheart Dora (Gina Lollobrigida) tries to help him but she can get jealous when he strays too far in the company of Margaret (Constance Dowling). Tito Gobbi has more acting and singing than the rest, which is always special.

At the benefit concert Gigli sings from Andre Chenier; Caniglia sings the legendary 'Casta diva' aria beautifully; Gobbi performs his great piece de resistance, the 'Prologo' from Pagliacci; and Bechi shines in the 'Toreador Song'. All very interesting and enjoyable entertainment.