The White Sheik (1952)
"Lo sceicco bianco" (original title)

The first two days of a marriage. Ivan, a punctilious clerk brings his virginal bride to Rome for a honeymoon, an audience with the Pope, and to present her to his uncle. They arrive early ... See full summary »

Director:

Federico Fellini

Writers:

Michelangelo Antonioni (story), Federico Fellini (story),

Stars:

Alberto Sordi, Brunella Bovo, Leopoldo Trieste

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alberto Sordi	...	Fernando Rivoli - il sceicco bianco
Brunella Bovo	...	Wanda Giardino Cavalli
Leopoldo Trieste	...	Ivan Cavalli
Giulietta Masina	...	Cabiria - La prostituta
Lilia Landi	...	Felga - La zingara del fotoromanzo
Ernesto Almirante	...	Dottore Fortuna - il regista del fotoromanzo
Fanny Marchiò	...	Marilena Alba Vellardi
Gina Mascetti	...	Aida Rivoli - La moglie di Fernando
Jole Silvani
Enzo Maggio	...	Furio
Anna Primula
Mimo Billi	...	Man on the beach
Armando Libianchi
Ugo Attanasio	...	Uncle of Ivan
Giulio Moreschi

Storyline

The first two days of a marriage. Ivan, a punctilious clerk brings his virginal bride to Rome for a honeymoon, an audience with the Pope, and to present her to his uncle. They arrive early in the morning, and he has time for a nap. She sneaks off to find the offices of a romance magazine she reads religiously: she wants to meet "The White Sheik," the hero of a soap-opera photo strip. Star-struck, she ends up 20 miles from Rome, alone on a boat with the sheik. A distraught Ivan covers for her, claiming she's ill. That night, each wanders the streets, she tempted by suicide, he by prostitutes. The next day, at 11, is their papal audience. Can things still right themselves?

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Plot Keywords:

honeymoon | boat | attempted suicide | runaway | family honor | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

25 April 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

The White Sheik

Filming Locations:

FERT Studios, Turin, Piedmont, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

OFI, P.D.C.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Marilena Alba Vellardi: Real life is the life of dreams.
Wanda Giardino Cavalli: I'm always dreaming.

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Connections

Featured in Cinema forever - Capolavori salvati (2001)

User Reviews

A brilliant and entertaining film

There is a curious "review" that begins the section of reviews for this film, in which one of the users of this website has written a scathing denouncement of this film. I don't quite know where this comes from (probably a prank) but it isn't relevant and it is the only such review. This is a brilliant film, Fellini's second opus, and bears many of the trademarks of Fellini: the sweeping shots of the streets of Rome, the Nino Rota score, the "decadence on the beach" sequence. It is also quite a clever parody of film genres and styles. And I was very pleasantly surprised to find that it contains a delightful scene with Giulietta Masina as Cabiria, the role which is expanded in the film Nights of Cabiria five years later.