IMDb > The Priest's Wife (1970)

The Priest's Wife (1970) More at IMDbPro »La moglie del prete (original title)


Overview

User Rating:
5.9/10   178 votes »
Your Rating:
Saving vote...
Deleting vote...
/10   (delete | history)
Sorry, there was a problem
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Ruggero Maccari (screenplay) and
Bernardino Zapponi (screenplay) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Priest's Wife on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
22 December 1970 (Italy) See more »
Genre:
Tagline:
They Shake Things Up...In Spring's Comedy Hit! See more »
Plot:
Discovering her boyfriend is married, a young lady attempts to take her life, pausing only to phone a Help Line... See more » | Add synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
User Reviews:
Bittersweet comedy See more (2 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order)

Sophia Loren ... Valeria Billi

Marcello Mastroianni ... Don Mario
Venantino Venantini ... Maurizio
Jacques Stany ... Jimmy Guitar
Pippo Starnazza ... Valeria's Father
Augusto Mastrantoni ... Monsignor Caldana
Giuseppe Maffioli ... Davide Libretti
Miranda Campa ... Valeria's Mother
Gino Cavalieri ... Don Filippo
Gino Lazzari ... Caldana's Secretary
Dana Ghia ... Lucia
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Vittoria Crispo ... (uncredited)
Nerina Montagnani ... (uncredited)
Paola Natale ... (uncredited)
Create a character page for: ?

Directed by
Dino Risi 
 
Writing credits
Ruggero Maccari (screenplay) and
Bernardino Zapponi (screenplay)

Ruggero Maccari (story) and
Dino Risi (story) and
Bernardino Zapponi (story)

Produced by
Pio Angeletti .... executive producer
Adriano De Micheli .... executive producer
Carlo Ponti .... producer
 
Original Music by
Armando Trovajoli 
 
Cinematography by
Alfio Contini 
 
Film Editing by
Alberto Gallitti 
 
Art Direction by
Gianni Polidori 
 
Set Decoration by
Lorenzo Baraldi 
 
Costume Design by
Gianni Polidori 
 
Makeup Department
Giuseppe Annunziata .... makeup artist
Giuseppe Banchelli .... makeup artist
Ada Palombi .... hair stylist
 
Production Management
Mario D'Alessio .... production manager
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Renato Rizzuto .... assistant director
 
Sound Department
Claudio Risi .... sound
 
Stunts
Donatella Gambini .... stunt double: Sophia Loren (driving sequence)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jean Barthet .... stylist
Gabriele Mayer .... assistant costume designer
 
Other crew
Elio Di Pietro .... production assistant
Francesca Roberti .... script supervisor
Tonino Sarno .... production assistant
Hunt Downs .... unit publicist (uncredited)
 

Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
"La moglie del prete" - Italy (original title)
See more »
Runtime:
103 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Finland:S | Italy:T | Sweden:Btl | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PG | Argentina:Atp | West Germany:16 (f) (original rating) | West Germany:6 (f) (cut version)
Filming Locations:

Did You Know?

Movie Connections:
Referenced in The First Beautiful Thing (2010)See more »

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
Bittersweet comedy, 15 July 2012
Author: rigoletto339 from United States

Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni shine in the roles of the star- crossed lovers. Valeria is rebounding from a four-year affair with a man she now finds out is married. She expresses her displeasure at the man in one of the funniest scenes in the film - early on - a madcap car chase through Rome.

Aside: cars in Rome during the 1970s were a lot smaller than ours are today - even including Mini-Coopers. And this is the 8th of 11 films she and Mastrioanni made together.

Distraught to the point of suicide, she calls a crisis help line, on impulse, and is answered by a man who does his best to talk her out of it, but doesn't quite succeed. She's taken to a hospital, calls the help line again, insisting that the man she talked to come to her. When he arrives, she notices that he's a priest.

That disappoints her: her first man was married to his wife, now this one is married to the church.

Needless to say, their relationship grows, despite every effort by Don Mario to fend her off.

The rest of the story, combining humor and pathos, revolves around Valeria's attempts to get Don Mario to quit the priesthood and marry her, and his attempts to get the church authorities to let him go.

Loren is, as usual, stunningly beautiful, and considering that her character in the movie is as poor as anyone else in Italy, wears some gorgeous outfits.

One of the great throw-away lines in the movie comes when Don Maro is visiting the hospital, and one of the doctors asks him to use his influence with the government.

"The Church has no influence with the government", Don Mario says.

"If they don't, who does"?

The screening we saw was dubbed in English. I would have liked to hear the real voices - but we take what we can.

Overall, I recommend this one.

Was the above review useful to you?
See more (2 total) »

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Priest's Wife (1970)

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
It's Easier for a Camel... I mostri Caramel Lolita Dirty Weekend
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
IMDb Comedy section IMDb Italy section

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Edit page' button will take you through a step-by-step process.