Lady Liberty (1971)

Maddalena and Michele fall in love in Italy in the 1960s, while working at a meat factory in Emilia stormed by the workers' protest, but their love can't be, because he is married and Italy... See full summary »

Director:

Mario Monicelli

Writers:

Suso Cecchi D'Amico (screenplay), Mario Monicelli (screenplay)

Stars:

Sophia Loren, Gigi Proietti, William Devane

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sophia Loren	...	Maddalena Ciarrapico
Gigi Proietti	...	Michele Bruni (as Luigi Proietti)
William Devane	...	Jock Fenner
Beeson Carroll	...	Dominic Perlino
María Luisa Sala	...	Milly
Danny DeVito	...	Fred Mancuso
Tommaso Bianco	...	Parent of Michele
Susan Sarandon	...	Sally (as Susan Sarendon)
Charles Bartlett	...	Wildflower
Carla Mancini	...	Friend of Maddalena
Claudio Trionfi	...	Reporter

Storyline

Maddalena and Michele fall in love in Italy in the 1960s, while working at a meat factory in Emilia stormed by the workers' protest, but their love can't be, because he is married and Italy has no divorce. So she persuades him to move to the U.S., and joins him four years later, bringing a Mortadella (sort of salami, processed pork anyway) as a present. But Customs do not allow processed meat to enter the U.S., so she is held at JFK airport but refuses to give in (she indeed is a very strong woman). In the meantime, she discovers the truth about Michele and a few things about the US.

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Plot Keywords:

italy | divorce | custom | food in title | italian comedy | 

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Taglines:

Can a girl from a little sausage factory in Italy find romance and happiness in a pizzeria in New York?

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Edward Herrmann's film debut.

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Connections

References What's the Matter with Helen? (1971)

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Soundtracks

(I Guess) The Lord Must be In New York City
Written by Harry Nilsson
courtesy of RCA

User Reviews

Great entertainment for people who like this sort of film and Sofia Loren fans.

I disagree with any negative comments about this film. This film is special because the majority of the plot takes place in one location, a U.S. immigration area of an airport(NY I think). The film was so engaging, that I had not thought of where the scenes had taken place until after I had seen the film. Also, I saw the film in spoken Italian with English subtitles, while I was living in Italy. I was self-teaching myself the Italian language while I lived there, and found this a handy way to enhance my listening skills.

The fact that the whole film revolves around a 'Mortadella', and that it is eaten within a day or so, thus bringing an end to the reason the character is being held in customs is hysterical! It is a great portrayal of how a country (American isn't the only one!) will maintain and abide by laws that are simply absurd and not practical. With every rule there is usually some exception to it that has not yet been thought of. And this film very comically displays such an example.

I highly recommend this film, but not to one with a short attention span, as there are no car chases. This film will entertain anyone who is patient and can appreciate cultural differences, a great actress such as Sofia Loren, and perhaps a bit of Salami, Pastrami, Bologna or even Mortadella. (Make sure you have this when watching the film. Trust me, you will get hungry.) I also recommend it is viewed in the original Italian Language with English subtitles, as so much can be lost through dubbing.

I look forward to watching more 'old' Sophia Loren movies, they are very entertaining.

Thanks for reading.

Marie

Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Italian English

Release Date:

22 December 1971 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Lady Liberty

Filming Locations:

Correggio, Reggio Emilia; Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Compagnia Cinematografica Champion, Les Films Concordia

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1