Roaring Years (Italian: Gli anni ruggenti) is a 1962 Italian comedy film directed by Luigi Zampa, recasting elements of Nikolai Gogol's The Government Inspector in Fascist Italy in the 1930s under the rule of Benito Mussolini. It stars Nino Manfredi and Gino Cervi.
Contents
Plot
The film portrays the corrupt administration of a town in Apulia in 1937, after it has learned, in a roundabout way, of a pending anonymous visit of a government inspector from Rome. The inspector will determine if the administration has adhered to the Fascist government's strict guidelines for economic and social planning.
The threat of the inspection creates terror in the administrators, who fear their misdeeds will be revealed. Most fearful are those guilty of enriching themselves from public funds and other abuses. They resort to pathetic staged measures to make it appear that they remained "honest administrators" and "good fascists".
An unsuspecting insurance agent also coming from Rome, Omero Battifiori, arrives in town for his work and is mistaken for the inspector. He is made the object of every honour and, of course, is utterly deceived. Eventually, the real inspector arrives.
Cast
Nino Manfredi as Omero Battifiori
Gino Cervi as Salvatore Acquamano
Michèle Mercier as Elvira Acquamano
Gastone Moschin as Carmine Passante
Salvo Randone as the Anti-fascist doctor De Vincenzi
Angela Luce as Rosa De Bellis
Linda Sini as Elsa
Rosalia Maggio as Nunzia Acquamano
Giuseppe Ianigro as Nicola De Bellis
Mario Pisu as Peppino
Dolores Palumbo as Miss De Vincenzi
Lino Crispo as Saverio
Anita Durante as Omero's mother
Carla Calò as the headteacher's wife
Annetta Esposito as Giancarla
Enzo Petito as the Baron
Mara Maiello as Margherita
Giulio Marchetti as the stage actor in a Saharan jacket
Fanfulla as the actor playing an Englishman
Alfredo Rizzo as the actor playing Menelik
Production
The film was mostly shot in Ostuni, in the province of Brindisi. Principal cinematography started on January 1962.
Release
The film was released on 21 April 1962 and enjoyed moderate success, grossing 500 million lire at Italian box offices. It was re-released in 1970.