Mad About Opera

Aug 10, 1948

★ 7.5

Overview

This story took place during World War II. A group of Italians living in London are raising funds to rebuild a Catholic cathedral that was bombed by the Nazis. To this end, they organized a concert, the proceeds of which would go toward the construction. The project was led by journalist Carlo Scala. He faced and overcame many difficulties in organizing the event, but he handled them with honor, and the performance by leading Italian singers took place. He was assisted in this by the incomparable Dora Scala.

Genres

Comedy

Music

Production Companies

GE.S.I. Cinematografica

Scalera Film

Mad About Opera Trailers

No Trailers found.

Cast

Gino

Gino Bechi

Self

Maria Caniglia

Self

Tito Gobbi

Dora Scala - la fidanzata di Guido

Gina Lollobrigida

Carlo Scala - il zio di Dora

Carlo Campanini

Margaret Jones

Constance Dowling

Guido Marchi

Aroldo Tieri

Don Antonio Capenno

Aldo Silvani

McLean

Lamberto Picasso

Carmen

Franca Marzi

Il direttore del Covent Garden

Guglielmo Barnabò

L'amico scrocone di Scala

Nico Pepe

The story of a young servant girl who comes to work on the construction site of a large-scale industrial settlement. She decides to embark on an independent life, runs away from her foster parents, gets on a train and sets out to earn money. Modest and shy, she joins the factory's group of "Stakhanovites" and soon makes new comrades. Her coworkers accept her into their team.

6.0

The White-Haired Girl

Mar 1, 1951

Yang Bailao, a tenant farmer, lives with his daughter Xi'er. The despotic landlord, Huang Shiren, attempts to forcibly take Xi'er for himself. On the eve of the Chinese Spring Festival, Huang forces Yang to sell his daughter as repayment of the debt Yang owes him.

7.0

The Best Man of All

Dec 25, 1954

A Czech satirical comedy set around 1900. The inhabitants of the small town of Pětice are excited by a mysterious package that is to be delivered to the best person in the village. Of course, all members of the town council claim the title of best person. In the end, it turns out that it was a cleverly thought-out prank intended to reveal the true character of the "better people" of the town.

7.1

Der Hofrat Geiger

Dec 17, 1947

Retired Hofrat Geiger discovers by chance that he has an illegitimate daughter. He goes to visit her, but is turned away, even though she is in financial difficulties (her inn is very run-down and has no customers). To obtain Austrian citizenship, she marries the Hofrat—planned only on paper—but he is responsible for processing her naturalization and delays it to ensure she stays close to him. At the same time, behind her back, he ensures that her inn is renovated.

6.0

Let Freedom Ring

Feb 24, 1939

A Harvard man fights a railroad baron with a disguise and the power of the press.

0.0

Träumerei

May 3, 1944

A musical film based on biographical facts about Clara Wieck's love for composer Robert Schumann (1810-1856), her marriage against her will, Schumann's triumph, and his tragic end due to mental illness. The film is beautiful and entertaining, full of noble spirit and beautiful words about art and love, which only conflict in a theoretical context; not least thanks to its solid cast, this film is quite serious and far from kitsch. Completed in 1944, during World War II, the film was rejected by the Nazi leadership, but was eventually released and enjoyed success with an audience already weary of war.

6.0

Der weiße Traum

Oct 5, 1943

The young ice skating talent, Liesl, lands a part in a new Revue at the Palast Theatre simply because she is confused with someone else. In reality, the roll was to be awarded to Lu Panther, the untalented girlfriend of the theatre's owner, Wildner. After a series of accidents and little disasters, Wildner shuts down the theatre before the Revue can take place. But the Revue's director, Ernst Eder, decides shortly thereafter to present the Revue on an ice skating rink belonging to Liesl's uncle. After a successful run, at first at the Wiener Prater, the performers move on to Spain, Hungary, and a night club with a Jazz orchestra. The Revue becomes a huge success ... and, of course, Ernst and Liesl end up together, too.

3.5

L'elisir d'amore

Jan 31, 1947

Nemorino is hopelessly in love with Adina but she is attracted to a dashing captain.

