The Return of Don Camillo | |
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![]() Giovannino Guareschi and Fernandel on the set | |
Directed by | Julien Duvivier |
Written by | Giovannino Guareschi (story) René Barjavel Julien Duvivier Giuseppe Amato |
Produced by | Giuseppe Amato |
Starring | Fernandel Gino Cervi Édouard Delmont Paolo Stoppa |
Narrated by | Emilio Cigoli |
Cinematography | Anchise Brizzi |
Edited by | Marthe Poncin |
Music by | Alessandro Cicognini |
Release date | 5 June 1953 |
Running time | 115 minutes |
Countries | France Italy |
Languages | French Italian |
The Return of Don Camillo (Italian: Il ritorno di Don Camillo; French: Le Retour de don Camillo) is a 1953 French-Italian comedy film directed by Julien Duvivier and starring Fernandel, Gino Cervi and Édouard Delmont. [1] The film's sets were designed by Virgilio Marchi. It was the second of five films featuring Fernandel as the Italian priest Don Camillo and his struggles with Giuseppe 'Peppone' Bottazzi, the Communist Mayor of their rural town.
Don Camillo is exiled to a remote and bleak mountain parish by his bishop at the request of Peppone, the Communist mayor of a small Po Valley town named Brescello. But the mayor develops problems with the citizens of the town, who want Camillo back as parish priest. In addition, a flood threatens to destroy Brescello and its environs. So Peppone calls back the priest, and he tries to raise the money needed to prevent damage from the imminent flood. However, delays occur and the flood devastates the area. Don Camillo insists on remaining in the town as the townspeople flee to safety, but the film ends on a heart-warming note as the sun breaks out heralding the end of the flood.
It was the second most popular film of the year at the French box office in 1953. [2]
Don Camillo and Peppone are the fictional protagonists of a series of works by the Italian writer and journalist Giovannino Guareschi set in what Guareschi refers to as the "small world" of rural Italy after World War II. Most of the Don Camillo stories came out in the weekly magazine Candido, founded by Guareschi with Giovanni Mosca. These "Little World" stories amounted to 347 in total and were put together and published in eight books, only the first three of which were published when Guareschi was still alive.
Giovannino Oliviero Giuseppe Guareschi was an Italian journalist, cartoonist and humorist whose best known creation is the priest Don Camillo.
Luigi Cervi, better known as Gino Cervi, was an Italian actor. He was best known for portraying Peppone in a series of comedies based on the character Don Camillo (1952-1965), and police detective Jules Maigret on the television series Le inchieste del commissario Maigret (1964-1972).
Brescello is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Emilia in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Bologna and about 25 kilometres (16 mi) northwest of Reggio Emilia. As of 31 December 2016, it had a population of 5,621.
Gastone Moschin was an Italian stage, television and film actor.
Alessandro Cicognini was an Italian composer who is chiefly remembered for his film scores.
Don Camillo in Moscow is a 1965 Italian comedy film directed by Luigi Comencini. It was the fifth film in the Don Camillo series.
Leda Gloria was an Italian film actress. She appeared in 66 films between 1929 and 1965. During the expansion of Italian cinema of the Fascist era of the 1930s and early 1940s she appeared in starring roles, later transitioning into character parts after the Second World War. She appeared in the Don Camillo series of films, playing the wife of Gino Cervi's Giuseppe Bottazzi.
The Little World of Don Camillo is a 1952 Italian-French film directed by Julien Duvivier, starring Fernandel and Gino Cervi. It was the first film in the "Don Camillo" series, which made Fernandel an international star. The film was based on the novel Don Camillo by Italian author Giovannino Guareschi. It was followed in 1953 by The Return of Don Camillo, also directed by Duvivier.
The World of Don Camillo is a 1983 Italian comedy film directed, produced and starring Terence Hill, and is a remake of Le Petit Monde de Don Camillo (1952). Both were based on the novel Don Camillo by Italian author Giovannino Guareschi.
Eternal Melodies is a 1940 Italian historical drama film directed by Carmine Gallone and starring Gino Cervi, Conchita Montenegro and Luisella Beghi. It was one of several musical biopics directed by Gallone. The film was shot at Cinecittà in Rome.
Don Cesare di Bazan is a 1942 Italian historical adventure film directed by Riccardo Freda and starring Gino Cervi, Anneliese Uhlig and Paolo Stoppa. The film is set during the Catalan Revolt of the Seventeenth century. It is based on a play by Philippe Dumanoir and Adolphe d'Ennery. It marked the directoral debut of Freda who went on to be a leading commercial Italian filmmaker.
The Betrothed is a 1941 Italian historical drama film directed by Mario Camerini and starring Gino Cervi, Dina Sassoli and Ruggero Ruggeri. It is an adaptation of the 1827 novel The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni. The film's producers organised a competition to select the lead actress which was modelled on the hunt for Scarlett O'Hara by the American producer David O. Selznick for Gone With the Wind. It belongs to the movies of the calligrafismo style.
Pact with the Devil is a 1950 Italian melodrama film directed by Luigi Chiarini and starring Isa Miranda, Jacques François and Eduardo Ciannelli. Much of the film was shot on location in Calabria in Southern Italy.
Pietro Micca is a 1938 Italian historical war film directed by Aldo Vergano and starring Guido Celano, Renato Cialente and Camillo Pilotto. It was shot at the Fert Studios in Turin. The film marked the screen debut of Clara Calamai, who went on to be a leading Italian star of the next decade.
The Courier of the King is a 1947 Italian historical film directed by Gennaro Righelli and starring Rossano Brazzi, Irasema Dilián and Valentina Cortese. It is an adaptation of the 1830 novel The Red and the Black by Stendhal. It was the final film of the veteran director Righelli, who had previously directed a silent version of the story in 1928.
Don Camillo's Last Round is a 1955 French-Italian comedy film directed by Carmine Gallone and starring Fernandel, Gino Cervi and Leda Gloria. It was the third of five films featuring Fernandel as the Italian priest Don Camillo and his struggles with Giuseppe 'Peppone' Bottazzi, the Communist mayor of their rural town. The film had 5,087,231 admissions in France.
Don Camillo: Monsignor is a 1961 French-Italian comedy film directed by Carmine Gallone, starring Fernandel and Gino Cervi. The French title is Don Camillo Monseigneur and the Italian title is Don Camillo monsignore... ma non troppo. It was the fourth of five films featuring Fernandel as the Italian priest Don Camillo and his struggles with Giuseppe 'Peppone' Bottazzi, the Communist mayor of their rural town. In Monsignor, Don Camillo has become a bishop and Peppone a senator.
The Changing of the Guard is a 1962 French-Italian comedy film directed by Giorgio Bianchi and starring Fernandel, Gino Cervi and Milla Sannoner.
I Want to Live with Letizia is a 1938 Italian "white-telephones" comedy film directed by Camillo Mastrocinque and starring Assia Noris, Gino Cervi and Umberto Melnati.