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 6 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:

The violins are playing, the champagne is flowing, the girl is beautiful...and your wife is in Baltimore.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA Italy

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

17 December 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

Avanti, Avanti!

Filming Locations:

Faro di Carena, Capri Island, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$2,750,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$3,300,000, 31 December 1973

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,500,000, 31 January 1974

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Avanti! marked the 5th of 7 collaborations between Jack Lemmon and director Billy Wilder, following Some Like It Hot (1959), The Apartment (1960), Irma la Douce (1963), and The Fortune Cookie (1966). The Front Page (1974) followed, and their last film together was Buddy Buddy (1981).

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Goofs

As the "US Navy" helicopter takes off near the end of the movie, a look to the underside of the stabilizer reveals the Italian roundel.

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Quotes

Pamela Piggott: Oh, they're a terrific group! They call themselves, "The Four Apostles" - Matthew, Mark, Luke and Bertram.

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Connections

References Carnal Knowledge (1971)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

outstanding overlooked Wilder flick

This charming and whimsical flick has been a favorite of mine for years, and I am puzzled as to why it so neglected. There are five main reasons the film works so well, not necessarily in order of importance: 1) the cinematography of the isle of Ischia 2) Billy Wilder's direction 3) Jack Lemmon 4) Wilder's and Diamond's script 5) Clive Revill as the hotel manager. Little can be added to the generally favorable comments found here. My favorite scene: Wendell Armbruster's introduction to the Trotta family ("That's a lotta Trottas!"). Well worth a see!