The Man with the Balloons

"A balloon is like virtue - any moment it can go BANG!"

1967 1h 25m IT

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 23

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Mario is a Milan industrialist who is constantly testing balloons to see how much air one can take before busting.

“A balloon is like virtue - any moment it can go BANG!”

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Cast

Marcello Mastroianni
Mario Fuggetta
Catherine Spaak
Giovanna
Ugo Tognazzi
Man With Car
William Berger
Benny, a neighbor
Sarah Ross
Antonio Altoviti
Charlotte Folcher
Gian Luigi Polidoro

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Marco Ferreri
Writers: Rafael Azcona, Marco Ferreri
Languages: Italian
Countries: France, Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

85 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

59 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: France, Italy.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Marco Ferreri, shot by Aldo Tonti. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Teo Usuelli. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Renzo Lucidi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Marcello Mastroianni and Catherine Spaak and Ugo Tognazzi carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Marco Ferreri directs. Aldo Tonti behind the camera. Teo Usuelli scores. Renzo Lucidi cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France, Italy. Dialogue in Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

185 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
259 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3International production across 2 countries: France, Italy.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Marco Ferreri, shot by Aldo Tonti. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Teo Usuelli. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Renzo Lucidi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Marcello Mastroianni and Catherine Spaak and Ugo Tognazzi carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "A balloon is like virtue - any moment it can go BANG!".
10IMDB entry: tt0059851 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Only 23 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.