''Angels of Darkness'' (Italian: ''Donne proibite'') is a 1954 Italian melodrama film directed by

Giuseppe Amato Giuseppe Amato (born Giuseppe Vasaturo; 24 August 1899 – 3 February 1964) was an Italian film producer, screenwriter and director. He produced 58 films between 1932 and 1961, and is especially known for ''Bicycle Thieves''. He was born in ...

and starring

Linda Darnell Linda Darnell (born Monetta Eloyse Darnell; October 16, 1923 – April 10, 1965) was an American actress. Darnell progressed from modeling as a child to acting in theater and film. At the encouragement of her mother, she made her first film in ...

Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known professionally as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican-American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental v ...

and

Valentina Cortese Valentina Cortese (1 January 1923 – 10 July 2019) was an Italian actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in François Truffaut's ''Day for Night'' (1973). Personal life Cortese was born ...

. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and unify the vis ...

Virgilio Marchi.

Plot

A brothel is suddenly closed as a prostitute, Tamara, attempts suicide by throwing herself out of the window; she is admitted to the hospital in serious condition. Three of her colleagues, Vally, Franca and Lola, are forced to ask for hospitality from Rosa, who has long since abandoned the profession and now has a nice apartment. Vally wants to change her life and meets Francesco from Abruzzo. They decide to get married, but since the man has to emigrate, they resort to a marriage by proxy. When the young man discovers his troubled past about him, he reproaches it; the woman escapes from despair and goes to meet a tragic death. Tamara, physically damaged, after her hospitalization, has a mystical crisis and will be welcomed in an institute of nuns; Franca, who already has a daughter, finds a job and welcomes her into her new home. Lola, on the other hand, under the armor of unscrupulousness actually has a sensitive and generous soul. She decides to return to her elderly parents, but discovers that her sister is now close to marriage: to avoid a scandal she decides to give up and resigns herself to returning to the city, to the brothel which has reopened its doors in the meantime; but she realizes that she is seriously ill.

Cast

as Lola Baldi *

as Francesco Caserto *

as Vally *

Lea Padovani Lea Padovani (28 July 1920 – 23 June 1991) was an Italian film actress. She appeared in 60 films between 1945 and 1990. She starred in the film '' Black Dossier'' which was entered into the 1955 Cannes Film Festival. Partial filmography ...

as Franca *

Giulietta Masina Giulia Anna "Giulietta" Masina (22 February 1921 – 23 March 1994) was an Italian film actress best known for her performances as Gelsomina in '' La Strada'' (1954) and Cabiria in '' Nights of Cabiria'' (1957), for which she won the Cannes Film ...

as Rosita *

Lilla Brignone Lilla Brignone (23 August 1913 – 24 March 1984) was an Italian film and theater actress. She appeared in 40 films between 1930 and 1982. Her father was film director and actor Guido Brignone and her aunt was actress Mercedes Brignone. Her ...

as Tamara *

Carlo Dapporto Carlo Dapporto (26 June 1911 – 1 October 1989) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 35 films between 1944 and 1987. He was born in Sanremo, Italy and died in Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 B ...

as Vittorio *

Alberto Farnese Alberto Farnese (3 June 1926 – 2 June 1996) was an Italian actor. He appeared in more than 80 films and television shows between 1951 and 1989. He starred in the film ''Whom God Forgives'', which won the Silver Bear Extraordinary Prize of ...

as The Sportsman *

Alberto Talegalli Alberto Talegalli (2 October 1913 – 10 July 1961) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 37 films between 1952 and 1961. He was born in Pincano (Spoleto), Italy and died in Gualdo Tadino, in the province of Perugia, Italy. Life an ...

as A relative of Francesco's *

Checco Durante Francesco "Checco" Durante (19 November 1893 – 5 January 1976) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 59 films between 1931 and 1973. He was born and died in Rome, Italy. Selected filmography * ''The Doctor in Spite of Himself'' (1931 ...

as Another relative of Francesco's *

Roberto Risso Roberto Risso (22 November 1925 – 16 November 2010) was a Swiss-born Italian film actor. Life and career Born Pietro Roberto Strub in Geneva, Risso joined the cinema industry when he was still a university student of architecture, playing a ...

as Bruno *

Lola Braccini Lola Braccini, born Camilla Cariddi (28 March 1889 - 19 March 1969) was an Italian film, television and stage actress. Life and career Born in Pisa, Braccini moved to Rome at 14 years old and debuted on stage in 1912 as an extra at the Teatro ...

