Casanova & Co.
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Casanova & Co. |
| Country of production | Austria , Italy , France |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1977 |
| length | 104 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 18 |
| Rod | |
| Director |
Franz Antel (as François Legrand ) |
| script |
Joshua Sinclair Kurt Nachmann Alessandro Continenza |
| production |
Carl Szokoll for Neue Delta Film, Vienna Panther Film, Rome C.OFCI, Paris |
| music | Riz Ortolani |
| camera | Hanns Matula |
| cut | Michel Lewin |
| occupation | |
| |
Casanova & Co. is an Austrian-Italian-French set and erotic film comedy from 1976 by Franz Antel with Tony Curtis as Giacomo Casanova and his doppelganger.
action
Venice in the 18th century. Several decorated gondolas ride along the canals through the city until they land just before the Doge's Palace. In the most splendid gondola sits a caliph who has traveled from the Orient accompanied by his much younger and very pretty wife. While numerous Venetians watch this gondola parade in amazement, the small crook Giacomino begins his long-fingered craft and steals from the audience distracted by the spectacle. However, he is caught and led away in chains by two representatives of the Venetian government. Meanwhile, on the steps of his palace, the doge receives the caliph, who is being carried up the steps on a litter, and his entourage. The Venetian Senator dell'Acqua hopes that the caliph will secure oil supplies for the city-state in the long term with a contract. But to the horror of the Venetian city representatives, the caliph, a slobbering, drooling old man who always thinks about snacking and would rather indulge in gambling, graces the signing. It soon becomes clear who wears the trousers at Kalifens home: his wife, who is as beautiful as she is smart and proud to the point of pride. She makes it unmistakably clear to the Venetians: her husband will not sign the contract until she has slept with the legendary Casanova.
The caliphate is very determined in her sexual demands, especially since her husband is completely impotent. Now it is very difficult to comply with the wish of the ruler from the Orient. Casanova, who has meanwhile turned gray, sits incarcerated in the lead chambers and has also largely lost his legendary potency, which only he knows. Now the doge should intervene and set Casanova free. Meanwhile, the Duchess Francesca di Cornaro, one of the many former lovers of the notorious woman happier, has gone to the Bridge of Sighs with her best archer Fulcenzo. With an arrow, Fulcenzo shoots a message through the bars into the prison cell. The arrow gets stuck in a huge book that Casanova is leafing through. With a happy smile he holds the page open, on which the playmate “Miss September 1746” is shown in all her naked beauty. A tiny file is attached to the arrow, with which Casanova finally frees himself from his chains.
The prisoner managed to escape and could now continue his journey through the Venetian beds, but as mentioned, his manhood is no longer in good shape. He has to realize this sadly at the first rendezvous with a beauty. So it is a good thing that Casanova runs into his doppelganger by chance. It's about that little crook and thief Giacomino, who is not only on the loose again, but resembles Casanova almost down to the hair - only that the Casanovas are gray, while Giacomino's hair has strong brown tones. Giacomino still has the potency that has been lost behind bars over the years, even if he sometimes lacks the necessary, Casanova-typical enthusiasm for hunting through all beds. Initially a little alienated by his other self, Casanova comes up with an idea: How about if his alter ego, the fake Casanova, would “do the work” for the real one from now on and play the female mate, at least for Casanova's reputation as a legendary lover to maintain?
From then on, Giacomino's hunt begins as Casanova through the beds of the beautiful Veneto. He can have them all and won't let anything burn. Shy young nuns who caress each other's bodies and thus discover their blossoming sexuality are just as much there as more mature ladies like the buxom baker's wife or the overly willing wife of the prefect. And of course the extremely demanding wife of the caliph, who meanwhile indulges in other sensual pleasures, has to be made happy. Meanwhile, the real Casanova has all the time in the world to indulge in an erotic dance, which, however, is more limited to watching than participating. And by the way, he can also reap some nice prizes while playing dice. And so Casanova & Co. extensively enjoy their joys in the love affair in Venice.
Production notes
While Franz Antel was shooting his film Two Great Pikes - We Are the Greatest in Rome , he learned that Federico Fellini was preparing a Casanova film. With his Italian partner Aicardi, he made the decision to exploit the advertising for the upcoming Fellini film and to make his own film about Casanova before Fellini's Casanova . The ideal cast Tony Curtis could be won for the main role for 24 million schillings. However, efforts to get Ursula Andress failed three days before filming began. Carl Szokoll signed Marisa Berenson in her place at the last minute.
Casanova & Co. was filmed on location in Venice , Vicenza and Padua in 1976 . Director Franz Antel also appeared as a co-producer on this feature film, which cost around DM 6 million. Nino Borghi designed the extensive film sets.
The Italian title is "Casanova e Company", in France it was called "13 femmes pour Casanova". In German-speaking countries he was also marketed with help, I am a male virgin .
The film premiered on March 1, 1977 in Italy. He grossed 230 million lire in Italy . The premiere in Vienna was a complete success, and in France, too, where the film was released in front of Fellini's Casanova , the film ran extremely well. The German premiere took place on April 28, 1977 and thus, contrary to Antel's hopes, only after Fellini's Casanova , which had its German premiere on February 24, 1977. Antel summed up that after a Casanova, which turned out to be a cinematic chamber of horrors, people had had enough of the topic.
The soundtrack was released on a 10 track LP.
Reviews
In Films 1977-80 it is said: “Plump game of confusion; a boring sex farce according to a well-known scheme. "
F. Zangrando was less harsh in his judgment, as he succeeded in the idea of continuing the adventures of the Schwerenöters with his copy and found the march of the female beauties of the popular original worthy of the popular original.
"With the colorful picture sheets" Casanova & Co. " and "Johann Strauss - the king without a crown" Antel tried to penetrate the international cinema market - despite the international star cast but without the hoped-for response. "
Web links
- Casanova & Co. in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Casanova & Co. at filmportal.de
Individual evidence
- ↑ On IMDB
- ^ Roberto Chiti, Roberto Poppi, Mario Pecorari: Dizionario del cinema italiano, I film vol. 4, A / L. Rom, Gremese, 1996, pp. 152/153
- ^ Franz Antel: Twisted, in love, my life , Munich, Vienna 2001, pp. 205 ff.
- ↑ Catalog number CAM SAG 9078
- ^ Films 1977-80. Critical notes from four years of cinema and television. JP Bachem publishing house in Cologne, 1981, p. 42
- ↑ F. Zangrando in: Il Gazzettino , 27 March 1977