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Casanova's Big Night

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Casanova's Big Night
1954 US Theatrical Poster
Directed byNorman Z. McLeod
Written byAubrey Wisberg
Screenplay byEdmund Hartmann
Hal Kanter
Produced byPaul Jones
StarringBob Hope
Joan Fontaine
Basil Rathbone
John Carradine
Lon Chaney Jr.
Raymond Burr
CinematographyLionel Lindon
Edited byEllsworth Hoagland
Music byLyn Murray
Production
company
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • April 7, 1954 (1954-04-07)
Running time
86 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1.6 million[1]

Casanova's Big Night is a 1954 American comedy film starring Bob Hope and Joan Fontaine, which is a spoof of swashbuckling historical adventure films. It was directed by Norman Z. McLeod.

Hope plays a tailor who impersonates Giacomo Casanova, the great lover. The film also stars Audrey Dalton, Basil Rathbone, Hugh Marlowe, John Carradine, Hope Emerson, Lon Chaney Jr., Raymond Burr, Natalie Schafer, and Vincent Price (in a cameo appearance as the real Casanova).

Plot

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Pippo, a tailor, impersonates Casanova to woo the girls, particularly the widow Bruni. Casanova has left town, pursued by creditors who persuade Pippo to impersonate Casanova at the behest of a Genoan family that will pay "Casanova" to test the fidelity of the son's betrothed.

Pippo, the widow Bruni and Casanova's valet Lucio travel to Venice. The Doge of Venice, "a snake with whiskers," to use Pippo's description, intends to use the intended seduction as an excuse to wage war against Genoa. After many humorous adventures, exploiting Pippo's traits of vanity, arrogance and cowardice, the heroine so impresses Pippo with her dignity that he refuses to cooperate in the plot to ruin her character. He is arrested by the Doge and sentenced to death by beheading. A desperate Pippo turns the audience for help, but is shocked when they prefer that he lose his head.

Cast

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Primo Carnera and Audrey Dalton in the film

Production

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Paramount built a 400 feet-long full-scale imitation of the Grand Canal in Venice together with bridge and 16 buildings for the film.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "1954 Box Office Champs". Variety Weekly. January 5, 1955. p. 59. - figures are rentals in the US and Canada
  2. ^ "Inside Stuff - Pictures". Variety. August 26, 1953. p. 17. Retrieved March 14, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
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