Avanti! (1972)

A successful businessman goes to Italy to arrange for the return of his tycoon-father's body only to discover dad died with his mistress of long standing.

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

Samuel A. Taylor (play) (as Samuel Taylor), Billy Wilder (screenplay)

Stars:

Jack Lemmon, Juliet Mills, Clive Revill

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Lemmon	...	Wendell Armbruster, Jr.
Juliet Mills	...	Pamela Piggott
Clive Revill	...	Carlo Carlucci
Edward Andrews	...	J.J. Blodgett
Gianfranco Barra	...	Bruno
Franco Angrisano	...	Arnoldo Trotta
Pippo Franco	...	Mattarazzo
Franco Acampora	...	Armando Trotta
Giselda Castrini	...	Anna
Raffaele Mottola	...	Passport Officer
Lino Coletta	...	Cipriani
Harry Ray	...	Dr. Fleischmann
Guidarino Guidi	...	Maitre D'
Giacomo Rizzo	...	Barman
Antonino Faà di Bruno	...	Concierge (as Antonino Faa' Di Bruno)

Storyline

Baltimore industrialist Wendell Armbruster crosses paths with London shop girl Pamela Piggott when they come to Ischia to pick up the bodies of her mother and his father, who have been killed in an automobile accident after a ten-year summertime affair. Straitlaced Wendell tries to avoid a scandal while free-spirited Pamela is impressed by the romantic setting. After some confusion with the bodies and a blackmail attempt by unscrupulous locals, Wendell and Pamela extend their parent's affair into the next generation.

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Plot Keywords:

female frontal nudity | blackmail | italy | mistress | hotel | 

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Taglines:

When someone knocks on your door and says permesso?...be careful before you say Avanti!

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

After Marcello Mastroianni had turned down the role of Carlucci, Billy Wilder tested both Nino Manfredi and Romolo Valli for the part. However, he worried that their accents would be too strong for American audiences and cast the New Zealand-born Clive Revill after the actor (whom he had recently directed in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)) happened to call him on the telephone. Revill had played a Russian in his earlier Wilder film and had also played an Italian quite recently in The Assassination Bureau (1969); Wilder recalled his facility for languages and his skill at accents (he had also played both an Arab and a Scot in Modesty Blaise (1966), an American in A Fine Madness (1966) and another Russian in both Fathom (1967) and The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968) in the recent past) and hired him at once.

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Goofs

When Pamela wants to go swimming at sunrise, Wendell's shadow on the pier is way too short for time of sunrise. (At the end of July in Ischia you'd get this kind of shadow around noon and 14:30.)

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Quotes

Wendell Armbruster: [as Pamela strips at the seaside] Miss Piggott! Please keep in mind that it's Sunday, and this is a Catholic country!

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Connections

References It Can Be Done Amigo (1972)

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Soundtracks

A Tazza E' Café
Written by Giuseppe Capaldo (as G. Capaldo) and Vittorio Fassone (as V. Fassone)

User Reviews

A very VERY fine and funny Billy Wilder Film - MUCH under-rated.

Avanti is many things and this is why it has and may never receive the acclaim it deserves. Some may dismiss it or indeed try to define it simply as a rom-com. It is SO much more. It is a love story and a very moving one at that. It is a farce. It is a more straight forward comedy. It is a delightful and dexterous comedy-Film that combines European and American cultures and for once melds them beautifully. Lemmon gives one of his best performances, whilst Juliet Mills gives the performance of her career. Clive Revill almost steals the film, and all the supporting Actors are superb. How Juliet Mills & Jack Lemmon did not only not get nominated but not win Oscars for Avanti! is beyond me. And right the way through the writing is superb and soaring above all of it the class, the quality, the brilliance of one of the great Film-makers of all time, Billy Wilder. This film is for adults, it is not a family movie, and it's all the better for it. It's brave, bold and deeply funny and humane. You really would have to be deeply cynical and appallingly humourless not to find this Film funny and moving. Got get it on DVD today, I'd be astonished if you don't make a life-long friend with this movie once you've watched it.

Details

Country:

Italy USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

17 December 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

Avanti!

Filming Locations:

Faro di Carena, Capri Island, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$2,750,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$22,482

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Mirisch Corporation, Phalanx Productions, Jalem Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

144 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1