Musicarello

The ''musicarello'' (; : ''musicarelli'') is a film subgenre which emerged in Italy 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, 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. The ''musicarelli'' were inspired by two American musicals, in particular '' Jailhouse Rock'' (1957) by Richard Thorpe and earlier '' Love Me Tender'' (1956) by Robert D. Webb, both starring Elvis Presley.

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, Ritchie Valens and Eddie Cochran, released in Italy as ''Vai, Johnny vai!''. Some sequences were inserted from scratch in the film with the Italian singer Adriano Celentano 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, Little Tony, Rita Pavone and Caterina Caselli.

Decline and end of the genre

With the arrival of the 1968 student protests 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 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 (1959)
* ''Juke box urli d'amore'' by Mauro Morassi (1959)
* '' Appuntamento a Ischia'' by Mario Mattoli (1960)
* '' Howlers in the Dock'' by Lucio Fulci (1960)
* ''5 marines per 100 ragazze'' by Mario Mattoli (1961)
* '' Appuntamento in riviera'' by Mario Mattoli (1962)
* '' Tears on Your Face'' by Ettore Maria Fizzarotti (1964)
* ''Questo pazzo, pazzo mondo della canzone'' by Bruno Corbucci and Giovanni Grimaldi (1965)
* '' Soldati e caporali'' by Mario Amendola (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'' by Camillo Mastrocinque (1965)
* ''Mi vedrai tornare'' by Ettore Maria Fizzarotti (1966)
* '' Rita the Mosquito'' by George Brown (Lina Wertmüller) (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 (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) (1967)
* '' Per amore... per magia...'' by Duccio Tessari (1967)
* ''TuttoTotò'' (1967) by Daniele D'Anza
* '' Peggio per me... meglio per te'' by Bruno Corbucci (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 (1968)
* '' Io ti amo'' by Antonio Margheriti (1968)
* '' Pensando a te'' by Aldo Grimaldi (1969)
* ''Pensiero d'amore'' by Mario Amendola (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
* Music of Italy
* Musical film

References

Further reading

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{{film genres

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