Oh! Sabella

Oh! Sabella
Oh! Sabella
Directed by	Dino Risi
Written by	Pasquale Festa Campanile; Massimo Franciosa; Ettore Giannini ; Dino Risi
Cinematography	Tonino Delli Colli
Music by	Michele Cozzoli
Release date	1957;
Language	Italian

La nonna Sabella (internationally released as Oh! Sabella) is a 1957 Italian comedy film directed by Dino Risi. It is based on the novel of the same name written by Pasquale Festa Campanile.^[1] The film won the Golden Shell at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.^[2] It was followed by La nipote Sabella.

Synopsis

Raphaël, a young engineer, returns to his native village at the bedside of his dying grandmother, Isabelle. This one is actually doing wonderfully, it was a ruse to get her grandson back because she wants to see him marry a rich heiress, Evelyne. Raphaël bends to his desire and woos Evelyne, but he is much more attracted to the seductive Lucie, a childhood friend. Despite the money and Isabelle's opposition, he ends up marrying Lucie.

Criticism

"(...) In fact, the film manages to sustain itself throughout the first half, thanks above all to a screenplay which (despite being less quick than that of Poveri ma belli), does not lack tasty ideas and guessed skits (...)"^[3]

"The film would like to be a pleasant little picture of the province and show in a humorous key certain situations caught in reality. The screenwriters and director have also trod the hand, filling the story with commonplaces. The acting, especially that of Rascel in a parish priest, is affected by this heaviness of hand. Good photography."^[4]

Cast

Tina Pica as Grandma Sabella
Peppino De Filippo as Emilio Mescogliano
Sylva Koscina as Lucia
Renato Salvatori as Raffaele Renzullo
Rossella Como as Evelina Mancuso
Paolo Stoppa as Evaristo Mancuso
Dolores Palumbo as Carmela Renzullo
Renato Rascel as Don Gregorio
Mimo Billi as Eusebio
Gina Mascetti as Clotilde
Nino Vingelli

References

^ Irene Mazzetti, I film di Dino Risi, Gremese Editore
^ Lino Micciché, Storia del cinema italiano, Edizioni di Bianco & nero, 2001
^ Anonimo, Cinema Nuovo, 15 settembre 1957
^ Segnalazioni cinematografiche, vol. 42, 1957

External links

Oh! Sabella at IMDb

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[1] Irene Mazzetti, I film di Dino Risi, Gremese Editore

[2] Lino Micciché, Storia del cinema italiano, Edizioni di Bianco & nero, 2001

[3] Anonimo, Cinema Nuovo, 15 settembre 1957

[4] Segnalazioni cinematografiche, vol. 42, 1957

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