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Bread, Love and Dreams (1953)

Pane, amore e fantasia (original title)
| Comedy, Romance | 23 December 1953 (Italy)
Bread, Love and Dreams Poster
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) | 1 more credit »

Stars:

Vittorio De Sica, Gina Lollobrigida, Marisa Merlini | See full cast & crew »
Reviews
Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 3 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vittorio De Sica ... Maresciallo Carotenuto
Gina Lollobrigida ... La Bersagliera
Marisa Merlini ... Anna Mirziato
Virgilio Riento Virgilio Riento ... Don Emidio
Tina Pica Tina Pica ... Caramella
Roberto Risso ... Carabiniere Stelluti
Vittoria Crispo Vittoria Crispo ... Madre della Bersagliera
Maria Pia Casilio Maria Pia Casilio ... Paoletta
Memmo Carotenuto Memmo Carotenuto ... Carabiniere Baiocchi
Guglielmo Barnabò Guglielmo Barnabò ... Il sindaco
Gigi Reder Gigi Reder ... Ricuccio
Mario Meniconi Mario Meniconi ... Matteo
Nino Vingelli ... Venditore ambulante
Checco Rissone Checco Rissone ... Barbiere
Attilio Torelli Attilio Torelli ... Rumbumbù
See full cast »
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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. Written by 1felco

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

midwife | village | priest | italy | single mother | See All (54) »

Taglines:

There is a time for bread...a time for love...a time for dreams... See more »

Genres:

Comedy | Romance

Certificate:

See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

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Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

23 December 1953 (Italy) See more »

Also Known As:

Bread, Love and Dreams See more »

Filming Locations:

Castel San Pietro Romano, Rome, Lazio, Italy See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Titanus See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

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

Connections

Followed by Frisky (1954) See more »

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User Reviews

Blurb.
2 September 2001 | by ItalianGerry – See all my reviews

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.
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