La Tratta delle bianche ("The Trade in White Women") is a 1952 Italian-language crime-melodrama film directed by Luigi Comencini. It stars Eleonora Rossi Drago, Marc Lawrence, Ettore Manni, Tamara Lees, Barbara Florian, Silvana Pampanini, and Vittorio Gassman.
| Girls Marked Danger | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Luigi Comencini |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Edited by | Nino Baragli |
| Music by | Armando Trovaioli |
Release date |
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Running time |
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| Countries |
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| Language | Italian |
In 1954, the film was released in the United States as Girls Marked Danger. For its American release, the film was dubbed in English.
Plot
editA man invites Italian women to become cabaret dancers in South America, but he is actually forcing them into sexual slavery.
Cast
edit- Eleonora Rossi Drago as Aida
- Marc Lawrence as Manfredi
- Ettore Manni as Carlo
- Silvana Pampanini as Lucia
- Vittorio Gassman as Michele
- Tamara Lees as Clara
- Antonio Nicotra as Bernardino
- Barbara Florian as Fanny
- Ignazio Balsamo as Stefano
- Franco Bologna as Marco
- Gianni Bonos as Tonino
- Sophia Loren as Elvira
- Enrico Maria Salerno as Giorgio
- Duilio D'Amore as Luciano
- Maria Zanoli as Giulia[1]
Production
editSophia Loren had a small role in the film as a fainting dancer in a marathon. Despite her minor role, Loren appeared in advertisements for the film's release in the United States.[2][3] The only well-known American member of the cast was Marc Lawrence, who had moved to Rome from Hollywood after being called before the House Un-American Activities Committee, but many of the Italian cast were also already known to Americans. The film was dubbed into English for its U.S. release.[4]
Reception
editGeorge Burke, of the Miami Herald, said, "It is possible that Girls Marked Danger had some merit before it was dubbed with English dialogue that is not always in the mood or movement of the action".[4]
In 1959, Pope John XXIII had the Catholic Church's National Legion of Decency classify films for the Association of Catholic Motion Picture Theater Operators of Italy's anniversary. Catholics were not supposed to watch those classified as morally objectionable. The article for Girls Marked Danger stated: "Objection: The theme of this picture employs throughout material morally unsuitable for entertainment motion picture theaters. Moreover, in treatment, it contains offensive and suggestive sequences."[5] The National Legion of Decency is now known as the National Catholic Office for Motion Pictures.[6]
Advertising material for the film's theatrical release is held at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin within its Hoblitzelle Interstate Theatre Circuit Advertising Collection.[7]
References
edit- ^ "Girls Marked Danger (1954)". AllMovie. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
- ^ Loren, Sophia (7 July 2015). Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: My Life. Simon and Schuster. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-4767-9743-4.
- ^ Hoz, Cindy De La; Movies, Turner Classic (26 September 2017). Sophia Loren: Movie Star Italian Style. Running Press. p. 144. ISBN 978-0-7624-6132-5.
- ^ a b Bourke, George (June 21, 1955). "'Girls Marked Danger' Rates Warning Sign". The Miami Herald. Miami, Florida. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
- ^ "Motion Pictures Classified by National Legion of Decency". Archive.org. 1959. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
- ^ "The Engineer's Room: Happy Lateran Treaty Day". The Entertainment Identifier Registry. February 10, 2020. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
- ^ "Hoblitzelle Interstate Theatre Circuit". Harry Ransom Center. Retrieved March 5, 2021.