| Hot Potato | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Steno |
| Written by | Steno Giorgio Arlorio Enrico Vanzina |
| Produced by | Achille Manzotti |
| Starring | Renato Pozzetto |
| Cinematography | Giorgio Arlorio |
| Edited by | Raimondo Crociani |
| Music by | Totò Savio |
| Release date |
|
| Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |
Hot Potato (Italian: La patata bollente) is a 1979 Commedia all'italiana film directed by Steno. The film discusses a range of issues such as homophobia in the political left, Anni di piombo violence, working class culture, and the sustainability of Eurocommunism.
Plot
Bernardo Mambelli nicknamed "il Gandi" (Renato Pozzetto) is a PCI militant and pugilist working at a Milanese paint factory. One night, he sees a fascist gang beating a frail young man (Massimo Ranieri). He saves the man and brings him to his house to learn that he is Claudio, a homosexual. With nowhere to go and recovering from the assault, Claudio starts staying at Bernardo's house but a series of typical misunderstandings lead his comrades as well as his girlfriend Maria (Edwige Fenech) to believing that he has "turned gay". Bernardo is now seen as a potential lost cause and the ongoings soon reveal a "hot potato" situation for him.
Cast
- Renato Pozzetto as Bernardo Mambelli nicknamed "il Gandi"
- Massimo Ranieri as Claudio
- Edwige Fenech as Maria
- Mario Scarpetta as Walter
- Clara Colosimo as Elvira, the doorwoman
- Luca Sportelli as Elvira's husband
- Sergio Ciulli as Maravigli
- Adriana Russo as Maria's best friend
- Umberto Raho as the doctor
- Ennio Antonelli as laborer
Production
The film was initially conceived as a segment of a two-part film titled "Fa male mischiare" (lit. 'Mixing Hurts ') directed by Nanni Loy; the two segments were eventually developed into full-length films, the other of them becoming Loy's Café Express.
See also
References
- Milano-Firenze, Mo-Net s.r.l. "La patata bollente (1979)". MYmovies.it. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
- Giusti, Marco (2019). "La patata bollente". Dizionario Stracult della commedia sexy. Bloodbuster edizioni. pp. 326–7. ISBN 978-88-943385-3-9.
External links
 | This article related to an Italian comedy film of the 1970s is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |
- 1979 films
- Italian LGBTQ-related films
- Films directed by Stefano Vanzina
- Commedia all'italiana
- 1979 comedy films
- Italian satirical films
- Films set in Milan
- Italian political satire films
- LGBTQ-related comedy films
- 1979 LGBTQ-related films
- Working-class culture
- 1970s Italian films
- 1970s Italian comedy film stubs