Rigoletto/Il re si diverte (1941)
"The King's Jester"
Cast
Paola Barbara 1912-1989
Rossano Brazzi
Franco Coop
Juan de Landa
Doris Duranti
Loredana
Maria Mercader
Guido Morisi
Giacomo Moschini
Carlo Ninchi
Elli Parvo
Corrado Racca
Michel Simon
Director
Mario Bonnard (1889-1965)
Alfredo De Antoni (AD, also acted)
Director of Photogtraphy
Ubaldo Arata
Writer
Tomaso Smith
Composer
Giulio Bonnard
Costume Designer
Nino Vittorio Novarese
Production
Scalera Films
Synopsis/Reviews
"The King's Jester is a non-musical Italian film version of the tragic opera Rigoletto. While we
hear no vocal renditions of "Caro Nome" and "La donna e mobilé", those songs, along with the rest of Verdi's score,
can be heard as incidental music. French character actor Michel Simon stars as the hunchbacked jester Rigoletto, whose
thirst for revenge motivates the story. When Rigoletto's daughter Gilda (Maria Mercader) is seduced by the Count, the
jester plots to set up the nobleman to be killed -- but it is the long-suffering Gilda who ends up the victim of
Rigoletto's machinations. Exceptionally well-photographed by Abaldo Arata, The King's Jester was a success
in both Italy and the U.S., where it was sometimes run under its original title Rigoletto."
From the All-Movie Guide
Notes
Rossano plays Franceso I.
Barbara also appeared in Il bravo di Venezia and La monaca di Monza.
deLanda also appeared in La forza bruta.
Duranti also appeared in La contessa di Castiglione. More irrelevently, she is more well known for being the
first actress in Italy to bare her breasts on film. Not in this film, though.
Loredana's real name was Loredana Padvan.
Mercader also appeared in La forza bruta.
Moschini also appeared in Il bravo di Venezia, La contessa di Castiglione and Damals/L'accusata.
Ninchi also appeared in I due Foscari, I dieci comandamenti, Il passatore, Il corriere del re, I conbrabbandieri del
mare and La prigionera della torre del fuoco. Our guess is: they either became extraordinarily good friends,
exchanged Christmas cards and played golf together on Sundays - or - they both spent most of their careers saying, "Oh no,
not YOU again!"
Elli Parvo also appeared in I due Foscari.
Michele Simon: see Tosca
Tomaso Smith: see Kean.
Novarese also co-wrote Furia, and worked on Il passatore.
Viewer's Comments
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