Banana Joe (1982)

Director:

Steno

Writers:

Mario Amendola (writer)
Bruno Corbucci (writer)

Release Date:

25 March 1982 (West Germany)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot Keywords:

Hit In The Face | Simple Man | Slapstick | Brawl | Blonde

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Bud Spencer	...	Banana Joe
Marina Langner	...	Dorianne
Mario Scarpetta	...	Manuel
Gianfranco Barra	...	Torsillo
Enzo Garinei	...	Ingegner Moreno
Gunther Philipp	...	Sarto (as Gunter Philipp)
Giorgio Bracardi	...	Sergente Martino
Gisela Hahn		(as Gisela Hann)
Nello Pazzafini	...	Torsillo's Truck Driver
Carlo Reali	...	Police Captain
Salvatore Basile	...	Police Officer (as Salvo Basile)
Edy Biagetti
Giovanni Cianfriglia	...	Torsillo's Thug
Benito Pacifico
Sergio Smacchi	...	Torsillo's Thug

Also Known As:

Banana Joe (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Banaani Joe (Finland) [fi]
Banana Joe (Denmark) [da]
Banana Joe (Greece) [el]

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

Italy | West Germany

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Spain:T | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Norway:12 | West Germany:6 (nf) | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Cartagena, Bolívar, Colombia

Company:

Derby Cinematografica

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the truck racing scene, obvious miniatures are used for the off-road crash shots.

Movie Connections:

References "Candid Camera" (1960/II)

Bemusing comedy set on far country for Bud Spencer enthusiastic, repeating his usual role

Banana Joe(Bud Spencer) is a corpulent and kind illiterate living on a tropical island in the Caribe. He trades bananas when a mobster named Torsillo wishes to take his commerce. Then , for first time in his existence, he goes to big city for getting an identity certificate . There he knows a beautiful singer named Dorianne(Marina), facing off dangers, truck racers(with usual Peplum, Nello Pazzafini as a Torsillo's truck driver) and several adventures.

This is a good amusing juvenile for Bud Spencer fans, but he's delight; it packs action, fist-play, slapdash, humor with tongue and check and is quite entertaining. This release has some cool and even hilarious moments, though the Terence Hill-Bud Spencer duo films are better. The film isn't always good , sometimes is fresh and diverting and on a couple of memorable occasions ,it's frankly delicious. The movie displays innumerable laughters and slapstick, including a sour satyr about bureaucracy and the army when Banana Joe is forced to enlist for obtaining a identity document. Sympathetic screenplay by the usual, Mario Amendola, Bruno Corbucci and Carlo Perdesoli(alias Bud Spencer). Catching musical score with noisy songs by Guido and Mauricio De Angelis(Spaghetti Western habitual). The motion picture is professionally directed by Steno, Stefano Vanzina(father of Carlo Vanzina). He wrote and directed in the 60s Toto vehicles(Toto vs the four, Two colonels); Walter Chiari and Raimondo Vianello shows(Heroes of the West, Twins from Texas). In the 70s and 80s directed Bud Spencer movies about Flatfoot or Rizzo, also called Piedone, such as, Flatfoot in Hong Kong, Piedone in Africa, Flatfoot in Egypt. And in the 80s directed TV series , the Professore Jack Clementi, again with Bud Spencer.