Avanti! (1972)

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

I.A.L. Diamond (writer)
Samuel A. Taylor (play)

Release Date:

17 December 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

A successful businessman goes to Italy to arrange for the return of his tycoon-father's body only to discover dad died with his mistress of long standing.

Plot Keywords:

Italy | Mistress | Hotel | Topless Beach | Funeral

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 6 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Jack Lemmon	...	Wendell Armbruster, Jr.
Juliet Mills	...	Pamela Piggott
Clive Revill	...	Carlo Carlucci
Edward Andrews	...	J.J. Blodgett
Gianfranco Barra	...	Bruno
Franco Angrisano	...	Arnold Trotta
Pippo Franco	...	Mattarazzo
Franco Acampora	...	Armando Trotta
Giselda Castrini	...	Anna
Raffaele Mottola	...	Passport officer
Lino Coletta	...	Cipriani
Harry Ray	...	Dr. Fleischmann
Guidarino Guidi	...	Maitre D'
Giacomo Rizzo	...	Barman
Antonino Faa Di Bruno	...	Concierge (as Antonino Faa' Di Bruno)

Also Known As:

Che cosa è successo tra mio padre e tua madre? (Italy)
¿Qué ocurrió entre mi padre y tu madre? (Spain) [es]
Avanti (Greece) [el]
Avanti - kom ind! (Denmark) [da]
Avanti! (Finland) [fi]
Avanti! (France) [fr]
Avanti, Avanti! (West Germany) [de]
Avanti... Amantes à Italiana (Brazil) [pt]
Dokunma, gidiklanirim (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]

Runtime:

140 min

Country:

USA | Italy

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | UK:12 | Australia:M | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Amalfi Coast, Amalfi, Salerno, Campania, Italy

Company:

Jalem Productions

Trivia:

Juliet Mills gained 25 pounds within 6 weeks to take on the role of Pamela Piggott.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Mr. Ambruster and Mr. Carlucci arrive at the morgue, Ms. Piggott is sitting down with a orange bunch of "tromboncini". After, when Mr. Carlucci talks with them, the bunch is yellow.

Quotes:

Carlo Carlucci: While you are here, maybe you should take some mud baths.
Wendell Armbruster: No thanks, I had one on the train.
Carlo Carlucci: On the train?
Wendell Armbruster: I drank it. They call it espresso.

Movie Connections:

References Love Story (1970)

Soundtrack:

Senza Fine

Lemmon and Wilder take to Europe

The great team of actor Jack Lemmon and director Billy Wilder create yet another classic in their repetoire of great films. In AVANTI! (which means "forward" in Italian), Lemmon plays Armbruster, a snobby American executive who travels to Italy to reclaim the body of his father after the latter dies of an autowreck. Little did Armbruster

know that his old man had a companion with him, a British lady whose daughter Pamela (Juliet Mills) is also present to claim her body. Though antagonists at first, Armbruster and Pamela are drawn together because of their parents' mutual interest. With a rich Italian

landscape (complete with an awesome view of the Mediterrean Sea), plus a typically great performance by Lemmon and a well-played one by Mills, make this a terrific romance flick.