Il mantenuto

Stefano Gardelli, a humble Roman employee, becomes unknowingly friend and “pimp” of a young prostitute. Persecuted by the other exploiters and with the police keeping an eye on him, his life gets harder and harder every day. Even a simple union meeting, where there are a few employees from Stefano’s workplace, is misunderstood. In order to clarify the situation, the police inspector wants to talk to the boss of the firm, Count Losi, explaining the suspects that he has on Carla, his secretary, because Stefano tries many times to connect with her. At first the employee gets fired, and finally, when everything gets clear, it is too late. Stefano Gardelli ends up accepting the attentions of the rich widow Amelia, the owner of a supermarket. Forced to work under his wife’s orders, humiliated and disappointed, he decides to definitely leave after throwing a row of jars on the ground on purpose, as a sign of rebellion.
Traduzione in inglese Francesca Sala – English translation Francesca Sala

I was actually born a leader, so unfortunately the actor always has to obey. I have been a target for many years: it is true that I tried to resist, to do what I wanted, but in the end the director was always right, because he used his own framing and then he cut during the editing.

I like directing, those three times I did it, but I also suffered a lot. As an actor, my personality is right there, unquestionable. I feel that I worked and that gave me something. As a director, I don’t think I’m ever going to be a genius, or it would have been clear since my first film. I don’t have that wild invention, that little bit of crazy talent that is essential for this job.
Working as a director is fun, because it is like recreating life, it is a game for adult people. If you think of dressing up a person with clothes that are not her own clothes, but those that the director picked up, to the way you make her walk in a room painted of the colour of choice, every part of this is an exciting game. You move puppets, even if they are actors; but sometimes they are not. It is an amazing game. I don’t think I am among the talented directors; let’s say I am able to direct a film, I showed it with a little ambition. I got many rewards from this work, but it doesn’t compare to what I can gain as an actor. As a director, you can have many doubts about me, I certainly do.

Traduzione in inglese Francesca Sala – English translation Francesca Sala

Director: Ugo Tognazzi.
Plot: Giulio Scarnicci, Renzo Tarabusi.
Screenplay: Giulio Scarnicci, Renzo Tarabusi, Luciano Salce, Franco Castellano, Pipolo (Giuseppe Moccia).
Director of photography: Marco Scarpelli.
Art director: Giancarlo Salimbeni Bartolini.
Editor: Franco Fraticelli.
Music: Armando Trovajoli.
Cast and characters: Ugo Tognazzi (Stefano Garbelli), Ilaria Occhini (Daniela), Mario Carotenuto (il presidente Losi), Marisa Merlini (Amalia), Margaret Robsham (Carla), Pinuccia Nava, Armando Bandini. Aldo Berti, Mario Castellani, Olimpia Cavalli, Consalvo Dell'Arti, Vera Gambaccioni, Renato Mambor, Arrigo Peri, Massimo Righi, Gianni Musy, Franco Glacobini, Franco Ressel.
Production company: Alado Calamar`, Achille Filo Della Torre per Mec Cinematografica (Roma).
Italian distribution: regionale.