as Signora Capello *

Maria Pia Casilio Maria-Pia Casilio (5 May 1935 – 10 April 2012) was an Italian film actress, best known for major roles in ''Umberto D.'' and ''Un americano a Roma''. Born in San Pio delle Camere, L'Aquila, Casilio was quite active between 1952 and 1960, ...

as The Young Girl *

Rossella Falk Rossella Falk (10 November 1926 – 5 May 2013) was an Italian actress. She had a long career and is possibly best known for appearing in ''8½'' by Federico Fellini in 1963. Life and career Born in Rome as Rosa Antonia Falzacappa, Falk grad ...

as Morena *

Tino Buazzelli Agostino "Tino" Buazzelli (13 September 1922 – 20 October 1980) was an Italian stage, television and film actor. He appeared in 46 films between 1948 and 1978. After a diploma of education, Buazzelli enrolled the Accademia d'Arte Dramma ...

as mayor of Stefano *

Aldo Silvani Aldo Silvani (21 January 1891 – 12 November 1964) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in more than 110 films between 1934 and 1964. He was born in Turin, Italy and died in Milan, Italy. Selected filmography * '' Cardinal Lambertini'' ...

as senior doctor *

Anita Durante Anita Durante (28 September 1897 – 2 May 1994) was an Italian actress. Born Anita Bianchi in Rome into a humble family, after attending a dramatic society for several years Durante made her official debut on stage in 1919, in Ettore Petro ...

as wife of Amilcare *

Gina Amendola Gina or GINA or ''variation'' may refer to: Gina Gina may refer to: * Gina (given name), multiple individuals * Gina (Canaan), a town in ancient Canaan * Arihant (Jainism), also called gina, a term for a human who has conquered his or her inner p ...

* as Gelsomina *

Anna Maria Bottini Anna Maria Bottini (24 March 1916 – 9 August 2020) was an Italian actress. Biography Bottini attended the Accademia dei Filodrammatici in Milan, where she graduated in 1936, beginning her acting career at the end of World War II. A character a ...

as Tamara's friend *

Miranda Campa Miranda Campa (31 January 1914 – 7 May 1989) was a Swiss-born Italian actress and voice actress. Life and career Born Liliana Campa Capodaglio in Geneva, the nephew of actors Pio Campa and Wanda Capodaglio, Campa studied acting at the ...

as woman with red carnation * Antonio Cifariello as Dr. Carlo *

Edoardo Toniolo Edoardo Toniolo (22 November 1907 - 31 December 1986) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Life and career Born in Turin, the son of the stage actors Antonio and Rosa Rosaz, at young age Toniolo debuted on stage in supporting roles. He late ...

as third doctor * Pina Piovani *

Maria Zanoli Maria Zanoli (26 October 1896 – 15 November 1977) was an Italian film actress. She appeared in 45 films between 1943 and 1961. Partial filmography * ''Loyalty of Love'' (1934) - La cameriera pettegola di casa Confalonieri * ''Incontri di ...

as elderly patient * Alberto Plebani * Antonio Cifariello *

Margherita Bagni Margherita Bagni (pseudonym of Margherita Maria Bagna; 21 February 1902 – 2 July 1960) was an Italian actress and voice actress. She appeared in 37 films between 1918 and 1959. She was born in Turin, Italy and died in Rome, Italy. Daughte ...

as mother of Bruno *

Memmo Carotenuto Memmo Carotenuto (23 August 1908 – 23 December 1980) was an Italian actor. He appeared in 125 films between 1941 and 1980. Selected filmography *'' The Wedding Trip'' (1969) * ''Assassination in Rome'' (1965) * '' Male Companion'' (1964 ...

as baker * Cristina Fantoni * Rina Dei *

Mino Doro Mino Doro (6 May 1903 – 13 April 1992) was an Italian actor who appeared in more than a hundred films between 1932 and 1970. Doro generally played supporting and character roles. He appeared as a blackshirt in the 1934 Fascist propaganda fi ...

* Luigi Pigliacelli * Patrizia Remiddi as Bambola

References

Bibliography

* Gino Moliterno. ''The A to Z of Italian Cinema''. Scarecrow Press, 2009.

External links

* 1954 films 1954 drama films 1950s English-language films English-language Italian films 1950s Italian-language films Italian drama films Films directed by Giuseppe Amato Films set in Rome Films with screenplays by Cesare Zavattini Films scored by Renzo Rossellini Italian black-and-white films Melodrama films 1950s multilingual films Italian multilingual films 1950s Italian films {{1950s-Italy-film-stub