Lando Buzzanca
Encyclopedia
Gerlando Buzzanca is an Italian
comedy
actor
.
He left high school
in Palermo when he was 16 years old, and moved to Rome
to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. In order to survive, he took many jobs: waiter, furniture mover, and a brief appearance as a slave in the film Ben-Hur
.
In his long career he often interpreted the role of the average Italian
immigrant from southern Italy, who slowly began to enjoy moderate success during the years of the Italian economic miracle
. His films showcased all the freshness of the 1960s, the 1970s and the heavier transition to the 1980s, focusing on the common life in several Italian cities such as Rome
, Verona
or Milan
, balanced between personal happiness and professional achievement.
Buzzanca often interpreted roles of a subordinate white collar
worker, with a heavy
vein of machismo
, as a frustrated employee who tries to redeem his dull existence with his virility.
He became famous for his role in the film Il merlo maschio
, (The Male Blackbird), where in a provincial environment of cultural importance, the philharmonic orchestra
of the Arena di Verona, he vents out his own frustrations, indulging into candaulism
when he induces his bride to expose her naked body in the middle of a bridge in Verona
.
Some critics, in a lighter vein, have defined Buzzanca as a "Homo eroticus":
a human being halfway between Homo erectus
and Homo sapiens, who risked extinction in the 1970s because of the harsh struggle with feminism
activists. Today, even though much less so, this male type is still
found among Italian males.
Buzzanca's fame is greater in foreign countries than in his native
land, and in countries as France
, Japan
, Greece
, Israel
, Spain
and
Switzerland
he is a renowned international stereotype of the Italian provincialotto, elegant, naif, always causing mischief, and not obtaining anything from it.
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
He left high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Palermo when he was 16 years old, and moved to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. In order to survive, he took many jobs: waiter, furniture mover, and a brief appearance as a slave in the film Ben-Hur
Ben-Hur (1959 film)
Ben-Hur is a 1959 American epic film directed by William Wyler and starring Charlton Heston in the title role, the third film adaptation of Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The screenplay was written by Karl Tunberg, Gore Vidal, and Christopher Fry. The score was composed by...
.
In his long career he often interpreted the role of the average Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
immigrant from southern Italy, who slowly began to enjoy moderate success during the years of the Italian economic miracle
Italian economic miracle
The Italian economic miracle is the name often used by historians, economists and mass media to designate the prolonged period of sustained economic growth in Italy comprised between the end of World War II and the late 1960s, and in particular the years 1950-63...
. His films showcased all the freshness of the 1960s, the 1970s and the heavier transition to the 1980s, focusing on the common life in several Italian cities such as Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
or Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, balanced between personal happiness and professional achievement.
Buzzanca often interpreted roles of a subordinate white collar
White-collar worker
The term white-collar worker refers to a person who performs professional, managerial, or administrative work, in contrast with a blue-collar worker, whose job requires manual labor...
worker, with a heavy
vein of machismo
Machismo
Machismo, or machoism, is a word of Spanish and Portuguese origin that describes prominently exhibited or excessive masculinity. As an attitude, machismo ranges from a personal sense of virility to a more extreme male chauvinism...
, as a frustrated employee who tries to redeem his dull existence with his virility.
He became famous for his role in the film Il merlo maschio
Il merlo maschio
Il merlo maschio is an Italian motion picture, filmed in 1971 by director Pasquale Festa Campanile.- Story :The husband Niccolò Vivaldi, is a frustrated violoncello player , with a static career, and not receiving any praise form his orchestra director, begins to take photographs of his beloved...
, (The Male Blackbird), where in a provincial environment of cultural importance, the philharmonic orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
of the Arena di Verona, he vents out his own frustrations, indulging into candaulism
Candaulism
Candaulism is a sexual practice or fantasy in which a man exposes his female partner, or images of her, to other people for their voyeuristic pleasure. According to Gugitz, the term is derived from ancient King Candaules who made a plot to show his unaware naked wife to his servant Gyges of Lydia...
when he induces his bride to expose her naked body in the middle of a bridge in Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
.