7.0

Operette

Dec 20, 1940

A musician is offered a job in Vienna as stage director, but his disagreements with the aristocratic opera manager end in abrupt firing in spite of a mutual attraction. He's quickly engaged by another theatre and becomes famous for his lavish stage productions and fine acting, which begins their golden age with Suppé and Strauss.

0.0

Figaros Hochzeit

Nov 25, 1949

Shortly after WWII, the DEFA Studios produced a series of operas and operettas which belonged to the classical German musical heritage. This enchanting film, the very first opera production of DEFA, stands out because of its lavish decor and costumes, its outstanding actors and their masterful voices of that time.

6.6

Damals

Mar 3, 1943

Vera Meiners' life was sweet but unfortunately for her, it was not to last. Her husband, Jan, left her after she met a former lover in a harmless friendly meeting. Forced to resume her disrupted medical career, she worked in a Swiss clinic but, without the knowledge of the chief surgeon, Vera ordered a risky operation to be performed and was thereafter fired. Penniless, she then works in Spanish nightclubs in order to provide for herself and her child. After many years, she runs into her friend Frank again in one of these nightclubs...

8.3

Modern Times

Feb 5, 1936

A bumbling tramp desires to build a home with a young woman, yet is thwarted time and time again by his lack of experience and habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time..

7.8

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Oct 19, 1939

After the death of a United States Senator, idealistic Jefferson Smith is appointed as his replacement in Washington. Soon, the naive and earnest new senator has to battle political corruption.

8.0

Die Fledermaus

Aug 16, 1946

Theater director Falke, dressed as a bat, ends up in prison after a merry carnival night. Director Frank only releases him after some time. Falke decides to take revenge on his friend Gabriel von Eisenstein, to whom he owes the whole affair. The annual masked ball at Prince Orlofsky's provides the opportunity. Falke stages a game of mistaken identity in which Eisenstein does not recognize his own wife and courts her, while maid Adele appears as the countess. Eisenstein is duped, Falke has taken his revenge.

6.9

Try and Win

Feb 24, 1952

Pista Rácz, bearer of the title "outstanding workman" is opposed to all forms of sport, and is especially antagonized by Jóska Teleki, a first-class sportsman, who seems to be a drawback for Rácz's brigade in terms of work quantity performance figures.

6.4

My Friends Act III

Jun 6, 1985

This time the "amici" (friends) are just four: Necchi, Meandri, Mascetti and Sassaroli. Nevertheless they are older they still love to spend their time mainly organizing irresistible jokes to everyone in every kind of situation. Mascetti is hospitalized in a geriatric clinic. Of course the place become immediately the main stage for all their jokes. After some jokes they decided to place an ultimate incredible and farcical joke to the clinic guests.

6.0

The Young Caruso

Oct 13, 1951

This music filled biopic follows the life of the legendary tenor Enrico Caruso from childhood poverty in Naples to the beginning of his rise to fame.

6.2

The Concert

May 4, 1954

Celebrating the end of World War II and liberation of their city, a group of students is set on holding a cultural evening. They invite Ema, a reclusive piano teacher from the same building, to play for them. Ema declines, but starts reminscing back on her own life and the historical events that have seemingly overshadowed it.

5.7

A Glass of Beer

Aug 12, 1955

Marci is drafted from a typical block building in the 6th district in Pest. He says good-bye to Juli living in the same house, with whom they are both very much fond of each other, but neither of them makes a confession. Juli works in a factory, and with her friend Gizus she goes out in the evening for dancing and drinking. After a year, Marci comes back for holiday, he is full of love.

7.0

The Song of Night

May 27, 1932

He was known as Anatole Litvak during his Hollywood directorial career, but he was still Anatole Litwak when he helmed the German musical Das Lied Einer Nacht (The Song of Night). Famed Polish tenor Jan Kiepura stars as famed Italian tenor Ferraro. Escaping from his tyrannical manager, Ferraro switches identities with a young tourist (Fritz Schulz) and goes off on an unscheduled Swiss holiday. Still travelling incognito, our hero falls in love with a winsome mountain girl (Magda Schneider). Alas, both his romance -- and his freedom -- are placed in jeopardy when it turns out that the charming young fellow with whom Ferraro traded identities was actually a notorious swindler. Anatole Litvak also directed the English-language version of Das Lied Einer Nacht, Be Mine Tonight