I Clowns [The Clowns] **** (1970, Federico Fellini) – Classic Movie Review 12,809

Federico Fellini explores his childhood obsession with circus clowns, and the popular fascination with clowns and circuses, in the 1970 Italian film I Clowns [The Clowns].

Riccardo Billi, Gigi Reder and Tino Scotti star with a large number of other popular Italian and French clowns in Federico Fellini’s amusing, bittersweet, engrossing made for TV and for cinemas film tribute to the circus clowns of his youth and imagination, mixing reality and fantasy.

Fellini and Anita Ekberg appear as themselves, Pierre Etaix, Annie Fratellini, Charlie Rivel and Jean-Baptiste Thiérrée all appear as Clowns, and Liana Orfei, Rinaldo Orfei and Nando Orfei all appear as circus performers, basically all themselves.

Fellini regular Nino Rota contributes a compelling score and Dario Di Palma provides the striking visuals. This brilliantly creative and entertaining mix of real memories and mockumentary is a must for Fellini fans. It comes under the film genre of docufiction, combining documentary and fiction, of which Fellini was a pioneer, having made Fellini: A Director’s Notebook in 1969 and later Intervista in 1987.

It was made for the Italian state TV station RAI, who broadcast it on Christmas Day 1970, with co-producer Leone Film releasing it as a cinema feature in Italian cinemas the following day, 26 December 1970.

I Clowns [The Clowns] is directed by Federico Fellini, runs 92 minutes, is made by Radiotelevisione Italiana, Bavaria Film, Leone and ORTF, is released by RAI and Curzon, is written by Federico Fellini and Bernardino Zapponi, is shot by Dario Di Palma, is produced by Elio Scardamaglia, and scored by Nino Rota.

The cast are Riccardo Billi as himself – Italian Clown, Federico Fellini as himself, Gigi Reder as himself – Italian Clown, Tino Scotti as himself – Italian Clown, Valentini as himself – Italian Clown, Fanfulla as himself – Italian Clown, Merli as himself – Italian Clown, Carlo Rizzo as himself – Italian Clown, Colombaioni as Themselves – Italian Clowns, Pistoni as himself – Italian Clown, Martana as Themselves – Italian Clowns, Giacomo Furia as himself – Italian Clown. Alvaro Vitali as himself (The Troupe), Dante Maggio as himself – Italian Clown, Galliano Sbarra as himself – Italian Clown, Peppino Janigro as himself – Italian Clown, Carini as himself – Italian Clown, Maunsell as himself – Italian Clown, Nino Terzo as himself – Italian Clown, Osiride Pevarello as Clown, Nino Vingelli as himself – Italian Clown Alberto Sorrentino as himself – Italian Clown, Fumagalli as himself – Italian Clown, Valdemaro as himself – Italian Clown, Luigi Zerbinati as himself – Italian Clown, Ettore Bevilacqua as himself – Italian Clown, Maya Morin as Maya (La troupe), Anna Lina Alberti as herself – Alvaro’s mother (La troupe), Gasparin as Gasparino (La troupe), Alex as himself – French Clown, Georges Loriot as himself – French Clown, Maïs as himself – French Clown, Bario as himself – French Clown, Ludo as himself – French Clown, Nino as himself – French Clown, Charlie Rivel as himself, Pierre Étaix as himself, Annie Fratellini as herself, Victor Fratellini as himself, Jean-Baptiste Thiérrée as himself, Tristan Remy as himself, Liana Orfei as herself, Rinaldo Orfei as himself, Nando Orfei as himself, Franco Migliorini as himself – Animal Tamer, Anita Ekberg as herself, Maria Grazia Buccella as herself, Aristide Caporale as Railwayman, Victoria Chaplin as herself, Liliana Chiari as herself, Dante Cleri as Fascist, Shirley Corrigan as Audience member, Feverello as himself – Italian Clown, Gustavo Fratellini as himself – Italian Clown, and Adelina Poerio as Dwarf nun.

Liana Orfei (born 6 June 1937).

Liana Orfei (born 6 June 1937) was primarily a circus performer who entered the movie business in 1959, followed a year later by her cousin Moira. Both sisters went on to act in many peplum and adventure films, often with American stars. The sultry and exotic Liana starred in War of the Trojans [La leggenda di Enea] (1962) with Steve Reeves, in The Tartars (1961) with Victor Mature, in Queen of the Nile (1961) also with Vincent Price, in Ercole Sfida Sansone (1963) with Kirk Morris, and in The Tyrant of Syracuse (1962), among many others. She appeared in more than 30 films between 1959 and 1971, but retired from acting after playing a role inspired on herself in Federico Fellini’s I Clowns (1970).

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 12,809

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