The Head of the Family | |
---|---|
Directed by | Nanni Loy |
Written by | Nanni Loy Giorgio Arlorio Ruggero Maccari |
Produced by | Turi Vasile |
Starring | Nino Manfredi Leslie Caron Ugo Tognazzi |
Cinematography | Armando Nannuzzi |
Edited by | Franco Fraticelli |
Music by | Carlo Rustichelli Bruno Nicolai (music director) |
Production companies | M.N. Produzioni Cinematografiche, C.F.C. Marianne Productions Ultra Film |
Distributed by | Allied Artists (US) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 110 minutes |
Language | Italian |
Il padre di famiglia (internationally released as The Head of the Family) is a 1967 Italian-French comedy film directed by Nanni Loy. For his performance in this film and in Italian Secret Service , Nino Manfredi was awarded with a Golden Plate at the 1968 David di Donatello Awards. [1] [2]
Totò died two days after having filmed his first scene in the film; he was replaced by Ugo Tognazzi. [3] Later Tognazzi was nominated for the Nastro d'Argento for Best Supporting Actor.
The story centres on two characters, a man and a woman, both architects, who meet some time after WWII and get married. Though deeply in love they come from different backgrounds, and do not share the same outlooks on life. Soon she becomes fascinated with her husband's progressive socialist ideals. After the wedding she abandons her work to dedicate herself to raising their growing family, and he, feeling abandoned by her, begins an amorous relationship with one of his colleagues.
Following the various dramas of bringing up the children, who are schooled with the Montessori method, the wife goes to a clinic to recover from a nervous breakdown, while he, still in love with his wife, returns to his own family. When he's asked by a Census official, who is the Head of the Family, the husband does not know what to reply.
Despite the title, in reality, the film narrates the story of women's lives in this period of the late 1960s. At this time, irrespective of social class and culture, women were obligated to live a submissive life and sacrifice much to raise their families. In reality, in this film it is the woman who is the Head of the Family. Leslie Caron has often referred to this film in interviews as one of her favourites in all her work.
Saturnino "Nino" Manfredi was an Italian actor, voice actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, comedian, singer, author, radio personality and television presenter.
Enzo Petito was an Italian film and stage character actor. A theatre actor under Eduardo De Filippo in the 1950s in the Teatro San Ferdinando of Naples, with whom he was professionally closely associated, Petito also appeared in several of his films, often co-starring Eduardo or/and brother, Peppino De Filippo, brothers who are considered to be amongst the greatest Italian actors of the 20th century. Petito played minor roles in some memorable commedia all'Italiana movies directed by the likes of Dino Risi and Mario Monicelli in the late 1950s and early 1960s, often appearing alongside actors such as Nino Manfredi, Alberto Sordi, Peppino De Filippo, Anna Maria Ferrero, and Totò.
Commedia all'italiana, or Italian-style comedy, is an Italian film genre born in Italy in the 1950s and developed in the 1960s and 1970s. It is widely considered to have started with Mario Monicelli's Big Deal on Madonna Street in 1958, and derives its name from the title of Pietro Germi's Divorce Italian Style (1961). According to most of the critics, La Terrazza (1980) by Ettore Scola is the last work considered part of the commedia all'italiana.
The Nastro d'Argento is a film award assigned each year, since 1946, by Sindacato Nazionale dei Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani, the association of Italian film critics.
The Cadets of Gascony is a 1950 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Walter Chiari, Carlo Campanini and Mario Riva. It was shot at the Farnesina Studios in Rome, with sets designed by the art director Leonidas Marcolis. Location shooting took place at Bracciano in Lazio where the film is set. It earned 450 million lira at the Italian box office.
Heads I Win, Tails You Lose is a 1982 Italian comedy film written and directed by Nanni Loy.
The Payoff is an Italian crime comedy film directed in 1978 by Sergio Corbucci. It is based on the 1976 crime novel of the same name by the writer Attilio Veraldi.
Straziami ma di baci saziami is a 1968 Italian comedy film directed by Dino Risi. The film parodies Italian photonovels and the popular subculture. It had a great commercial success. All the DVD releases have the credits in English.
Controsesso, internationally released as Countersex, is a 1964 Italian anthology comedy film directed by Franco Rossi, Marco Ferreri and Renato Castellani. All the episodes have sex as main theme. The episode of Ferreri is considered by several critics as the masterpiece of the first Italian period of the director.
Italian Secret Service is a 1968 Italian comedy film directed by Luigi Comencini. For his performance in this film and in Il padre di famiglia, Nino Manfredi was awarded with a Golden Plate at the 1968 Edition of David di Donatello.
Telefoni bianchi is a 1976 Italian comedy film directed by Dino Risi. For this film Agostina Belli was awarded with a Special David di Donatello for her performance. The title refers to the White Telephone comedies of the 1930s and 1940s. The film is a comic portrayal of the Italian film industry during the Fascist era in which an ambitious young woman briefly rises to become a film star.
Totò nella luna is a 1958 Italian comedy science fiction film written and directed by Steno. The script was co-written by Lucio Fulci. The film starred Sylva Koscina, fresh from her appearance in the 1958 blockbuster Hercules.
Giorgio Simonelli, was an Italian film director, editor, screenwriter and journalist.
La Carbonara is a 2000 Italian historical comedy drama film written and directed by Luigi Magni.
In the Name of the Sovereign People is a 1990 Italian historical comedy drama film written and directed by Luigi Magni. It won the David di Donatello for best costumes.
Fatto su misura is a 1985 Italian comedy film directed by Francesco Laudadio.
I motorizzati is a 1962 Italian anthology comedy film directed by Camillo Mastrocinque, consisting of five segments all sharing cars as main theme.
Franco Committeri was an Italian film producer.
Laugh! Laugh! Laugh! is a 1954 Italian comedy film directed by Edoardo Anton and starring Tino Scotti, Ugo Tognazzi and Carlo Dapporto.
Milanese in Naples is a 1954 Italian comedy film directed by Enzo Di Gianni and starring Eva Nova, Ugo Tognazzi and Carlo Campanini. The film's sets were designed by the art director Oscar D'Amico.