Roma Bene is a 1971 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Carlo Lizzani and starring Virna Lisi, Nino Manfredi, Irene Papas and Senta Berger.
Contents
Plot
The classic scene of the upper middle-class in Rome: a duchess, the industrial husband and the many apparently respectable characters. It is actually a parade of dingy types: the Baron is a jewel thief, among the others there are social climbers, unscrupulous nobles who staged fake kidnappings and extortion attempts, and even a wife who comes to commission the murder of the ship-owner husband. The fate of these people will be the same: death at sea, but their misdeeds instead will remain unaddressed and an overzealous police commissioner will be promoted and transferred.
Cast
Nino Manfredi as Police Commissioner Quintilio Tartamella
Philippe Leroy as Giorgio Santi
Virna Lisi as Duchess Silvia Santi
Mario Feliciani as Teo Teopulos
Irene Papas as Elena Teopulos
Evi Maltagliati as Elena's mother
Umberto Orsini as Prince Rubio Marescalli
Senta Berger as Princess Dedé Marescalli
Franco Fabrizi as Nino Rappi
Michèle Mercier as Wilma Rappi
Vittorio Caprioli as Baron Maurizio De Vittis
Gastone Moschin as Monsignore
Vittorio Sanipoli as the Chief of Police
Annabella Incontrera as the lesbian lover
Enzo Cannavale as Agent Tognon
Peter Baldwin as Michele Vismara
George Wang as Che-Fang
Gigi Ballista as Vitozzi
Minnie Minoprio as Minnie
Ely Galleani as Vivi Santi
Production
Lizzani got the inspiration for the film from the Casati Stampa murders. Principal cinematography started in Rome on March 1971.
Reception
The film was a major success, grossing about 1,8 billion lire at the Italian box office.