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Kean: Genius or Scoundrel

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Kean: Genius or Scoundrel
German theatrical poster
Directed byVittorio Gassman
Written bySuso Cecchi D'Amico
Vittorio Gassman
Francesco Rosi
Produced byFranco Cristaldi
StarringVittorio Gassman
Eleonora Rossi Drago
Gérard Landry
Valentina Cortese
CinematographyGianni Di Venanzo
Edited byEnzo Alfonzi
Music byRoman Vlad
Production
company
Distributed byLux Film
Release date
  • 4 March 1957 (1957-03-04)
Running time
83 minutes
CountryItaly
LanguageItalian

Kean: Genius or Scoundrel (Italian: Kean - Genio e sregolatezza) is a 1956 Italian historical biographical film co-written, directed by and starring Vittorio Gassman. It also features Eleonora Rossi Drago, Gérard Landry and Valentina Cortese A dramatization of the life of nineteenth century actor Edmund Kean, it is based on the drama play Kean (1836) by Alexandre Dumas and its 1953 adaptation with the same name by Jean-Paul Sartre.[1][2] It was Gassman's first film as director.[3] It was screened at the Locarno Film Festival in 1957.

The film's sets were designed by the art director Gianni Polidori. Much of the film was shot at the Teatro Valle in Rome.

Plot

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In 19th century London, Edmund Kean was an adored Shakespearean comedian. An inveterate Don Juan, he amuses good London society with his eloquence and his wit. Eléna, the charming wife of the Danish ambassador, is in love with the actor. The Prince of Wales learns that this emotion is mutual, and offers her to give up this idyll for a large sum of money. But soon, Kean falls in love with Anna, a young but promising first actress.[4]

Cast

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References

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  1. ^ Roberto Chiti; Roberto Poppi; Enrico Lancia. Dizionario del cinema italiano: I film. Gremese, 1991. ISBN 8876055487.
  2. ^ Paolo Mereghetti. Il Mereghetti - Dizionario dei film. B.C. Dalai Editore, 2010. ISBN 8860736269.
  3. ^ Moliterno p.144
  4. ^ "scheda". www.archiviodelcinemaitaliano.it. Retrieved 2022-05-02.

Bibliography

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  • Moliterno, Gino. The A to Z of Italian Cinema. Scarecrow Press, 2009.
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