''The Machine to Kill Bad People'' (Italian: ''La Macchina ammazzacattivi'') is a 1952 Italian

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

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

Roberto Rossellini Roberto Gastone Zeffiro Rossellini (8 May 1906 – 3 June 1977) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and producer. He was one of the most prominent directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing to the movement with films such a ...

and featuring Marilyn Buferd, William Tubbs and

Clara Bindi Clara Bindi (1 November 1927 – 24 February 2022) was an Italian actress. Biography Born in Naples on 1 November 1927, Bindi joined the Eduardo De Filippo theater company in the 1947-48 season and in 1948 made her film debut as Giulietta Del B ...

. It is part of the tradition of neorealism of the post-war years. Having helped neorealism gain international recognition with his 1945 work ''

Rome, Open City ''Rome, Open City'' (), also released as ''Open City'', is a 1945 Italian Italian neorealism, neorealist war film, war drama film directed by Roberto Rossellini and co-written by Sergio Amidei, Celeste Negarville and Federico Fellini. Set in Rom ...

'', Rossellini was trying to branch out into different styles.

Production

Rossellini began shooting the film in 1948, but production was beset by many problems.Brunette p.101

Location shooting Location shooting is the shooting of a film or television production in a real-world setting rather than a sound stage or backlot. The location may be interior or exterior. When filmmaking professionals refer to shooting "on location", they are ...

took place around

Amalfi Amalfi (, , ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Salerno, in the region of Campania, Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno. It lies at the mouth of a deep ravine, at the foot of Monte Cerreto (1,315 metres, 4,314 feet), surrounded by dramatic c ...

Salerno Salerno (, ; ; ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Campania, southwestern Italy, and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after Naples. It is located ...

and

Trani Trani () is a seaport of Apulia, Southern Italy, on the Adriatic Sea, by railway west-northwest of Bari. It is one of the capital cities of the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani (BAT). History Overview The city of ''Turenum'' appears for the ...

Synopsis

A stranger claiming to be Saint Andrea gives to the village photographer a magic camera with the power to destroy the wicked. When it becomes apparent that no one is immune the photographer turns the device on the giver, who is unmasked as a devil and forced to return everyone to life.

Cast

* Gennaro Pisano as Celestino * Marilyn Buferd as American tourist * William Tubbs as American tourist * Helen Tubbs as American tourist * Giovanni Amato as Mayor *

as Giulietta Del Bello * Giacomo Furia as Romano *

Aldo Giuffrè Aldo Giuffrè (10 April 1924 – 26 June 2010) was an Italian film actor and comedian who appeared in over 90 films between 1948 and 2001. He was the brother of actor Carlo Giuffrè. He is known for his roles in '' The Four Days of Naples'', ...

* Carlo Giuffrè

References

Bibliography

* Peter, Bondanella. ''The Films of Roberto Rossellini''. Cambridge University Press, 1993. * Brunette, Peter. ''Roberto Rossellini''. University of California Press, 1996. * Nowell-Smith, Geoffrey . ''The Companion to Italian Cinema''. Cassell, 1996. * Wagstaff, Christopher. ''Italian Neorealist Cinema: An Aesthetic Approach''. University of Toronto Press, 2007.

External links

* * Review Essay https://www.academia.edu/3379967/The_Machine_that_Kills_Bad_People 1952 films 1950s Italian-language films Films directed by Roberto Rossellini Commedia all'italiana 1950s fantasy comedy films Italian fantasy comedy films 1952 comedy films Films scored by Renzo Rossellini Italian black-and-white films 1950s Italian films {{1950s-Italy-comedy-film-stub