''Lively Teresa'' (Italian: ''La vispa Teresa'') is a 1943 Italian " white-telephones"

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

Mario Mattoli Mario Mattoli (; 30 November 1898 – 26 February 1980) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed 86 films between 1934 and 1966. His 1939 film ''Defendant, Stand Up!'' was shown as part of a retrospective on Italian comed ...

and starring

Lilia Silvi Lilia Silvi (22 December 1922 – 27 July 2013) was an Italian film actress. Silvi was one of several young actresses presented as an Italian equivalent to the Canadian-born Hollywood star Deanna Durbin. She appeared opposite Amedeo Nazzari, the ...

, Roberto Villa and

Carlo Ninchi Carlo Ninchi (31 May 1896 – 27 April 1974) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in more than 120 films between 1931 and 1963. Selected filmography * '' Before the Jury'' (1931) – Marcello Barra, il guardacaccia * '' Mother Earth'' ( ...

. It was produced in the style of the White Telephone comedies popular during the

Fascist era Italian fascism (), also called classical fascism and Fascism, is the original fascist ideology, which Giovanni Gentile and Benito Mussolini developed in Italy. The ideology of Italian fascism is associated with a series of political parties le ...

. The film was only fully released following the

Liberation of Rome The Battle of Anzio was a battle of the Italian Campaign of World War II that commenced January 22, 1944. The battle began with the Allied amphibious landing known as Operation Shingle, and ended on June 4, 1944, with the liberation of Rome. T ...

, alongside other equally innocuous films such as ''

The Innocent Casimiro ''The Innocent Casimiro'' () is a 1945 Italian comedy film directed by Carlo Campogalliani and starring Erminio Macario, Lea Padovani and Olinto Cristina. It is based on a play ''Scandalo al Collegio'' by Mario Amendola, and was mainly shot in 194 ...

''. This provoked criticism from supporters of the emerging neorealist movement who wanted to promote what they regarded as more innovative films, while the major film companies such as

Lux Film Lux Film was an Italian film distribution (and later production) company founded by Riccardo Gualino in 1934. Gualino was an anti-fascist businessman who had clashed with the regime of Mussolini in 1931 and had been forced into internal exile on ...

and Minverva preferred more populist offerings.Gundle p.268 It was shot at the Palatino Studios in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

Piero Filippone Piero Filippone (1911–1998) was an Italian art director who designed the sets for around two hundred films. He created the sets for Roberto Rossellini's 1954 film ''Journey to Italy''.Brunette p.416 Selected filmography * '' Three Cornered Hat ...

and Mario Rappini.

Plot

A wealthy

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...

is disturbed when he discovers that his son Alberto has fallen in love with an ambitious

manicurist A nail technician or nail stylist is a person whose occupation is to style and shape a person's nails. This is achieved using a combination of decorating nails with coloured varnish, transfers, gems or glitter. Basic treatments include manicure ...

Luisa. He arranges for him to go on holiday to

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

while he tries to buy off Luisa. However, Luisa has secretly accompanied Alberto, and has got her friend Teresa to take her place at the

beauty parlour A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, and medical spas. Beauty treatments Hair cut is generally off ...

. Alberto's parents mistake her for Luisa, and complications ensue.

Cast

as Teresa * Antonio Gandusio as Antonio, suo zio *

Vera Carmi Vera Carmi (23 November 1914 – 6 September 1969) was an Italian film actress. She appeared in more than 50 films between 1940 and 1956. Life and career Carmi was born Virginia Doglioli in Turin. After being spotted by the director Ferdin ...

as Luisa, la manicure * Roberto Villa as Alberto Mari *

as Carlo Mari, suo padre *

Giuditta Rissone Giuditta Rissone (28 August 1895 – 31 May 1977) was an Italian film actress who appeared in 25 films between 1933 and 1966. She was born in Genoa and died in Rome. In 1937 in Asti, in the Montferrat region of Piemont she became the wife o ...

as Matilde Mari, madre di Alberto *

Tino Scotti Tino Scotti (16 November 1905 – 16 October 1984) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 65 films between 1940 and 1984. He was born in Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest ...

as Albertaccio *

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

as Il colonello Rossi *

Cesare Fantoni Cesare Fantoni (1 January 1905 – 15 January 1963) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Biography Born in Bologna, Fantoni began his acting career in Luchino Visconti’s stage proses until making his first on-screen appearance in 1937. ...

as Il maggiordomo di casa Mari *

Achille Majeroni Achille Majeroni (24 August 1881 – 12 October 1964) was an Italian film actor. Born in Syracuse, Sicily, son of Achille Majeroni and his second wife Graziosa Bignetti, he made his stage debut at age twelve with the Marazzi-Diligenti c ...

as Un collabotatore del signor Mari *

Edda Soligo Edda Soligo (17 July 1905 – 2 March 1984) was an Italian film and television actress.Verdone p.111 Selected filmography * '' Adam's Tree'' (1936) * '' The Man from Nowhere'' (1937) * ''The Former Mattia Pascal'' (1937) * '' Il signor Max'' (193 ...

as La segretaria del Signor Mari * Carlo Lombardi as Il commendatore *

Carlo Campanini Carlo Campanini (5 October 1906 – 20 November 1984) was an Italian actor, singer and comedian. He appeared in more than 120 films between 1939 and 1969. Life and career Born in Turin, Campanini attended a technical school and a course of ...

as Un cliente dal barbiere *

Peppino Spadaro Peppino Spadaro (1898–1950) was an Italian actor.Paietta p.162 His brother Umberto Spadaro was also an actor. Selected filmography * ''1860'' (1934) * '' Saint John, the Beheaded'' (1940) * ''Jealousy'' (1942) * '' Sealed Lips'' (1942) * ''The ...

as L'usciere siciliano * Leopoldo Valentini as Un cliente al bar

References

Bibliography

* Gundle, Stephen. ''Mussolini's Dream Factory: Film Stardom in Fascist Italy''. Berghahn Books, 2013.

External links

* 1943 films 1943 comedy films Italian comedy films 1940s Italian-language films Italian black-and-white films Films directed by Mario Mattoli Minerva Film films Films shot at Palatino Studios 1940s Italian films {{1940s-Italy-comedy-film-stub