''The Infamous Column'' ( it, La colonna infame, also known as ''Pillar of Shame'') is a

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: ...

Italian

historical drama film A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and swa ...

directed by Nelo Risi.

Plot

It is 1630, and a devastating plague has descended upon the city of Milan. Guglielmo Piazza and Giacomo Mora are depicted as two city's artisans (really only Mora, a barber, was an artisan while Piazza was a sanity officer). One day a woman accuses Piazza of being an ''untore'' (i.e. a ''greaser''): a spreader of disease by anointing walls and furnitures with a pestiferous ointment. According to a superstitious belief held by the people, these ''untori'' were in league with the Devil, and were responsible for the spread of the pestilence. Immediately the Church and the

Inquisition The Inquisition was a group of institutions within the Catholic Church whose aim was to combat heresy, conducting trials of suspected heretics. Studies of the records have found that the overwhelming majority of sentences consisted of penances, ...

scapegoat the two artisans for the outbreak, and subject them to trial by torture, despite the protests of Cardinal Borromeo. Innocent victims of a panic which has gripped the populace, Piazza and Mora are found guilty of the imaginary crime of smearing poisonous substances about in the city to induce plague. They are put to death upon the

wheel A wheel is a circular component that is intended to rotate on an axle bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the six simple machines. Wheels, in conjunction with axles, allow heavy objects to be ...

. Afterwards, a pillar (''The Infamous Column'' of the title) is erected in the square which beheld their execution, with a warning for the masses, to guard against eruptions of public hysteria ever again.

Cast

Helmut Berger Helmut Berger (; born Helmut Steinberger; 29 May 1944) is an Austrian actor, known for his portrayal of narcissistic and sexually-ambiguous characters. He was one of the stars of the European cinema in the late 1960s and 1970s, and is regarded ...

: Arconati *

Vittorio Caprioli Vittorio Caprioli (15 August 1921 – 2 October 1989) was an Italian actor, film director and screenwriter. He appeared in 109 films between 1946 and 1990, mostly in French productions. Biography Caprioli was born in Naples. Having graduated fr ...

: Guglielmo Piazza *

Francisco Rabal Francisco Rabal Valera (8 March 1926 – 29 August 2001), better known as Paco Rabal, was a Spanish actor, director, and screenwriter born in Águilas, a town in the south-western part of the province of Murcia, Spain. Throughout his career, Raba ...

: Giacomo Mora *

Lucia Bosé Lucia may refer to: Arts and culture * ''Lucía'', a 1968 Cuban film by Humberto Solás * ''Lucia'' (film), a 2013 Kannada-language film * '' Lucia & The Best Boys'', a Scottish indie rock band formerly known as ''LUCIA'' * "Lucia", a Swedish c ...

: Chiara *

Salvo Randone Salvatore "Salvo" Randone (25 September 1906 – 6 March 1991) was an Italian theatrical, television and film actor. Born in Syracuse, Sicily, Randone debuted on stage in mid-1920s and, after some years in which he played roles of little we ...

: Settala *

Sergio Tofano Sergio Tòfano (20 August 1886 – 28 October 1973) was an Italian actor, director, playwright, scene designer and illustrator. Tofano was born in Rome. In 1909, he made his first appearance on stage with Ermete Novelli, then joined Virgi ...

: President of the Senate * Pierluigi Aprà: Senator Monti *

Annabella Incontrera Annabella Incontrera (11 June 1943 – 19 September 2004), sometimes credited as Pam Stevenson, was an Italian film and television actress. Career Born in Milan, Incontrera attended the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia without finishing t ...

: Lover of Arcomat *

Feodor Chaliapin Jr. Feodor Chaliapin Jr. (russian: Фёдор Фёдорович Шаля́пин; 6 October 1905 – 17 September 1992) was a Russian Empire-born actor who appeared in many American and Italian films. Life Chaliapin was the son and namesake of ...

: Cardinal Federico *

Ernesto Colli Ernesto Colli (16 May 1940 – 19 November 1982) was an Italian film, television and stage actor. Life and career Born in Biella, Colli graduated from liceo classico, then he started acting in some amateur dramatics and starred in two lost ...

: Judge *

Martin Balsam Martin Henry Balsam (November 4, 1919 – February 13, 1996) was an American actor. He had a prolific career in character roles in film, in theatre, and on television. An early member of the Actors Studio, he began his career on the New Y ...

References

External links

* 1972 films Films based on works by Alessandro Manzoni Films directed by Nelo Risi Films about miscarriage of justice Films about capital punishment Italian historical drama films 1970s historical drama films 1972 drama films 1970s Italian films {{historic-film-stub

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links