Casanova's Big Night

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Casanova's Big Night
Casanovas Big Night 1954 poster.jpg
1954 US Theatrical Poster
Directed by Norman Z. McLeod
Written by Aubrey Wisberg
Screenplay by Edmund Hartmann
Hal Kanter
Produced by Paul Jones
Starring Bob Hope
Joan Fontaine
Basil Rathbone
John Carradine
Lon Chaney Jr.
Raymond Burr
Cinematography Lionel Lindon
Edited byEllsworth Hoagland
Music by Lyn Murray
Production
company
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • April 7, 1954 (1954-04-07)
Running time
86 minutes
CountryUnited States
Language English
Box office$1.6 million [1]

Casanova's Big Night is a 1954 American comedy film starring Bob Hope and Joan Fontaine, which is a spoof of swashbuckling historical adventure films. It was directed by Norman Z. McLeod.

Contents

Hope plays a tailor who impersonates Giacomo Casanova, the great lover. The film also stars Audrey Dalton, Basil Rathbone, Hugh Marlowe, John Carradine, Hope Emerson, Lon Chaney Jr., Raymond Burr, Natalie Schafer, and Vincent Price (in a cameo appearance as the real Casanova).

Plot

Pippo, a tailor, impersonates Casanova to woo the girls, particularly the widow Bruni. Casanova has left town, pursued by creditors who persuade Pippo to impersonate Casanova at the behest of a Genoan family that will pay "Casanova" to test the fidelity of the son's betrothed.

Pippo, the widow Bruni and Casanova's valet Lucio travel to Venice. The Doge of Venice, "a snake with whiskers," to use Pippo's description, intends to use the intended seduction as an excuse to wage war against Genoa. After many humorous adventures, exploiting Pippo's traits of vanity, arrogance and cowardice, the heroine so impresses Pippo with her dignity that he refuses to cooperate in the plot to ruin her character. He is arrested by the Doge and sentenced to death by beheading. A desperate Pippo turns the audience for help, but is shocked when they prefer that he lose his head.

Cast

Primo Carnera and Audrey Dalton in the film Carnera and Dalton in Casanova's Big Night 1953.jpg
Primo Carnera and Audrey Dalton in the film

Production

Paramount built a 400 feet-long full-scale imitation of the Grand Canal in Venice together with bridge and 16 buildings for the film. [2]

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References

  1. "1954 Box Office Champs". Variety Weekly. January 5, 1955. p. 59. - figures are rentals in the US and Canada
  2. "Inside Stuff - Pictures". Variety . August 26, 1953. p. 17. Retrieved March 14, 2024 via Internet Archive.