Musicarello
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The ''musicarello'' (; : ''musicarelli'') is a film
subgenre Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...
which emerged in
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
and which is characterised by the presence in main roles of young singers, already famous among their peers, and their new record album. In the films there are almost always tender and chaste love stories accompanied by the desire to have fun and dance without thoughts. ''Musicarelli'' reflect the desire and need for emancipation of young
Italians Italians (, ) are a European peoples, European ethnic group native to the Italian geographical region. Italians share a common Italian culture, culture, History of Italy, history, Cultural heritage, ancestry and Italian language, language. ...
, highlighting some generational frictions. The genre began in the late 1950s, and had its peak of production in the 1960s.


Name

According to critics, the name ''musicarello'' is a reference to the successful TV series '' Carosello''. In particular, the name ''musicarello'' combines the words ' ("music") and ''Carosello'': in fact, the singers who were the protagonists of the ''musicarelli'', thanks to their notoriety, often appeared in many episodes of TV series ''Carosello''.


Background

The genre began in the late 1950s, and had its peak of production in the 1960s. The film which started the genre is considered to be '' I ragazzi del Juke-Box'' (1959) by
Lucio Fulci Lucio Fulci (; 17 June 1927 – 13 March 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Although he worked in a wide array of genres through a career spanning nearly five decades, including Commedia all'italiana, comedies and spagh ...
. The ''musicarelli'' were inspired by two American musicals, in particular '' Jailhouse Rock'' (1957) by
Richard Thorpe Richard Thorpe (born Rollo Smolt Thorpe; February 24, 1896 – May 1, 1991) was an American film director best known for his long career at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. His obituary called him "a capable and versatile director willing to take on any ass ...
and earlier '' Love Me Tender'' (1956) by Robert D. Webb, both starring
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
. One of the pioneering films of the ''musicarelli'' was the version for the Italian market of the American musical film '' Go, Johnny, Go!'' (1959) by Paul Landres starring Jimmy Clanton,
Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and de ...
,
Ritchie Valens Richard Steven Valenzuela (May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959), better known by his stage name Ritchie Valens, was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Valens died i ...
and
Eddie Cochran Ray Edward Cochran ( ; October 3, 1938 – April 17, 1960) was an American rock and roll musician. His songs, such as " Twenty Flight Rock", " Summertime Blues", " C'mon Everybody" and " Somethin' Else", captured teenage frustration and desire in ...
, released in Italy as ''Vai, Johnny vai!''. Some sequences were inserted from scratch in the film with the Italian singer
Adriano Celentano Adriano Celentano (; born 6 January 1938) is an Italian singer-songwriter, actor, showman, and filmmaker. He is dubbed ''Il Molleggiato'' ('the springy one') because of his energetic dancing. Celentano's many albums frequently enjoyed both com ...
who introduces and concludes the story by playing some of his songs.


Characteristics

''Musicarello'' is characterised by the presence in main roles of young singers, already famous among their peers, and their new record album. At the heart of the ''musicarello'' is a hit song, or a song that the producers hoped would become a hit, that usually shares its title with the film itself and sometimes has lyrics depicting a part of the plot. ''Musicarello'' can be defined as the forerunner of the music video, a way of bringing teenagers to the cinema attracted by the plot as by the singers' performances. In fact, the films are born from agreements between record companies and film companies. In the films there are almost always tender and chaste love stories accompanied by the desire to have fun and dance without thoughts. Unlike most film musicals, this subgenre has an evident age-based focus while musical films until that time had been produced in a way generally undifferentiated for tastes and ages, ''musicarello'' is explicitly targeted to a youthful audience and usually has in its plot a vague polemic against conformism and bourgeois attitudes, even if it does not fail to reflect the desire and need for emancipation of young Italians, highlighting some generational frictions. The genre was referred to as a curious mix between '' fotoromanzi'', traditional comedy, hit songs and tentative references to tensions between generations. The key figures in this genre were directors Piero Vivarelli and Ettore Maria Fizzarotti, and actor-singers
Gianni Morandi Gian Luigi "Gianni" Morandi (; born 11 December 1944) is an Italian pop singer, actor and entertainer. It is estimated that Morandi has sold about 50 million recordings. Early life Born in Monghidoro, Emilia-Romagna, the son of a cobbler, Mor ...
, Little Tony, Rita Pavone and Caterina Caselli.


