Poverty and Nobility

Poverty and Nobility
(Miseria e nobiltà)

Film poster
Directed by Mario Mattoli
Produced by Dino De Laurentiis
Carlo Ponti
Written by Ruggero Maccari
Mario Mattoli (dialogues)
Story by Eduardo Scarpetta (play)
Starring Totò
Enzo Turco
Sophia Loren
Carlo Croccolo
Music by Pippo Barzizza
Cinematography Karl Struss
Luciano Trasatti
Edited by Renato Cinquini
Distributed by Lux Film
Release dates
  • 8 April 1954
Running time
 95 minutes
Country Italy
Language Italian

Poverty and Nobility (Italian: Miseria e nobiltà) is a 1954 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Totò.

Plot

The story is taken from the Eduardo Scarpetta's play:

Naples, 1800. The poor Felice Sciosciamocca tries to work being a scribe for ignorant people, while his friend Don Pasquale tries to make photographs for rich couples. Meanwhile in the house where the two live, their wives start to fight because the apartment is mortgaged, and the women don't have money to pay the rent. Luckily rich Count Luigino, in love with the beautiful dancer Gemma, asks Pasquale and Felice to stage a farce for him. In fact the parents of Gemma want to meet Luigino's family, but he knows that his real father does not approve his love affair with the dancer. So Luigino transforms Don Felice Sciosciamocca into his uncle: Prince of Casadores, and Don Pasquale has to play the true father of Luigino. The young count entrusts a false part to play to all members of the two families, except the second wife of Felice: Concetta. Unfortunately Count Luigino cannot find a role for her, and Concetta gets very angry. While Felice Sciosciammocca and Pasquale're argue in the beautiful villa of Don Gaetano, Gemma's father, Concetta bursts in the home, and tries to compromise the plan organized by Luigino. Fortunately Don Felice manages to fix the situation and in the end, all is happily resolved.

Cast

External links