The Witches (1967) Le streghe (original title)

Directors:

Mauro Bolognini
Vittorio De Sica
(more)

Writers:

Pier Paolo Pasolini (segment)
Mauro Bolognini (segment)
(more)

Release Date:

12 March 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot Keywords:

Italian Comedy | Episodic Structure | Actress Playing Male Role | Italy | Actor Playing Female Role

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Silvana Mangano	...	Gloria (segment "Strega Bruciata viva, La") / Lady in a hurry (segment "Senso civico") / Assurdina Caì (segment "Terra vista dalla luna, La") / Nunzia (segment "Siciliana, La") / Giovanna (segment "Sera come le altre, Una")
Annie Girardot	...	Valeria (segment "Strega Bruciata Viva, La")
Francisco Rabal	...	Paolo (Segment "Strega Bruciata Viva, La")
Massimo Girotti	...	Sportsman (segment "Strega Bruciata Viva, La")
Véronique Vendell	...	Young Girl Friend (segment "Strega Bruciata Viva, La")
Elsa Albani	...	Gossip (segment "Strega Bruciata Viva, La")
Clara Calamai	...	Ex-actress (segment "Strega Bruciata Viva, La")
Marilù Tolo	...	Waitress (segment "Strega Bruciata Viva, La")
Nora Ricci	...	Gloria's secretary (segment "Strega Bruciata Viva, La")
Dino Mele	...	Dino, the waiter (segment "Strega Bruciata Viva, La")
Helmut Berger	...	Young man at Hotel (segment "La Strega Bruciata Viva") (as Helmut Steinbergher)
Bruno Filippini	...	Singer (segment "Strega Bruciata Viva, La")
Leslie French	...	Industrialist (segment "Strega Bruciata Viva, La")
Alberto Sordi	...	Elio Ferocci (segment "Senso Civico")
Totò	...	Ciancicato Miao (segment "La terra vista dalla luna")
Ninetto Davoli	...	Baciu Miao (segment "La terra vista dalla luna") (as Nenetto Davoli)
Laura Betti	...	Male Tourist (segment "La terra vista dalla luna")
Luigi Leoni	...	Female Tourist (segment "La terra vista dalla luna")
Clint Eastwood	...	Carlo (Segment "Sera Come Le Altre, Una")
Valentino Macchi	...	Man at Stadium (segment "Sera come le altre, Una")
Corinne Fontaine	...	(segment "Sera come le altre, Una")
Armando Bottin	...	Nembo kid (segment "Sera come le altre, Una")
Gianni Gori	...	Diabolik (segment "Sera come le altre, Una")
Paolo Gozlino	...	Mandrake (segment "Sera come le altre, Una")
Franco Moruzzi	...	Sadik (segment "Sera come le altre, Una") (as Moruzzi Franco)
Angelo Santi	...	Flash Gordon (segment "Sera come le altre, Una")
Pietro Torrisi	...	Batman (segment "Sera come le altre, Una") (as Torrisi Piero)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ennio Antonelli	...	Blue Shirt Man at Colosseum (Segment "Sera Come Le Altre, Una") (uncredited)
Mario Cipriani	...	Priest (segment "La terra vista dalla luna") (uncredited)
Raniero Dorascenzi	...	Admirerer at stadium (segment "Sera come le altre, Una" ) (uncredited)
Veriano Ginesi	...	Bald admirerer at stadium (segment "Sera come le altre, Una") (uncredited)
Amerigo Santarelli	...	Admirerer at stadium (segment "Sera come le altre, Una") (uncredited)

Directed by
Mauro Bolognini		(segment "Senso civico")
Vittorio De Sica		(segment "Sera come le altre, Una")
Pier Paolo Pasolini		(segment "Terra vista dalla luna, La")
Franco Rossi		(segment "Siciliana, La")
Luchino Visconti		(segment "Strega bruciata viva, La")

