The Birds, the Bees, and the Italians
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Pietro Germi
Virna Lisi
Gastone Moschin
Nora Ricci
Alberto Lionello
Olga Villi
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
During a bawdy party in the Italian town of Treviso, the unhappily married Toni Gasparini confides to his friend, Dr. Castellan, that he is impotent. As a result, the doctor allows his attractive young wife, Noemi, to leave the party early in Toni's company. When a local gossip informs the doctor that Toni is considered to be one of the most virile men in town, the doctor hurries home to discover that the gossip spoke the truth. To preserve appearances he makes the lovers promise to keep the adultery secret. Elsewhere in Treviso, the henpecked Osvaldo Bisigato, a bank clerk, falls madly in love with a cafe cashier, Milena Zulian, and eventually leaves home to join her. But the jealous husbands in the town unite with Osvaldo's wife, and the lovers lose their jobs. When they are arrested as adulterers, Milena leaves town and Osvaldo is confined in a sanitarium after attempting suicide. Later, as Osvaldo returns to his nagging wife, he plugs his ears with cotton. During an afternoon of shopping in town, Alda Cristofoletto, a young farm girl, is seduced by a number of the town's principal citizens, who do not realize that she is under age. When she tells her father of her adventure, he files charges against the prominent men. A collection is quickly taken; the father is paid off with the help of the wife of one of the men; and the community's "honor" is saved.
Director
Pietro Germi
Cast
Virna Lisi
Gastone Moschin
Nora Ricci
Alberto Lionello
Olga Villi
Franco Fabrizi
Beba Loncar
Gigi Ballista
Aldo Puglisi
Giulio Questi
Gustavo D'arpe
Quinto Parmeggiani
Gia Sandri
Moira Orfei
Alberto Rabagliati
Patrizia Valturri
Carlo Bagno
Virgilio Scapin
Ilia Guiotto
Tity Karish
Giacomo Rizzo
Sergio Fincato
Ruggero Dal Fabbro
Lauro Rubin
Giancarlo Fontanieri
Giuseppe Perini
Virgilio Gazzolo
Stefano Satta Flores
Giulio Onesti
Antonio Acqua
Crew
Age & Scarpelli
Gianni Cecchin
Carlo Egidi
Pietro Germi
Pietro Germi
Pietro Germi
Robert Haggiag
Francesco Massaro
Sergio Montanari
Aiace Parolin
Carlo Rustichelli
Angela Sammaciccia
Vittorio Trentino
Pierluigi Urbini
Luciano Vincenzoni
Luciano Vincenzoni
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Rome opening: February 1966 as Signore e signori. Paris opening: June 1966 as Ces messieurs dames; running time: 90 min. Other French titles: Belles dames, vilains messieurs; Mesdames et messieurs.
Miscellaneous Notes
Co-winner of the Palme d'Or for Best Film at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival.
Released in United States Summer August 7, 1966
Released in United States Summer August 7, 1966
