Toth Database - Cinema

Chronicles of Poor Lovers

Year: 1954

Duration: 115 min

Color: B/N

Kind: Dramatic

Director: Carlo Lizzani

Producer: Cooperative Viewers – film producers

Photograph: Gianni di Venanzo

Editing: Enzo Alfonsi

Music: Mario Zafred

Scene: Peck G. Avolio

Performers and characters

Anna Maria Ferrero : Gesuina

Greek Cosetta: Elisa

Antonella Lualdi: Milena

Marcello Maestroianni: Ugo

Wanda Capodagli: The Lady

Irene Cefaro: Clara, E.E

Adolfo Consolini: Corrado

Julian Montaldo: Alfredo

Gabriele Tinti: Mario

Eva Vanicek: White

Original voice actors:

Maria Pia di Meo : Gesuina

Dhia Cristina: Milena

 Pino Locchi:  Mario

Manlio Busoni: Corrado

Plot

Florence, spring 1925, the young printer Mario moves to the neighborhood of Santa Croce, in Via del Corno, to be closer to his lover, Bianca, thus becoming a "horn" and finding himself sharing the daily events of the inhabitants of that small popular world in the gloomy years of the rise of fascism. His landlord and the blacksmith Corrado, said Maciste known anti-fascist and former Ardito del Popolo as his friend Ugo, street vendor of fruits and vegetables, once strongly engaged in politics, but now devoted mainly to women and Funny. The small street is also home to a couple of convinced fascists: the accountant Carlino Bencini, legionnaire fiumano, insurance clerk, and his colleague, friend and roommate Osvaldo. Among the other neighbors: the staderini cobbler, Ristori, owner of the hotel that houses some prostitutes, including Elisa, lover of Nanni, the admonition, Clara, friend of Bianca tormented by her boyfriend because she agrees to marry him. Alfredo Campolmi, owner of the pizzicheria and fresh husband of Milena. Motionless in bed but constantly informed of what happens in the street thanks to the maid, Mrs. Donna weaves a dense network of relationships and ties it all to himself through loans granting. The peaceful coexistence in via del Corno is dramatically broken as Alfredo, just married and decided to grow her business, refuses to make the contribution to the local branch of the fascist party and suffers a brutal beating, leaving him so heavily marked in the body from having to hospitalize in sanatoriums and cede the grocery.

Director and screenplay

The film adaptation of Pratolini's novel was originally to be directed by Luchino Visconti, but he had to abandon the project because it was not possible to find the financial means necessary to make the film of greats productive dimensions he imagined. Sergio Amidei, producer and rights holder, gave Lizzani the screenplay for free, which demanded cuts both for financial and self-censorship reasons, particularly in the character of usury. Pratolini was satisfied with the work he had done. The set of Via del Corno was built in the theater of laying, but outdoors, so that you can take advantage of the natural light and have a photograph similar to those of the exteriors filmed in Florence. he abandoned the project because it was not possible to find the financial means necessary to make the large-scale production film he envisioned.