I vitelloni (1953)

Director:

Federico Fellini

Writers:

Federico Fellini (story) &
Ennio Flaiano (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

7 November 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A character study of five young men at crucial turning points in their lives in a small town in Italy.

Plot Keywords:

Small Town | Group | Sister | Coming Of Age | Adult

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Franco Interlenghi	...	Moraldo Rubini
Alberto Sordi	...	Alberto
Franco Fabrizi	...	Fausto Moretti
Leopoldo Trieste	...	Leopoldo Vannucci
Riccardo Fellini	...	Riccardo
Leonora Ruffo	...	Sandra Rubini (as Eleonora Ruffo)
Jean Brochard	...	Francesco Moretti
Claude Farell	...	Olga
Carlo Romano	...	Michele Curti
Enrico Viarisio	...	Signor Rubini
Paola Borboni	...	Signora Rubini
Lída Baarová	...	Giulia Curti (as Lida Baarowa)
Arlette Sauvage	...	La sconosciuta del cinema
Vira Silenti	...	Gisella
Maja Nipora	...	Caterina
Achille Majeroni	...	Sergio Natali
Guido Martufi	...	Guido
Silvio Bagolini	...	Giudizio
Milvia Chianelli	...	L'amica di Riccardo
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Enzo Andronico	...	Un ragazzo al carnevale (uncredited)
Alberto Anselmi	...	(uncredited)
Gustavo De Nardo	...	(uncredited)
Graziella De Roc	...	(uncredited)
Giovanna Galli	...	Ballerina (uncredited)
Franca Gandolfi	...	Ballerina (uncredited)
Lilia Landi	...	Herself (uncredited)
Gigetta Morano	...	La madre di Alberto e Olga (uncredited)
Lino Toffolo	...	Un ragazzo al carnevale (uncredited)
Gondrano Trucchi	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Federico Fellini

Writing credits
Federico Fellini		(story) &
Ennio Flaiano		(story) (as Ennio Flajano) &
Tullio Pinelli		(story)
Federico Fellini		(screenplay)

Produced by
Jacques Bar	....	producer (uncredited)
Mario De Vecchi	....	producer (uncredited)
Lorenzo Pegoraro	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Nino Rota

Cinematography by
Carlo Carlini
Otello Martelli
Luciano Trasatti

Film Editing by
Rolando Benedetti

Production Design by
Mario Chiari

Set Decoration by
Luigi Giacosi

Costume Design by
Margherita Marinari

Makeup Department
Michele Bomarzi	....	makeup artist (as Bomarzi)

Production Management
Danilo Fallani	....	assistant production manager
Luigi Giacosi	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Moraldo Rossi	....	assistant director
Max de Vaucorbeil	....	assistant director (as Max De Vaucorbeil)
Stefano Ubezio	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Italo Tomassi	....	set designer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ampelio Ciolfi	....	still photographer
Roberto Gerardi	....	camera operator (as Roberto Girardi)
Franco Villa	....	camera operator

Music Department
Franco Ferrara	....	conductor

Other crew
Ugo Benvenuti	....	production secretary
E. Catalucci	....	laboratory technician
Narciso Vicario	....	script supervisor (as Vicario Narciso)
Adolfo Geri	....	voice dubbing: Leopoldo Trieste (uncredited)
Nino Manfredi	....	voice dubbing: Franco Fabrizi (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Cité Films (co-production)
• Peg-Films

Distributors

• Janus Films (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• API-Janus (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• Ente Nazionale Industrie Cinematografiche (ENIC) (1953) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (Korea) (DVD)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (Korea) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Fabulous Films (1995) (UK) (VHS)
• Homescreen (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Sagres Filmes (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Versátil Home Vídeo (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Organizzazione Doppiatori Cinematografici (ODI)  dubbing
• Sviluppo Pellicole e Stampa (SPES)  optical effects

Also Known As:

Les inutiles (France)
Les vitelloni (France)
Spivs
The Young and the Passionate
Vitelloni

Runtime:

Argentina:101 min | Germany:100 min | USA:104 min | Italy:107 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-16 | France:U (re-release) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Cité Films

Trivia:

At the end of the film, when Moraldo is saying good-bye to the young boy from the train, his "Good-by, Guido" is actually the dubbed voice of director, Fredrico Fellini. It is believed that Fellini did this to emphasize the fact that the film was autobiographical.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Decade Under the Influence (2003)

The Eternal Students

Somewhere on his way from neo- to sur-, young Federico Fellini had made a "I Vitelloni" (1953), lighthearted, unconventional, bold, and above all entertaining film that tells the story of hopes and miseries of four friends, four young men, "I Vitelloni" in a small seashore province town. "Vitellone" means "idle young person of the provinces, often an eternal student". The title matches its characters very well. They live in the town where nothing much happens; they don't have jobs and spend the money given by their loving families. They have the most ardent hopes and they face the cruel disappointments. They are different - cynical skirt chaser Fausto who is forced to marry a girl pregnant with his baby; the intellectual and ambitious Leopoldo who dreams of becoming a famous writer; the irresponsible "big child" Alberto (Alberto Sordy, the famous comic, absolutely wonderful in his early role), and Moraldo, the only one of the group who in the final scene will leave the town of his childhood to start a new life.

I loved I Vitelloni. Nino Rota's music is above any words (as always) as well as the young director's camera work, the character study and acting. I think of "I Vitelloni" as more realistic and sober "Amarcord" in B/W. One of scenes was absolutely stunning -the carnival - the music, the dancing, the camera's rapid but fluid movements - simply breathtaking.

It is without doubt that Fellini influenced a lot of directors, and there are similarities between "I Vitelloni" and George Lucas' "American Graffiti" and Barry Levinson's "Diner". Stanley Kubrick and Marin Scorsese both named "I Vitelloni" as one of their favorite films.

Highly recommended: 9/10