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Mauro Bolognini		segment "Senso civico"
Fabio Carpi		segment "Sera come le altre, Una"
Roberto Gianviti		segment "Siciliana, La"
Agenore Incrocci		segment "Senso civico" (as Age)
Luigi Magni		segment "Siciliana, La"
Enzo Muzii		segment "Sera come le altre, Una"
Pier Paolo Pasolini		segment "Terra vista dalla luna, La"
Giuseppe Patroni Griffi		segment "Strega bruciata viva, La"
Franco Rossi		segment "Siciliana, La"
Furio Scarpelli		segment "Senso civico" (as Scarpelli)
Bernardino Zapponi		segment "Senso civico"
Cesare Zavattini		segment "Strega bruciata viva, La" and "Sera come le altre, Una"

Produced by
Dino De Laurentiis	....	producer

Original Music by
Ennio Morricone
Piero Piccioni

Cinematography by
Giuseppe Rotunno

Film Editing by
Nino Baragli		(segments "Senso civico" and "Terra vista dalla luna, La")
Adriana Novelli		(segment "Sera come le altre, Una")
Mario Serandrei		(segment "Strega bruciata viva, La")
Giorgio Serrallonga		(segment "Siciliana, La")

Production Design by
Mario Garbuglia
Piero Poletto

Costume Design by
Piero Tosi

Makeup Department
Maria Teresa Corridoni	....	key hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vincenzo Cerami	....	first assistant director (segment "Terra vista dalla luna, La")
Sergio Citti	....	first assistant director (segment "Terra vista dalla luna, La")

Camera and Electrical Department
Giuseppe Di Biase	....	assistant camera (segment "Strega bruciata viva, La") (as Pino Di Biase)
Giuseppe Maccari	....	camera operator (segment "Strega bruciata viva, La")
Piero Servo	....	assistant camera (segment "Strega bruciata viva, La")

Other crew
Massimo Castellani	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica
• Les Productions Artistes Associés

Distributors

• Dear Film (1967) (Italy) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1967) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Lopert Pictures Corporation (1969) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• United Artists Europa

Other Companies

• Digitmovies Alternative Entertainment  soundtrack

Also Known As:

"Le streghe" - Italy (original title)

Runtime:

Germany:121 min | Spain:120 min | USA:105 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Sound Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Portugal:M/16 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Dino De Laurentiis Cinematografica Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica

Trivia:

Clint Eastwood was given the choice of taking $25,000 in cash or $20,000 and a brand-new Ferrari by producer Dino De Laurentiis to play a small part in the movie. He chose the money and the Ferrari. He got on well with Silvana Mangano and director Vittorio De Sica.

Movie Connections:

References Seasons of Our Love (1966)

re: Pasolini segment

I once caught 15 minutes on Italian tv of Pasolini's contribution and was completely fascinated by it. Having now also seen his film "Uccellacci e uccellini," made the same year as "Le Streghe" and in much the same absurdist style, I understand even more fully the political commentary being made in both films. The social and political commentary in Pasolini's work is delivered obliquely and with great humor but is nonetheless vital to an understanding of both the style and content of his films. Even after having lived in Italy for some time, speaking the language fluently and learning as much as I could about the complicated political events of the fifties, sixties and seventies, I am aware that as a foreigner I am still at a disadvantage to fully "getting" the point that's being made in these two films. I would think it would be nearly impossible to find them anything other than strange and disconnected without some familiarity with the Italian political milieu of that period. However, that said, I think the beauty of the stylization - successfully realized and united on every level, design, costumes, cinematography and most particularly, acting - works irregardless and is entertaining in and of itself. It's especially interesting to see a comic performer as beloved and mainstream as Toto was at that time, so willingly and completely giving himself over to a director as completely experimental and also so controversial in an extremely volatile political climate as was Pasolini. My only negative comment about "Le streghe" is that I wish it weren't so impossible to get hold of as I would love to see this very beautiful film in its entirety.