Decline and end of the genre

With the arrival of the
1968 student protests The protests of 1968 comprised a worldwide escalation of social conflicts, which were predominantly characterized by the rise of left-wing politics, Anti-war movement, anti-war sentiment, Civil and political rights, civil rights urgency, youth C ...
the genre started to decline, because the generational revolt became explicitly political and at the same time there was no longer a music equally directed to the whole youth audience. For some time the duo
Al Bano and Romina Power Al Bano and Romina Power are an Italian-American pop music duo formed in 1975 by then-married couple Italian tenor Albano Carrisi and American singer Romina Power, the daughter of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood actor Tyrone Power. They h ...
continued to enjoy success in ''musicarello'' films, but their films (like their songs) were a return to the traditional melody, and to the musical films of the previous decades.


Notable films

* '' Ragazzi del Juke-Box'' by
Lucio Fulci Lucio Fulci (; 17 June 1927 – 13 March 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Although he worked in a wide array of genres through a career spanning nearly five decades, including Commedia all'italiana, comedies and spagh ...
(1959) * '' Juke box urli d'amore'' by Mauro Morassi (1959) * '' Appuntamento a Ischia'' 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 ...
(1960) * '' Howlers in the Dock'' by
Lucio Fulci Lucio Fulci (; 17 June 1927 – 13 March 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Although he worked in a wide array of genres through a career spanning nearly five decades, including Commedia all'italiana, comedies and spagh ...
(1960) * ''
5 marines per 100 ragazze ''5 marines per 100 ragazze'' is a 1961 Italian '' musicarello'' comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Virna Lisi. Cast * Virna Lisi as Grazia * Mario Carotenuto as Admiral Michigan * Hélène Chanel as Elena * Little Tony as ...
'' 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 ...
(1961) * '' Appuntamento in riviera'' 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 ...
(1962) * '' Tears on Your Face'' by Ettore Maria Fizzarotti (1964) * '' Questo pazzo, pazzo mondo della canzone'' by
Bruno Corbucci Bruno Corbucci (23 October 1931 – 7 September 1996) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He was the younger brother of Sergio Corbucci and wrote many of his films. He was born in Rome, where he also died. The vast majority of h ...
and Giovanni Grimaldi (1965) * '' Soldati e caporali'' by
Mario Amendola Mario Natalino Concetto Amendola (8 December 1910 – 22 December 1993) was an Italian screenwriter, film director and dramatist. Biography Amendola was born in Recco, which is located in Genova to parents from Rome. He began his career o ...
(1965) * '' Highest Pressure'' by Enzo Trapani (1965) * '' Non son degno di te'' by Ettore Maria Fizzarotti (1965) * '' Questi pazzi, pazzi italiani'' by Tullio Piacentini (1965) * '' Rita, la figlia americana'' by Piero Vivarelli (1965) * '' Viale della canzone'' by Tullio Piacentini (1965) * ''
Te lo leggo negli occhi ''Te lo leggo negli occhi'' is a 1965 Italian musicarello film directed by Camillo Mastrocinque. The film is based on the Dino (Italian singer), Dino's Te lo leggo negli occhi (song), song with the same name. Cast *Agnès Spaak as Serenella *Di ...
'' by
Camillo Mastrocinque Camillo Mastrocinque (11 May 1901 – 23 April 1969) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed more than 60 films between 1937 and 1968, and is known to horror film fans for directing ''Terror in the Crypt'' (1964) starring ...
(1965) * ''
Mi vedrai tornare ''Mi vedrai tornare'' (''You will see me back'') is a 1966 Italy, Italian musicarello, musical romantic comedy film directed by Ettore Maria Fizzarotti. The title is a reference to the Gianni Morandi's eponymous song. Plot Cast * Gianni Morandi ...
'' by Ettore Maria Fizzarotti (1966) * '' Rita the Mosquito'' by George Brown (
