''The Old Lady'' () is a 1932 Italian

comedy drama film Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.

directed by

Amleto Palermi Amleto Palermi (11 July 1889 – 20 April 1941) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed more than 70 films between 1914 and 1942. He directed ''The Old Lady'', which starred Vittorio De Sica in his first sound film. Selec ...

and starring

Emma Gramatica Emma Gramatica (born Aida Laura Argia Gramatica; 25 October 1874 – 8 November 1965) was an Italian stage and film actress. She appeared in 29 films between 1919 and 1962. She was born in Borgo San Donnino, today Fidenza, province of Parma ...

, Maurizio D'Ancora and

Armando Falconi Armando Falconi (1871–1954) was an Italian stage actor, stage and film actor who appeared in more than forty films during his career. He played the lead in the 1931 comedy ''The Charmer (1931 film), The Charmer''.Landy p.63-65 Life and caree ...

. It also features

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. Widely considered one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, four of the fil ...

in his first

sound film A sound film is a Film, motion picture with synchronization, synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, bu ...

. Katz p.498 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 ...

Redo Romagnoli.

Synopsis

Maria, an elderly but impoverished

aristocrat The aristocracy (''from Greek'' ''ἀριστοκρατία'' ''aristokratía'', "rule of the best"; ''Latin: aristocratia'') is historically associated with a "hereditary" or a "ruling" social class. In many states, the aristocracy included the ...

, works as a roasted chestnut

vendor In a supply chain, a vendor, supplier, provider or a seller, is an enterprise that contributes goods or services. Generally, a supply chain vendor manufactures inventory/stock items and sells them to the next link in the chain. Today, these term ...

in order to maintain a pretend show of wealth for her niece whose education she is supporting.

Cast

as Maria *

Nella Maria Bonora Nella Maria Bonora (19 May 1904 – 3 August 1990) was an Italian actress of film, radio and stage.Landy p.155 She also worked as a prominent voice actress, dubbing foreign films for release in the Italian market. Selected filmography * ''The Dev ...

as Bianchina * Maurizio D'Ancora as Fausto *

as Zaganello *

Memo Benassi Domenico "Memo" Benassi (21 June 1886 – 24 February 1957) was an Italian stage and film actor who appeared in more than forty films in a mixture of leading and supporting roles. Life and career Born in Sorbolo, Benassi initially formed as a ...

as Lenticcio *

as Il fine dicitore * Anna Maria Dossena as Bianca La Nipotina * Camillo Pilotto as Il commissario *

Ugo Ceseri Ugo Ceseri (30 June 1893 – 3 December 1940) was an Italian stage actor, stage and film actor. He appeared in forty two films between 1931 and his death in 1940. In 1934 he appeared in the play ''18 BL'', an attempt to create a mass theatre by t ...

as Il padre di Fausto * Umberto Sacripante as Un cliente dell'osteria dal Cordaro *

Lydia Simoneschi Lydia Simoneschi (4 April 1908 – 5 September 1981) was an Italian actress and voice actress. During her career, she gave her voice to actresses mainly during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Ages. Biography Born in Rome and the daughte ...

References

Bibliography

* Katz, Ephraim. ''The Film Encyclopedia''. Crowell, 1979.

External links

* 1932 films 1932 comedy films Italian comedy films 1930s Italian-language films Italian black-and-white films Films directed by Amleto Palermi 1930s Italian films {{1930s-Italy-comedy-film-stub