Saint John, the Beheaded

Saint John, the Beheaded (Italian: San Giovanni decollato) is a 1940 Italian comedy film directed by Amleto Palermi and Giorgio Bianchi and starring Totò, Titina De Filippo and Silvana Jachino.[1] It was based on a play by Nino Martoglio. The film was made at the Cinecittà Studios in Rome.

Saint John, the Beheaded
(San Giovanni decollato)
Directed byAmleto Palermi
Giorgio Bianchi
Written byNino Martoglio (play)
Aldo Vergano
Cesare Zavattini
Amleto Palermi
Produced byLiborio Capitani
StarringTotò
Titina De Filippo
Silvana Jachino
Franco Coop
CinematographyFernando Risi
Edited byDuilio A. Lucarelli
Music byAlexandre Derevitsky
Production
company
Produzione Capitani Film
Distributed byENIC
Release date
  • 12 December 1940 (1940-12-12)
Running time
84 minutes
CountryItaly
LanguageItalian

San Giovanni decollato or Saint John the Baptist's head on a platter, was a common religious motif from the Middle Ages on, parodied in the film's poster.

Plot

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In a town, near Naples, in 1900, the cobbler Agostino Miciacio is accused by tenants of his apartment building to be crazy. In fact Agostino is a lively man, mocked by everyone because he is messy. He is very devoted to John the Baptist, so Agostino lights a candle every night in a small chapel in the courtyard. But some of the oil in the wax necessary for the luminary, disappears every night. It is a fact that Agostino does not tolerate theft, but he does not know that behind these thefts continue, there is a gang of thugs. Meanwhile, Agostino, in addition to following the case of oil stolen, must fight against the daughter Serafina who has fallen in love with a poor young lamplighter. But he also has to fight against his wife Concetta, authoritative and cruel woman, so he hopes that St. John makes a grace for him, taking away her voice.

Cast

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References

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  1. ^ Moliterno p.316

Bibliography

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  • Moliterno, Gino. Historical Dictionary of Italian Cinema. Scarecrow Press, 2008.
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