Conversation Piece (1974) Gruppo di famiglia in un interno (original title)

Director:

Luchino Visconti

Writers:

Enrico Medioli (story)
Suso Cecchi D'Amico (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

23 June 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Retired professor of American origin lives solitary life in luxurious palazzo in Rome He is confronted...

Plot Keywords:

Palazzo | Apartment | Professor | Retired | Loneliness

Awards:

12 wins

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Il Professore
Helmut Berger	...	Konrad Huebel
Silvana Mangano	...	Marchesa Bianca Brumonti
Claudia Marsani	...	Lietta Brumonti
Stefano Patrizi	...	Stefano
Elvira Cortese	...	Erminia
Philippe Hersent	...	Portiere
Guy Tréjan	...	Venditore di quadri
Jean-Pierre Zola	...	Blanchard
Umberto Raho	...	Commissario
Enzo Fiermonte	...	Commissario
Romolo Valli	...	Micheli
George Clatot
Valentino Macchi
Vittorio Fanfoni
Lorenzo Piani
Margherita Horowitz	...	Domestica
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Claudia Cardinale	...	Moglie del professore (uncredited)
Dominique Sanda	...	Madre del professore (uncredited)

Directed by
Luchino Visconti

Writing credits
Enrico Medioli		(story)
Suso Cecchi D'Amico		(screenplay) and
Enrico Medioli		(screenplay) and
Luchino Visconti		(screenplay)

Produced by
Giovanni Bertolucci	....	producer: Rusconi Film S.p.A.

Original Music by
Franco Mannino

Cinematography by
Pasqualino De Santis

Film Editing by
Ruggero Mastroianni

Production Design by
Mario Garbuglia

Set Decoration by
Carlo Gervasi
Dario Simoni

Makeup Department
Maria Teresa Corridoni	....	hair stylist
Alberto De Rossi	....	makeup artist
Aldo Signoretti	....	hairdresser assistant
Eligio Trani	....	makeup assistant

Production Management
Lucio Trentini	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Albino Cocco	....	assistant director
Alessio Girotti	....	second second assistant director
Giorgio Treves	....	second second assistant director
Louise Vincent	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Alvaro Belsole	....	construction department chief
Alfredo D'Angelo	....	upholstery
Ferdinando Giovannoni	....	assistant art director
Nazzareno Piana	....	second assistant art director
Italo Tomassi	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Claudio Maielli	....	sound
Decio Trani	....	sound assistant

Special Effects by
Eros Bacciucchi	....	special effects (as E. Bacciucchi)
Giovanni Bacciucchi	....	special effects (as G. Bacciucchi)

Camera and Electrical Department
Adolfo Bartoli	....	assistant camera
Mario Cimini	....	camera operator
Aldo Colanzi	....	chief grip
Nino Cristiani	....	camera operator
Luciano Leoni	....	chief electrician
Gianni Maddaleni	....	assistant camera
Marcello Mastrogirolamo	....	assistant camera
Mario Tursi	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Giuseppina Delli Carpini	....	wardrobe mistress: assistant
Maria Fanetti	....	wardrobe mistress
Piero Tosi	....	costumes: Mrs. Mangano's clothes have been created by

Editorial Department
Lea Mazzocchi	....	assistant editor
Alfredo Menchini	....	second assistant editor

Music Department
Franco Mannino	....	conductor

Other crew
Renata Franceschi	....	script girl
Enzo Lucarini	....	accountant
Remo Stampiggioni	....	accountant
Federico Starace	....	production secretary
Federico Tocci	....	production assistant

Thanks
Renato Massimiani	....	thanks: Expert

Production Companies

• Rusconi Film
• Gaumont International (co-production)

Distributors

• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1974) (Italy) (theatrical) (domestic dubbed version)
• Gaumont (1974) (France) (theatrical)
• Art Free (2009) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-release)
• New Line Cinema (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• Toho-Towa (1977) (Japan) (theatrical) (original International English version) (censored version)
• Globo Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Kinokuniya (2003) (Japan) (DVD) (original International English version)
• Koch Media (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2006) (Australia) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2006) (Australia) (all media)
• Madman Entertainment (2006) (New Zealand) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2006) (New Zealand) (all media)
• Versátil Home Vídeo (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)

Special Effects

• E. & G. Bacciucchi

Other Companies

• Yves Saint Laurent  Mr. Berger's cosutmes furnished by (as Yves St. Laurent)
• Fendi  Mrs. Mangano's furs furnished by
• Tirelli Costumi  costumes: The clothes of the other actors have been furnished by (as Tirelli)
• Todd-AO (UK)  filmed in
• Dear  studio
• De Paolis I.N.C.I.R.  studio (as De Paolis S.r.l.)
• Carosello  soundtrack (as Carosello CLN 25052)
• Filippo Haas & Figli  thanks: The draperies have been furnished by
• Bulgari  jewelry
• Cimino  set furnishing
• D'Angelo  draperies (as A. D'Angelo)
• Curci  music published by
• International Recordings  sound re-recording
• Lucherini/Rossetti/Spinola/Scalera  press agency (as Lucherini Rocchetti Spinola)
• Rocchetti e Carboni  wigs
• Skandinaviska Kompaniet  modern furniture furnished by (as Skandinaviska Komapaniet S.p.A.)

Also Known As:

"Gruppo di famiglia in un interno" - Italy (original title)

Runtime:

Italy:126 min | Spain:115 min (DVD edition) | Israel:117 min (Video Version)

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian | English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:11 | West Germany:16 | UK:18 (video rating) (2003) | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | Iceland:12 | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Dear Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Rusconi Film

Quotes:

Marchesa Bianca Brumonti:He was too young to have learned this final nasty fact: grief is as precarious as anything else.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Bellissimo: Immagini del cinema italiano (1985)

Soundtrack:

Sinfonia Concertante K 364

A Piece of Visconti Magic

Luchino Visconti co-wrote and also directed this from a wheel chair, after his first heart attack. The movie reminds me of playwright Henrik Ibsens style. Indeed this is very much like a play. All the action taking place in a retired Professors (Burt Lancaster) plush house in Rome. When a brash young group of mis-fits rent a room upstairs ..the Professors sedate life changes completely. The subtext is vital here, and more than one viewing is recommended. The professor has long given up on communication between humans, and the clash of the old and the new makes him even more certain. Its a brilliant piece of work--although the sound track which was added later is sometimes annoying. Lancaster is great --indeed all of the main players do a wonderful job. Visconti is credited for ushering in the neo-realist cinema. Later he departed from this style and became more melodramatic--with intense character development. This movie is from his later style.