Allegro non troppo (1977)

Director:

Bruno Bozzetto

Writers:

Bruno Bozzetto (writer)
Guido Manuli (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

27 July 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy | Fantasy | Music

Plot:

An enthusiastic filmmaker thinks he's come up with a totally original idea: animation set to classical music...

Plot Keywords:

Animator | Orchestra | Classical Music | Dream Like | Spoof

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Marialuisa Giovannini	...	The Cleaning Girl
Néstor Garay	...	The Orchestra Master
Maurizio Micheli	...	The Presenter
Maurizio Nichetti	...	The Animator
Mirella Falco	...	Non-Exercising Orchestra Member
Osvaldo Salvi	...	Man in gorilla costume
Jolanda Cappi	...	Fallen Orchestra Member
Franca Mantelli	...	Dancing Orchestra Member

Directed by
Bruno Bozzetto

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Bruno Bozzetto		writer
Guido Manuli		writer
Maurizio Nichetti		writer

Produced by
Bruno Bozzetto	....	producer

Cinematography by
Luciano Marzetti
Mario Masini

Film Editing by
Giancarlo Rossi

Costume Design by
Lia Francesca Morandini		(as Lia Morandini)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Maurizio Nichetti	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Giancarlo Rossi	....	sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Aldo Antonelli	....	assistant camera

Animation Department
Paolo Albicocco	....	animator
Roberto Casale	....	animator
Edoardo Cavalli	....	animator (as Edo Cavalli)
Walter Cavazzuti	....	animator
Giancarlo Cereda	....	animator
Giovanni Ferrari	....	animator
Giorgio Forlani	....	animator
Giuseppe Laganà	....	animator
Guido Manuli	....	animator
Giorgio Valentini	....	animator
Bruno Bozzetto	....	animator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Bozzetto Film
• Ministero del Turismo e dello Spettacolo

Distributors

• BMG Models (video)
• Expanded Entertainment
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (laserdisc)
• Ingram International Films (video)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (New Zealand) (DVD)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (video)
• Specialty Films (1977) (USA) (subtitled)

Also Known As:

Allegro non troppo (USA)

Runtime:

85 min | USA:75 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Italy:T | Australia:PG | UK:PG | USA:PG

Company:

Bozzetto Film

Trivia:

During the live action scenes surrounding the animated musical sequences, Signor Rossi, the most famous figure created by Bruno Bozzetto, has a cameo appearance.

Goofs:

Continuity: Since this film is a parody AND a cartoon, it's arguable whether anything can be legitimately considered a goof. However, at the end of the film, when the director sends Franceschini down to the archives, each time he pulls a finale off the pile the same animation is reused all three times. The effect is that Franceschini takes the same stage each time, only to have it reappear when he goes back for the next.

Quotes:

[opening lines]
The Presenter: P:Ladies and gentlemen, you are about to see an unforgettable show, a film destined to become immortal, as immortal as the music which will follow, and which will be interpreted through animation. Beginning with his childhood fantasies, the greatest ambition that burns and swells in the soul of every creative animator is to illustrate music, to give visual form and color to its notes. With this film, we have finally succeeded in achieving this union of animation and classical music, a union we are sure is destined to live on throughout the history of film. A new and original film that has even astonished us, the men responsible, the men who, quite modestly speaking, can be called its creators. A film in which - in which -
[consults a cue card]
The Presenter: A film in which you will see the music and listen to the drawings. You might call it a film of magic, a fantasia.
The Presenter: [Phone rings - Presenter answers; the caller is not heard]
The Presenter: Hello. Yes. Who's speaking? Who is this? What do you mean, who am I? Who is it you wish to speak to? Eh? California?
The Presenter: [To camera] It's Hollywood.
The Presenter: [To phone] Hello! Yes! What? You've already -
The Presenter: [To phone] Hello! Yes! What? You've already -
The Presenter: Look, if this is some joke, I'm in no mood --
[...]

Movie Connections:

Spoofs Fantasia (1940)

Soundtrack:

Bolero

An Overlooked Classical Masterpiece of Sight and Sound

Many many years ago, I saw this film and I was absolutely transfixed. This film cannot helped BUT be compared to Fantasia due to the fact that they mention this themselves. But what sets this film apart is its absolutely brilliant interpretations, in animated form, of these wonderful classical pieces that don't get as much attention as the ones Fantasia made popular amongst the general public. And there is one classical piece, above all, that was so brilliantly interpreted that it STILL stands out as one of the most moving pieces ever to be put on screen and that is the "Valse Triste" segment set to the music of Sibelius. Don't get me wrong, Disney's "clean" animation of Fantasia is a wonderful film, but none of its segment moved me as much as Valse Triste. And I think it's free form, scrubby, its understated color use and none heavy handed animation fits BRILLIANTLY here. You don't feel you are watching an animation, you feel as you are watching a painter, with each stroke, visualize the musical note of this wonderful classical piece. You get to see the abandon cat go from fantasy, reality, fantasy, that you wish you could adopt the poor cartoon kitty. If you are a teacher of music, especially classical, get this film and show it to your students, if they are not moved, then nothing will move them. This is the type of stuff that stays with you for YEARS and I guarantee you will be the better for it.