Man, Beast and Virtue

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Man, Beast and Virtue - Wikipedia

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L'uomo, la bestia, la virtù (Man, Beast and Virtue)

Directed by	Stefano Vanzina
Written by	Lucio Fulci Vitaliano Brancati Steno Jean Josipovici
Based on	Man, Beast and Virtue by Luigi Pirandello
Produced by	Dino De Laurentiis Luigi De Laurentiis Carlo Ponti Antonio Altaviti
Starring	Totò Orson Welles Viviane Romance
Cinematography	Mario Damicelli
Edited by	Gisa Radicchi Levi
Music by	Angelo Francesco Lavagnino P.G. Redi^[1]
Distributed by	Lux Film
Release date	May 9, 1953 (1953-05-09)
Running time	90 min
Country	Italy
Language	Italian

L'uomo, la bestia e la virtù (Italian pronunciation: [ˈlwɔːmo la ˈbestja e la virˈtu]), internationally released as Man, Beast and Virtue, is a 1953 Italian comedy film directed by Steno. It starred Italian comedian Totò and famed actor Orson Welles. The film was originally shot in Gevacolor, but only black-and-white prints exist today.^[2]

Sergio Leone and Lucio Fulci were both assistant directors on this film. Fulci said the film did not really do well, but it gave Fulci his first screenwriting credit, and he really enjoyed being in Orson Welles' presence. Welles was in Italy filming Othello at the time, and Fulci said Welles' entire diet consisted of oranges which he ate in massive quantities. Fulci described Totò as being a very sad figure, and said Carlo Ponti forced him to star in this film against his will as Totò had signed a contract with the producer. Although filming went past the contracted period, Ponti never paid Orson Welles a penny in overtime either.^[3]

The film was based on the 1919 novel and play of the same name by Luigi Pirandello.^[4] Pirandello's heirs were very disappointed with the film, which they said omitted most of the bawdy humor and the theme of dressing the actors up in animal costumes was jettisoned by the producers, leaving behind an emasculated version of Pirandello's play. The film vanished from sight for decades following its brief theatrical release, a black-and-white print only surfacing in the early 1990s, making it impossible to evaluate Mario Damicelli's much vaunted color cinematography.^[5]

Plot

Paolino (Totò) is in love with a married woman, Assunta (Viviane Romance). Both participate in a casual affair, but one day Assunta becomes pregnant. The woman's husband, Captain Perella (Orson Welles), suddenly returns after months away from home for work. In order to avoid the shame and disgrace of discovery, Paolino hatches a complex plot to ensure that Perella spends a night of pleasure with Assunta to disguise the origin of her pregnancy. Little do they know the Captain is recovering from a series of trysts with multiple mistresses while on his sea voyage. Paolino dresses Assunta in sexy attire to pique her husband's interest and even tries to get him to eat some cake laced with stimulants.

Cast

Totò as Paolino De Vico
Orson Welles as Captain Perella
Viviane Romance as Assunta Perella
Franca Faldini as Mariannina
Mario Castellani as The doctor
Clelia Matania as Grazia
Giancarlo Nicotra as Nonò
Rocco D'Assunta as Zeppo
Italia Marchesini as Rosaria
Carlo Delle Piane as the student
Salvo Libassi as the helmsman

References

^ Howarth, Troy (2015). Splintered Visions: Lucio Fulci and his Films. Midnight Marquee Press. page 23.
^ Alberto Anile. I film di Totò (1946-1967): la maschera tradita. Le mani, 1998.
^ Howarth, Troy (2015). Splintered Visions: Lucio Fulci and his Films. Midnight Marquee Press. page 24.
^ Nino Genovese, Sebastiano Gesù. La musa inquietante di Pirandello, il cinema. Bonanno, 1990.
^ Howarth, Troy (2015). Splintered Visions: Lucio Fulci and his Films. Midnight Marquee Press. page 24.

External links

Man, Beast and Virtue at IMDb

Films directed by Steno

A Night of Fame (1949)
A Dog's Life (1950)
È arrivato il cavaliere! (1950)
Cops and Robbers (1951)
Toto and the King of Rome (1952)
Toto and the Women (1952)
Toto in Color (1952)
The Unfaithfuls (1953)
Man, Beast and Virtue (1953)
Cinema d'altri tempi (1953)
A Day in Court (1954)
An American in Rome (1954)
Le avventure di Giacomo Casanova (1954)
The Letters Page (1955)
Nero's Weekend (1956)
Female Three Times (1957)
Susanna Whipped Cream (1957)
Maid, Thief and Guard (1958)
Mia nonna poliziotto (1958)
Toto in the Moon (1958)
Toto in Madrid (1959)
The Overtaxed (1959)
Uncle Was a Vampire (1959)
Un militare e mezzo (1960)
Letto a tre piazze (1960)
Some Like It Cold (1960)
Psycosissimo (1961)
Musketeers of the Sea (1961)
La ragazza di mille mesi (1961)
The Two Colonels (1962)
Totò Diabolicus (1962)
Copacabana Palace (1962)
Toto vs. the Four (1963)
Heroes of the West (1963)
I gemelli del Texas (1964)
A Monster and a Half (1964)
Letti sbagliati (1965)
Rose rosse per Angelica (1965)
Love Italian Style (1966)
The Crazy Kids of the War (1967)
How to Kill 400 Duponts (1967)
Caprice Italian Style (1967)
Transplant (1969)
Gang War (1971)
The Blonde in the Blue Movie (1971)
Execution Squad (1971)
Il terrore con gli occhi storti (1972)
L'uccello migratore (1972)
My Brother Anastasia (1973)
Flatfoot (1973)
Policewoman (1974)
Flatfoot in Hong Kong (1974)
The Boss and the Worker (1975)
Febbre da cavallo (1976)
L'Italia s'è rotta (1976)
Three Tigers Against Three Tigers (1977)
Double Murder (1977)
Flatfoot in Africa (1978)
Amori miei (1978)
Dr. Jekyll Likes Them Hot (1979)
Hot Potato (1979)
Flatfoot in Egypt (1980)
Prickly Pears (1980)
Quando la coppia scoppia (1981)
Il tango della gelosia (1981)
Dio li fa e poi li accoppia (1982)
Banana Joe (1982)
An Ideal Adventure (1982)
Bonnie and Clyde Italian Style (1983)
Mani di fata (1983)
Mi faccia causa (1984)
Urban Animals (1987)
Big Man (1987)

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