''Mio figlio Nerone'' (literally: ''My Son Nero''), released in the US as ''Nero's Mistress'' is a 1956

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

historical

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by Steno and starring

Alberto Sordi Alberto Sordi (15 June 1920 – 24 February 2003) was an Italian actor, voice actor, singer, comedian, director and screenwriter. Early life Born in Rome to a schoolteacher and a musician and the last of five children, Sordi was named in hon ...

Vittorio De Sica Vittorio De Sica ( , ; 7 July 1901 – 13 November 1974) was an Italian film director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement. Four of the films he directed won Academy Awards: ''Sciuscià'' and ''Bicycle Thieves'' (honorary) ...

Gloria Swanson Gloria May Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress and producer. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most f ...

and

Brigitte Bardot Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( ; ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B., is a former French actress, singer and model. Famous for portraying sexually emancipated characters with hedonistic lifestyles, she was one of the ...

, with cinematography by

Mario Bava Mario Bava (31 July 1914 – 27 April 1980) was an Italian filmmaker who worked variously as a director, cinematographer, special effects artist and screenwriter, frequently referred to as the "Master of Italian Horror" and the "Master of the M ...

. It depicts a visit by the Roman Emperor

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 unti ...

and his entourage to a coastal villa. The movie was released in Italy in September 1956 and in France in October 1957. Page 76. The US dub, released in 1962, was recut to a substantially different film, shifting the emphasis from Agrippina to

Poppaea Poppaea Sabina (AD 30 – 65), also known as Ollia, was a Roman empress as the second wife of the Emperor Nero. She had also been wife to the future emperor Otho. The historians of antiquity describe her as a beautiful woman who used intrigues ...

(as the title reflects).

Plot

The young emperor Nero proves himself spoiled, childish and unable to cope with the government of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. His domineering mother Agrippina and the wise philosopher

Seneca Seneca may refer to: People and language * Seneca (name), a list of people with either the given name or surname * Seneca people, one of the six Iroquois tribes of North America ** Seneca language, the language of the Seneca people Places Extrat ...

try to make change the personality of the emperor, but nothing can make Nero into a wise and honorable ruler. Agrippina then takes advantage of a poetic and theatrical failure of Nero to kill him and take over the government of Rome. Seneca initially supports the woman, but then plays a double game and warns Nero about the conspiracy. Agrippina smartly lays the blame on the Christians and on Seneca, who could be sentenced to death. However Nero is easily deceived again and proved magnanimous, forgiving all.
The trouble starts at court for the umpteenth time when Nero finds out that Seneca had lied about the "poetic art" of the emperor, saying to the people that Nero sings and performs worse than a stupid monkey ...

Cast

- Nero *

- Seneca the Younger *

- Agrippina the Younger *

- Poppaea *

Ciccio Barbi Ciccio Barbi (19 January 1919 – 26 November 1992) was an Italian film actor. Selected filmography * '' The Last Wagon'' (1943) - Young Friend of Toto (uncredited) * '' Angelina'' (1947) - (uncredited) * '' Auguri e figli maschi!'' (1951) ...

- Anicetus *

Mario Carotenuto Mario Carotenuto (30 June 1916 – 14 April 1995) was an Italian actor of film and theatre. Biography Carotenuto, the son of a silent film actor and younger brother of the actor Memmo Carotenuto, took various humble jobs for many years be ...

- Creperius *

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 ...

- Corbulo * Enzo Furlai - Segimerus *

Agnese Dubbini Agnese is a given name and a variant of Agnes. Its name day is 21 January in Italy. People with the name Agnese include: *Agnese Allegrini (born 1982), Italian badminton player *Agnese Bonfantini (born 1999), Italian football player *Agnese Kokla ...

- Ugolilla * Georgia Moll - Lydia

Production

The movie was filmed in 1955 with interior scenes filmed at Rome's Cinecitta studio. The movie is notable for the first appearance of Brigitte Bardot as a blonde. A natural brunette, she was asked by the director to appear as a blonde as he felt that it was appropriate to her character of an intriguing and alluring treacherous woman. Rather than wear a wig Bardot decided to dye her hair. She was so pleased with the results that she decided to retain the hair colour.

References

External links

* 1956 films 1950s historical comedy films Italian historical comedy films Peplum films CinemaScope films 1950s Italian-language films Films set in ancient Rome Films set in the Roman Empire Depictions of Nero on film Cultural depictions of Agrippina the Younger Cultural depictions of Seneca the Younger Cultural depictions of Poppaea Sabina Sword and sandal films 1956 comedy films 1950s Italian films {{historic-film-stub