"Mussolini: The Untold Story" (1985) TV mini-series

Director:

William A. Graham

Writer:

Stirling Silliphant (written by)

Release Date:

24 November 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

This 7 hour mini-series is based on the memories of Vittorio Mussolini, the oldest son of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini...

Plot Keywords:

Mussolini | Abyssinia | WWII | Beautiful Woman | TV Mini-Series

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 nomination

Cast

George C. Scott	...	Benito Mussolini
Lee Grant	...	Rachele Mussolini
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio	...	Edda Mussolini-Ciano
Raul Julia	...	Count Galeazzo Ciano
Virginia Madsen	...	Claretta Petacci
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Bruno Mussolini (as Robert Downey)
Gabriel Byrne	...	Vittorio Mussolini
Kenneth Colley	...	King Vittorio Emmanuele
Michael Aldridge	...	Matteotti
Gunnar Möller	...	Adolf Hitler
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Relja Basic
Gina Bellman	...	Gena Ruberti
Spencer Callahan	...	Young Vittorio Mussolini (as Spencer Chandler)
George Coulouris	...	DeBono
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	Sebastiani
Michael Forest	...	Prison Commandant
Janet Graham	...	Fascist Woman (as Janet Rasak)
Constantine Gregory	...	Baron Russo
Robert Gwilym	...	Partisan Leader
Paul Herzberg	...	Major Spogler
Virginia Hey	...	Young Woman
Godfrey James	...	Marshall Pietro Badoglio
Milton Johns	...	German Ambassador
Wolf Kahler	...	Skorzeny
Richard Kane	...	Von Ribbentrop
Paul Kehagias	...	Young Bruno Mussolini
Anne-Louise Lambert	...	Orsala
Annabel Leventon	...	Senora Petacci
Bruce Lidington	...	Air Force Major
Michael MacKenzie	...	Amalfi
Philip Madoc	...	Bucchini
Stephen Marshall	...	Romano
Ryan Mitchell	...	Jewish Boy
John Moreno	...	Man at Border
DeeDee Norton	...	Mrs. Thompson
David Pullan	...	German Officer at Prison
David Suchet	...	Dino Grandi
Tony Vogel	...	Tarabella
Tracy-Louise Ward	...	Countess Maria Ciano
Eileen Way	...	Vendor

Runtime:

410 min

Country:

USA | Yugoslavia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Unrated

Company:

Triangle Productions

Goofs:

Factual errors: Contrary to the popular myth featured in this miniseries Mussolini did not make the trains on time. Most of the repair work to the Italian railway system were done before Mussolini and his fascists came into power in 1922. Mussolini was just disingenuous in taking credit for those changes.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Cinemania: I anodos kai i ptosi tou Nazismou" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Giovinezza

George C Scott triumphs as Ill Duce

Duce - Duce - Duce the crowd screams as the little giant struts out to give the faithful a tough face. George C Scott best known for playing the invincible George Patton on the silver screen has the mannerisms and the facial expressions of the sawdust caeaser who led Italy into a disastrous war and brought about his own downfall.

One of histories great ironies lies in this: Had the Deuce avoided WWII which the Germans really didn't want him involved in anyway, he might have had the acclaim for glory that he vaingloriously sought.

The film presents with a degree of historical accuracy the terrible end to which Italy and its Deuce came as a result of the quest for glory. It comes as a shock that the Anglo-Americans would bomb Rome. Count Ciano lolling on the beach at Lido as the flying fortresses zoom over exclaims, "The Pope lives here." This film is an excellent warning for our time which has produced a new pied-piper. This one claims to personally talk to God. The Deuce at least had the good graces to be an atheist.