Lina Wertmüller Arcangela Felice Assunta "Lina" Wertmüller (; 14 August 1928 – 9 December 2021) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. She is best known for her 1970s art film, art house films ''Seven Beauties'',' ''The Seduction of Mimi'', ''Lov ...
) (1966) * '' Perdono'' by Ettore Maria Fizzarotti (1966) * '' Se non avessi più te'' by Ettore Maria Fizzarotti (1966) * '' Nessuno mi può giudicare'' by Ettore Maria Fizzarotti (1966) * '' Cuore matto... matto da legare'' by
Mario Amendola Mario Natalino Concetto Amendola (8 December 1910 – 22 December 1993) was an Italian screenwriter, film director and dramatist. Biography Amendola was born in Recco, which is located in Genova to parents from Rome. He began his career o ...
(1967) * '' The Crazy Kids of the War'' by Steno (1967) * '' Io non protesto, io amo'' by Ferdinando Baldi (1967) * '' Stasera mi butto'' by Ettore Maria Fizzarotti (1967) * '' Rita of the West'' by Ferdinando Baldi (1967) * '' Nel sole'' by Aldo Grimaldi (1967) * '' Don't Sting the Mosquito'' by George Brown (
Lina Wertmüller Arcangela Felice Assunta "Lina" Wertmüller (; 14 August 1928 – 9 December 2021) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. She is best known for her 1970s art film, art house films ''Seven Beauties'',' ''The Seduction of Mimi'', ''Lov ...
) (1967) * '' Per amore... per magia...'' by
Duccio Tessari Duccio Tessari (11 October 1926 – 6 September 1994) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and actor, considered one of the fathers of Spaghetti Westerns. Born in Genoa, Tessari started in the fifties as documentarist and as screenwriter ...
(1967) * '' TuttoTotò'' (1967) by Daniele D'Anza * '' Peggio per me... meglio per te'' by
Bruno Corbucci Bruno Corbucci (23 October 1931 – 7 September 1996) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He was the younger brother of Sergio Corbucci and wrote many of his films. He was born in Rome, where he also died. The vast majority of h ...
(1967) * '' Soldati e capelloni'' by Ettore Maria Fizzarotti (1967) * '' Chimera'' by Ettore Maria Fizzarotti (1968) * '' L'oro del mondo'' by Aldo Grimaldi (1968) * '' The Most Beautiful Couple in the World'' by
Camillo Mastrocinque Camillo Mastrocinque (11 May 1901 – 23 April 1969) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed more than 60 films between 1937 and 1968, and is known to horror film fans for directing ''Terror in the Crypt'' (1964) starring ...
(1968) * '' Io ti amo'' by
Antonio Margheriti Antonio Margheriti (19 September 1930 – 4 November 2002), also known under the pseudonyms Anthony M. Dawson and Antony Daisies ("daisies" is "margherite" in Italian), was an Italians, Italian filmmaker. Margheriti worked in many different film ...
(1968) * '' Pensando a te'' by Aldo Grimaldi (1969) * '' Pensiero d'amore'' by
Mario Amendola Mario Natalino Concetto Amendola (8 December 1910 – 22 December 1993) was an Italian screenwriter, film director and dramatist. Biography Amendola was born in Recco, which is located in Genova to parents from Rome. He began his career o ...
(1969) * '' Zingara'' by Mariano Laurenti (1969) * '' Il ragazzo che sorride'' di Aldo Grimaldi (1969) * '' Il suo nome è Donna Rosa'' by Ettore Maria Fizzarotti (1969) * '' W le donne'' di Aldo Grimaldi (1970) * '' Mezzanotte d'amore'' by Ettore Maria Fizzarotti (1970) * '' Angeli senza paradiso'' by Ettore Maria Fizzarotti (1970) * '' Ma che musica maestro'' by Mariano Laurenti (1971)


See also

*
Cinema of Italy The cinema of Italy (, ) comprises the films made within Italy or by List of Italian film directors, Italian directors. Since its beginning, Italian cinema has influenced film movements worldwide. Italy is one of the birthplaces of art cinema and ...
*
Music of Italy In Italy, music has traditionally been one of the cultural markers of Italian national cultures and ethnic identity and holds an important position in society and in Italian politics, politics. Italian music innovationin scale (music), musi ...
*
Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serv ...


References


Further reading

* * *. * {{film genres Italian films by genre Film genres Musical films * 1950s in film 1960s in film 1970s in film