L'abito nero da sposa

L'abito nero da sposa is a 1945 Italian historical drama film directed by Luigi Zampa and starring Fosco Giachetti. It is based on the play The Cardinal by Louis N. Parker.

Cast

Fosco Giachetti as Il cardinale Giovanni de Medici
Jacqueline Laurent as Berta Chigi
Enzo Fiermonte as Giuliano de Medici
Carlo Tamberlani as Andrea Strozzi
Aldo Silvani as Bartolomeo Chigi
Domenico Viglione Borghese as Il governatore Baglioni
Manoel Roero as Raffaello
Fausto Guerzoni as Beppe, il campanaro
Evelina Paoli as Madonna de Medici
Peppino Spadaro as Luigi
Renato Chiantoni as Bernardino
Emilio Petacci as Un mercante della statua di Venere
Franco Pesce as Un invitato alla festa

Production

L'abito nero da sposa is based on the play The Cardinal by Louis N. Parker. The film had some notoriety in Italy as it was blacklisted by the church. The film was originally going to be the directorial debut of Mario Pannunzio, who dropped out of the project. Luigi Zampa, who was in the army and about to leave to the Russian front, was given a 60 day permit to direct the film. During principal shooting on the film, on September 8, 1943 General Pietro Badoglio signed an armistice and joined the allies as co-belligerent. Film was put on hold until the American forces were in Italy, and filming continued in June 1944.

Release

L'abito nero da sposa was distributed by Produttori Associatti in Italy on May 17, 1945. Zampa later spoke on about his early films, stating that he "prefer not to remember . They taught me how to move the camera and direct the actors. But I never tried to watch them again, there is nothing inside them. They were just spectacles."