Gli uomini, che mascalzoni… (1932)

Gli uomini, che mascalzoni…: Directed by Mario Camerini. With Lia Franca, Vittorio De Sica, Cesare Zoppetti, Aldo Moschino. Bruno, a young Milanese driver, falls in love with Mariuccia, dependent on a perfumery. Wanting to impress her, he shows up for their first date, in his employer’s car.

“Nice, small scale romantic comedy, already offering an appealing star couple and many of the features of later Italian Realism. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDismissed as u0026quot;Signor Bicicletteu0026quot; by the perfume shop girls, cloth cap mechanic Vittorio borrows the car heu0026#39;s repairing at the garage and collects the appealing Lia Franca for a run, ending at the riverside cafe, where the old couple have put a coin in the proto juke boy, which plays u0026quot;Loveu0026#39;s last Word Is Spoken,u0026quot; for Vittorio and Lia to dance but their idyllic afternoon is disturbed by the bossu0026#39; wife who has spotted the car and sees this as a lift home, stranding Lia.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCalamities and misunderstanding accumulate, with the leads finally working at a Milanese Industrial Fair. This generates a rather winning ending to this advanced, agreeable, light weight. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe film more than stands comparison with contemporary product (eg. the films of René Clair,) shooting material in real locations, which would have been done in a studio in Hollywood or Paris, and foregrounding working class characters, anticipating the neo realist films. Thereu0026#39;s even an unemployment sub-plot. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDe Sica is billed under Franca, the lead of RESURRECTIO, the first Italian sound film. Itu0026#39;s probably his first talkie and heu0026#39;s perfectly relaxed and natural. Designer Medin will accompany him on his career.”