Some critics, in a lighter vein, have defined Buzzanca as a "Homo eroticus":
a human being halfway between Homo erectus
Homo erectus
Homo erectus is an extinct species of hominid that lived from the end of the Pliocene epoch to the later Pleistocene, about . The species originated in Africa and spread as far as India, China and Java. There is still disagreement on the subject of the classification, ancestry, and progeny of H...
and Homo sapiens, who risked extinction in the 1970s because of the harsh struggle with feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
activists. Today, even though much less so, this male type is still
found among Italian males.
Buzzanca's fame is greater in foreign countries than in his native
land, and in countries as France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and
Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
he is a renowned international stereotype of the Italian provincialotto, elegant, naif, always causing mischief, and not obtaining anything from it.
Partial filmography
- Incidenti (2005).
- Mio figlio (2005, TV film).
- Come inguaiammo il cinema italiano (2004).
- Il segreto del giaguaro (2000)
- Il popolo degli uccelli (1999)
- Tutti gli anni una volta all'anno (1988).
- Secondo Ponzio Pilato (1988).
- Vado a vivere da solo (1982)
- Travolto dagli affetti familiari (1978)
- San Pasquale Baylonne protettore delle donne (1976)
- Il gatto mammone (1975)
- Il domesticoIl domesticoIl domestico is a 1974 Italian comedy film directed by Luigi Filippo D'Amico and Ary Fernandes. It was shown as part of a retrospective on Italian comedy at the 67th Venice International Film Festival.-Cast:...
(1974) - Bello come un arcangelo (1974)
- L'arbitro (1973)
- La schiava io ce l’ho e tu no (1972)
- All'onorevole piacciono le donne (1972).
- Jus primae noctis (1972)
- Il vichingo venuto dal Sud (1971)
- Homo Eroticus (1971)
- Il merlo maschioIl merlo maschioIl merlo maschio is an Italian motion picture, filmed in 1971 by director Pasquale Festa Campanile.- Story :The husband Niccolò Vivaldi, is a frustrated violoncello player , with a static career, and not receiving any praise form his orchestra director, begins to take photographs of his beloved...
(1971) - Fermate il mondo…voglio scendere (1970)
- La prima notte del Dottor Danieli, industriale col complesso del... giocattolo (1970)
- Puro siccome un angelo papà mi fece monaco…di Monza (1969)
- After the FoxAfter the FoxAfter the Fox is a 1966 British-Italian comedy film starring Peter Sellers and directed by Vittorio De Sica. The screenplay is in English, by Neil Simon and De Sica's longtime collaborator Cesare Zavattini....
(1966) - For a Few Dollars LessFor a Few Dollars LessFor a Few Dollars Less is a 1966 comedy film parody of For a Few Dollars More directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Lando Buzzanca. It was Mattoli's final film.-Cast:* Lando Buzzanca - Bill* Elio Pandolfi - Il messicano* Gloria Paul - Juanita...
(1966) - James Tont Operazione D.U.E.James Tont operazione D.U.E.James Tont operazione D.U.E. is a 1966 Italian spy film spoof based on James Bond's Thunderball directed by Bruno Corbucci. It is the sequel to James Tont operazione U.N.O. .-Cast:*Lando Buzzanca ... James Tont / Giacomino Tontonatti...
(1966) - Le CorniaudLe CorniaudLe Corniaud is a French, Italian and Spanish comedy film by Gérard Oury, released in 1965.-Plot:While leaving his flat in Paris for vacation, Antoine Maréchal has an car accident. His 2CV is totally wrecked by Léopold Saroyan's Bentley, the director of an import-export company...
(1965) - James Tont Operazione U.N.O.James Tont operazione U.N.O.James Tont operazione U.N.O. is a 1965 Italian spy film spoof based on James Bond directed by Bruno Corbucci. It was followed by James Tont operazione D.U.E..-Cast:*Lando Buzzanca ... James Tont*Evi Marandi ... Barbara*Loris Gizzi ... Goldsinger...
(1965) - Il magnifico cornuto (1964).
- Divorzio all'italianaDivorce, Italian StyleDivorce, Italian Style is a 1961 Italian comedy film directed by Pietro Germi. The screenplay was written by Ennio De Concini, Pietro Germi, Alfredo Giannetti, and Agenore Incrocci; based on the novel Un delitto d'onore by Giovanni Arpino...
(1961).