The Gold of Naples
Encyclopedia
The Gold of Naples is a 1954
Italian
comedy film
directed by Vittorio De Sica
. It was entered into the 1955 Cannes Film Festival
.
, where director De Sica spent his first years, this is a collection of 6 Neapolitan episodes: a clown
exploited by a hoodlum
; an inconsistent pizza
seller (Loren) losing her husband's ring; the funeral
of a child; the impoverished inveterate gambler Count Prospero B. being reduced to force his concierge's preteen kid to play cards with him (and regularly being defeated); the unexpected and unusual wedding of Teresa, a prostitute; the exploits "professor" Ersilio Micci, a "wisdom seller" who "solves problems".
1954 in film
The year 1954 in film involved some significant events and memorable ones.-Events:*May 12 - The Marx Brothers' Zeppo Marx divorces wife Marion Benda...
Italian
Cinema of Italy
The history of Italian cinema began just a few months after the Lumière brothers had patented their Cinematographe, when Pope Leo XIII was filmed for a few seconds in the act of blessing the camera.-Early years:...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Vittorio De Sica
Vittorio de Sica
Vittorio De Sica was an Italian director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement....
. It was entered into the 1955 Cannes Film Festival
1955 Cannes Film Festival
-Jury:*Marcel Pagnol *Marcel Achard *Juan Antonio Bardem *A. Dignimont *Jacques-Pierre Frogerais *Leopold Lindtberg *Anatole Litvak *Isa Miranda *Leonard Mosley...
.
Plot
The film is a tribute to NaplesNaples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, where director De Sica spent his first years, this is a collection of 6 Neapolitan episodes: a clown
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
exploited by a hoodlum
Hoodlum
Hoodlum is a 1997 crime film that gives a fictionalized account of the gang war between the Italian/Jewish mafia alliance and the black gangsters of Harlem that took place in the late 1920s and early 1930s...
; an inconsistent pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
seller (Loren) losing her husband's ring; the funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
of a child; the impoverished inveterate gambler Count Prospero B. being reduced to force his concierge's preteen kid to play cards with him (and regularly being defeated); the unexpected and unusual wedding of Teresa, a prostitute; the exploits "professor" Ersilio Micci, a "wisdom seller" who "solves problems".
Cast
- Silvana ManganoSilvana ManganoSilvana Mangano was an Italian actress.Raised in poverty during World War II, Mangano trained as a dancer and worked as a model before winning a "Miss Rome" beauty pageant in 1946...
... Teresa (segment "Teresa") - Sophia LorenSophia LorenSophia Loren, OMRI is an Italian actress.In 1962, Loren won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Two Women, along with 21 awards, becoming the first actress to win an Academy Award for a non-English-speaking performance...
... Sofia (segment "Pizze a credito") - Eduardo De FilippoEduardo De FilippoEduardo De Filippo was an Italian actor, playwright, screenwriter, author and poet, best known for his Neapolitan works Filumena Marturano and Napoli Milionaria.-Biography:...
... Don Ersilio Miccio (segment "Il professore") - Paolo StoppaPaolo StoppaPaolo Stoppa was an Italian actor and dubber.Born in Rome, he began as a stage actor in 1927 in the theater in Rome and began acting in films in 1932...
... Don Peppino, il vedovo (segment "Pizze a credito") - Erno CrisaErno CrisaErno Crisa was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 52 films between 1944 and 1968.-Selected filmography:* The White Line * Sunday Heroes * The Gold of Naples...
... Don Nicola (segment "Teresa") - TotòTotòPrince Antonio Focas Flavio Angelo Ducas Comneno De Curtis di Bisanzio Gagliardi, best known by his stage name Totò and nicknamed il principe della risata was an Italian comedian, film and theatre actor, writer, singer and songwriter...
... Don Saverio Petrillo (segment "Il guappo") - Lianella CarellLianella CarellLianella Carell was an Italian film actress and screenwriter. She appeared in 18 films between 1948 and 1958...
... Carolina, sua moglie (segment "Il guappo") - Giacomo FuriaGiacomo FuriaGiacomo Furia is an Italian film actor. He appeared in over 130 films between 1948 and 1998.He was born in Naples, Italy.-Selected filmography:* Assunta Spina * Totò cerca casa * Variety Lights...
... Rosario, marito di Sofia (segment "Pizze a credito") - Tina PicaTina PicaTina Pica was an Italian supporting actress who played character roles on stage, Her debut on films was with Il cappello a tre punte when she was 50 years old...
... La donna anziana (segment "Il professore") - Alberto FarneseAlberto FarneseAlberto Farnese was an Italian actor. He appeared in 89 films and television shows between 1951 and 1989. He starred in the film Whom God Forgives, which won the Silver Bear Extraordinary Prize of the Jury award at the 7th Berlin International Film Festival.-Selected filmography:* Rome 11:00 * The...
... Alfredo, l'amante di Sofia (segment "Pizze a credito") - Tecla ScaranoTecla ScaranoTecla Scarano was an Italian film actress. She appeared in 34 films between 1937 and 1966.She was born and died in Naples, Italy.-Selected filmography:* Shoot Loud, Louder.....
... L'amica del vedovo (segment "Pizze a credito")