Bread, Love and Dreams (1953)

When a veteran marshal is sent to a small town, he quickly falls for two women: a midwife and an earthy young woman nicknamed "Frisky".

Director:

Luigi Comencini

Writers:

Luigi Comencini (story and screenplay), Ettore Maria Margadonna (story and screenplay) (as Ettore M. Margadonna)

Stars:

Vittorio De Sica, Gina Lollobrigida, Marisa Merlini

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vittorio De Sica	...	Maresciallo Carotenuto
Gina Lollobrigida	...	La Bersagliera
Marisa Merlini	...	Anna Mirziato
Virgilio Riento	...	Don Emidio
Tina Pica	...	Caramella
Roberto Risso	...	Carabiniere Stelluti
Vittoria Crispo	...	Madre della Bersagliera
Maria Pia Casilio	...	Paoletta
Memmo Carotenuto	...	Carabiniere Baiocchi
Guglielmo Barnabò	...	Il sindaco
Gigi Reder	...	Ricuccio
Mario Meniconi	...	Matteo
Nino Vingelli	...	Venditore ambulante
Checco Rissone	...	Barbiere
Attilio Torelli	...	Rumbumbù

Storyline

Marshal Antonio Carotenuto is sent to Sagliena, an imaginary little village in the center of Italy in the '50s, to assume his new mandate. In the village he knows Maria (Frisky) AKA 'la Bersagliera', secretly in love with a policeman (Carabiniere) reporting to Antonio. But also Paoletta, the priest's nephew, loves him. Things become more complicated when Annarella, the midwife, starts demonstrating her love to Antonio. She is hiding a secret and the Marshal soon will be in a restless situation.

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Plot Keywords:

midwife | village | priest | italy | single mother | 

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Taglines:

...the stuff great entertainment is made of!

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

23 December 1953 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Bread, Love and Dreams

Filming Locations:

Castel San Pietro Romano, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Titanus

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Some of the dialogue is spoken in Abruzzese, a dialect spoken in the Abruzzo region of southern Italy.

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Connections

Followed by Frisky (1954)

User Reviews

Blurb.

Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida ("La Lollo") had been in a number of smaller films before this 1953 blockbuster catapulted her to international fame. The success of this rustic comedy spawned a sequel a year later: PANE AMORE E GELOSIA or "FRISKY. In BREAD LOVE AND DREAMS Gina plays Maria De Ritis, called "Pizzicarella la Bersagliera" or "Frisky" in the distributor's translation. She is a feisty country girl in southern Italy's Ciociaria area. During the course of the film she is pursued by the town's new "maresciallo" (local police chief), a lewd and lascivious woman-chaser played as only Vittorio De Sica could play lewd and lascivious, that is with great delight. At the same time Lollo is being flirtatious with the newly arrived young police officer from the north. Amorous complications ensue in what is essentially a modernized "commedia dell'arte" piece with performers of enormous appeal. The cast also includes Marisa Merlini as the midwife the maresciallo has an eye on as well. And there's the unique and marvelous character actress Tina Pica in a smaller role. Luigi Comencini directed both this film and its immediate sequel, which has much of the same cast, with great gusto.