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Alternative Titel:
The Moralist
Um Moralista em Apuros (Brazil)
Digitmovies releases, for the first time on CD, the delightful music of Carlo Savina from the film "The Moralist" (Il Moralista).
Soundtrack:
Only a 45rpm EP (Cetra SP 611) was recorded for this film, with the main score written by Franco Migliacci and Carlo Savina and performed by Fred Buscaglione. Nothing had been previously released from the instrumental OST, but thanks to the mono master tapes it was possible to release all of Savina's background music, which recalls the instrumental leitmotif and alternates between a dance tune and a romantic love theme. This CD (54:15 minutes) contains the song from the opening credits (a fanfare in music hall style during the beginning and ending credits), and a single with a different intro.
Director and Cast:
Directed by Giorgio Bianchi in 1959. Starring Alberto Sordi, Vittorio De Sica, Franca Valeri, Franco Fabrizi, Piera Arico, Nando Angelini, Mimo Billi, Renzo Cesana, Liana Del Balzo, Anna Filippini, Ciccio Barbi, Mara Berni, Gina Mattarolo, Christiane Nielsen, Alberto Plebani, Maria Perschy, Lidia Simoneschi, Leopoldo Trieste, Vincenzo Talarico, Enzo Tarascio.
Plot:
Agostino (Sordi) is an impeccable and unintelligent secretary-general of OIMP who seems like a bureaucrat with morals so high it's almost absurd, but in reality is a shady individual who attempts to play up to the influential president of the organization and woo his daughter (Valeri). Although he is eventually found out, he takes revenge by pillorying the foibles of the president.
Notes about the film:
According to some cinema historians, the screenwriters were inspired by the lawyer Agostino Greggi when choosing the name for the character played by Alberto Sordi. Greggi was an influential spokesperson for the most conservative Catholics of the Christian Democrats. He became famous for his campaigns to set high moral values (but unlike the character in the movie, he was honest).
According to others, the character was based on a young Oscar Luigi Scalfaro (president of Italy from 1992-1999) who was accused of reprimanding a woman in public for taking off her jacket and exposing her shoulders (il caso detto "del prendisole").
When the movie was released, it was prohibited to minors because of some scenes with excessive profanity. Nowadays it would not be considered excessive.
Mara Berni's crazy mother was played by Lydia Simoneschi who was considered the queen of Italian dubbing. Her voice was used to dub over 5000 movies between 1935 and 1975. Vera Serni , who played Mara Berni, was considered one of the most beautiful actresses of Italian cinema.
Gina Mattarolo, who played the secretary Eleonora, was an excellent acting teacher but only starred in 5 movies during her career.
Ciccio Barbi, born in 1919, had become famous at the time because of a well-known advertisement for Fiuggi water.
Liana Del Balzo was one of the most loved Italian actresses at the time.
Sylvia Lopez died the same year the film came out from Leukemia at the age of 23.
This film was the debut for Maria Perschy (1938-2004), an attractive Austrian actress who died poor and alone.
- Digitmovies
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