Pane, amore e fantasia (1953)

Director:

Luigi Comencini

Writers:

Luigi Comencini (story) &
Ettore Maria Margadonna (story) ...

Release Date:

20 September 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

...the stuff great entertainment is made of!

Plot:

Marshall Antonio Carotenuto is sent to Sagliena, an imaginary little village in the center of Italy in the 50s...

Plot Keywords:

Italy | Beautiful Woman | Carabinieri | 1950s | Catfight

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Vittorio De Sica	...	Il maresciallo Antonio Carotenuto
Gina Lollobrigida	...	Maria De Ritis, detta 'La Bersagliera'
Marisa Merlini	...	Annarella Mirziano, la levatrice
Virgilio Riento	...	Don Emidio, il parroco
Tina Pica	...	Caramella, la domestica
Maria-Pia Casilio	...	Paoletta, la nipote del prete (as Maria Pia Casilio)
Roberto Risso	...	Il carabiniere Pietro Stelluti
Memmo Carotenuto	...	Il carabiniere Sirio Baiocchi
Vittoria Crispo	...	Maria Antonia De Ritis, madre de la 'Bersagliera'
Guglielmo Barnabò	...	Don Concezio, il sindaco
Gigi Reder	...	Ricuccio
Fausto Guerzoni	...	L'uomo col cannocchiale
Nino Vingelli	...	Don Vincenzino, il venditore ambulante
Attilio Torelli	...	Rumbumbù, il negoziante di generi alimentari
Checco Rissone	...	Il barbiere

Also Known As:

Bread, Love and Dreams (USA)

Runtime:

93 min | USA:90 min | Argentina:94 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Hungary:14 | Finland:S | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Castel San Pietro Romano, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Titanus

Trivia:

Some of the dialogue is spoken in Abruzzese, a dialect spoken in the Abruzzo region of southern Italy.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Pane, amore e... (1955)

Blurb.

Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida ("La Lollo") had been in a number of smaller films before this 1953 blockbuster catapulted her to international fame. The success of this rustic comedy spawned a sequel a year later: PANE AMORE E GELOSIA or "FRISKY. In BREAD LOVE AND DREAMS Gina plays Maria De Ritis, called "Pizzicarella la Bersagliera" or "Frisky" in the distributor's translation. She is a feisty country girl in southern Italy's Ciociaria area. During the course of the film she is pursued by the town's new "maresciallo" (local police chief), a lewd and lascivious woman-chaser played as only Vittorio De Sica could play lewd and lascivious, that is with great delight. At the same time Lollo is being flirtatious with the newly arrived young police officer from the north. Amorous complications ensue in what is essentially a modernized "commedia dell'arte" piece with performers of enormous appeal. The cast also includes Marisa Merlini as the midwife the maresciallo has an eye on as well. And there's the unique and marvelous character actress Tina Pica in a smaller role. Luigi Comencini directed both this film and its immediate sequel, which has much of the same cast, with great gusto.