Miracle in Milan (1951)
"Miracolo a Milano" (original title)

Once upon a time an old woman discovers a baby in her cabbage patch. She brings up the child and, when she dies, the boy, Toto, enters an orphanage. Toto leaves the orphanage a happy young ... See full summary »

Director:

Vittorio De Sica

Writers:

Cesare Zavattini (novel), Cesare Zavattini (screenplay),

Stars:

Emma Gramatica, Francesco Golisano, Paolo Stoppa

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 4 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Emma Gramatica	...	La vecchia Lolotta
Francesco Golisano	...	Totò
Paolo Stoppa	...	Rappi
Guglielmo Barnabò	...	Mobbi
Brunella Bovo	...	Edvige
Anna Carena	...	Marta, la signora altezzosa
Alba Arnova	...	La statua che prende vita
Flora Cambi	...	L'innamorata infelice
Virgilio Riento	...	Il sergente delle guardie
Arturo Bragaglia	...	Alfredo
Erminio Spalla	...	Gaetano
Riccardo Bertazzolo	...	L'atleta
Checco Rissone	...	Il comandante in secondo (as Francesco Rissone)
Angelo Prioli	...	Il comandante in primo

Storyline

Once upon a time an old woman discovers a baby in her cabbage patch. She brings up the child and, when she dies, the boy, Toto, enters an orphanage. Toto leaves the orphanage a happy young man, and looks for work in post-war Milan. He ends up with the homeless and organizes them to build a shanty town in a vacant lot. The squatters discover oil in the land and Toto sees a vision of the old woman who gives him a magic dove that will grant him anything he wishes.

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Plot Keywords:

orphanage | cabbage patch | dove | magic | baby | 

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Taglines:

An impudent, riotous laugh on the lives and morals of our day!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

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Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian English

Release Date:

17 December 1951 (USA)

Also Known As:

Miracle in Milan

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ente Nazionale Industrie Cinematografiche (ENIC), Produzioni De Sica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Cesare Zavattini originally wrote this script in 1940. It was later published as a novel called "Toto the Good".

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Connections

Featured in The Princess and the Warrior (2000)

User Reviews

Magnificent Modern Miracle

This film is like an allegory of the gospel. It has such direct honesty and innocence you can not possibly believe it was made after the world war when Italy was ravaged and devastated, and was filled with a huge homeless, impoverished population. It is a monument to the best qualities of the human spirit, as well as to the endless creative resources of that land of inspiration.

Toto is a character like Doestoevisky's "Idiot", a modern Christ finding his way in a big city. He is goodness and purity fortified by love, and his acts change the people he encounters, as much as the miracle working dove. The story is told in a natural manner and simple style, yet imbued with a magic that is almost a premonition of Fellini's surrealist fantasies. It is one of the most inspiring, uplifting movies ever made.