An American in Rome (1954)
"Un americano a Roma" (original title)

Nando Moriconi is a young Italian living in the early '50s Roma. He is completely crazy for everything that comes from the States. He tries to speak American-English (the most funny ever), ... See full summary »

Director:

Steno

Writers:

Sandro Continenza (story), Lucio Fulci (story),

Stars:

Alberto Sordi, Maria Pia Casilio, Giulio Calì

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alberto Sordi	...	Nando Moriconi
Maria Pia Casilio	...	Elvira
Giulio Calì	...	Padre di Nando
Ilse Peterson	...	Molly (as Ilse Petersen)
Rocco D'Assunta	...	Commissario
Carlo Delle Piane	...	Cicalone Romolo
Anita Durante	...	Madre di Nando
Galeazzo Benti	...	Fred Buonanotte
Ivy Nicholson	...	Amica di Molly
Charles Fawcett	...	Mr. Brooks
Caterine Alcajde
Leopoldo Trieste	...	Spettatore TV
Cristina Fantoni
Carlo Mazzarella	...	Segretario ambasciata USA
Vincenzo Talarico	...	Borgiano

Storyline

Nando Moriconi is a young Italian living in the early '50s Roma. He is completely crazy for everything that comes from the States. He tries to speak American-English (the most funny ever), to wear like he thinks Americans do, to walk like John Wayne (!), trying to eat cornflakes with ketchup... His life is a complete parody of the real American way of life, which he couldn't ever get. Nando's, not so secret, dream is to go to the USA. To get it he goes to the Coliseum and threats to suicide if American Embassy don't give him the visa. But at this point Nando is very well known as a 'crazy-for-USA' boy and the troubles he provoked in the past, couldn't help him.

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Plot Keywords:

visa | embassy | usa | u.s. army | slapstick comedy | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

10 December 1954 (Italy)

Also Known As:

An American in Rome

Filming Locations:

Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Excelsa Film, Ponti - De Laurentiis Excelsa

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Connections

References Fourteen Hours (1951)

User Reviews

freewheelin' Nando!

This is one of the most famous and loved pictures of the late Alberto Sordi. He plays the role of Nando Meniconi, a young man crazy about U.S.A., in line with the post-war attraction for the country that wins the comflict and "free" Italy. Wearing in denim with a basketball hat, crazy about Joe DiMaggio, Nando is a living danger for all is around him; parents, girlfriend, occasional partners. The plot is confused and low budget; some of the situations are only a veichle for the non-stop improvisative vein of the master actor but this movie is very memorable because is Sordi state-of-art. This is a portrait in which a lot of italians would be recognized. And, if you know italian language, you can laugh all the time. Is a counterpoint for the neorealism school; where you have realism and social critic here you have innocent but funny and realistic parody of costumes and mentality of the italian boys of the '50; chewing gum, toy guns and...hopes for a far, young, winner land...Noew is different but I think that America craze exist the same today!!! w Nando and his spaghetti!!!