Scandal in Sorrento

"Never have the beauties of Italy been so magnificently revealed!"

1955 1h 46m IT

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 184

RomanceComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Back to his hometown, a former marshal finds his house occupied by a young woman working as a fishwife.

“Never have the beauties of Italy been so magnificently revealed!”

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Cast

Vittorio De Sica
Maresciallo Carotenuto
Sophia Loren
Donna Sofia
Tina Pica
Caramella
Lea Padovani
Donna Violante Ruotolo
Antonio Cifariello
Nicolino
Mario Carotenuto
Don Matteo Carotenuto
Yoka Berretty
Erika
Virgilio Riento
Don Emidio

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Dino Risi
Writers: Ettore Maria Margadonna, Vincenzo Talarico, Marcello Girosi
Languages: Italian, French
Countries: 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

ERA

Did you know

71 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Italian, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Part of the "Bread, Love and..." — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Dino Risi, shot by Giuseppe Rotunno. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Vittorio De Sica and Sophia Loren and Tina Pica carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Never have the beauties of Italy been so magnificently revealed!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Dino Risi directs. Giuseppe Rotunno behind the camera. Alessandro Cicognini scores. Mario Serandrei cuts. Produced in Italy. Dialogue in Italian, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

171 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Italian, French.
3Part of the "Bread, Love and..." — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Dino Risi, shot by Giuseppe Rotunno. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Alessandro Cicognini. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Mario Serandrei shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Vittorio De Sica and Sophia Loren and Tina Pica carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Never have the beauties of Italy been so magnificently revealed!".
9IMDB entry: tt0050817 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Giuseppe Rotunno
Original score: Alessandro Cicognini
Editing: Mario Serandrei
Production design: Gastone Medin
Costume design: Fabrizio Carafa
Makeup / hair: Maria Angelini
Runtime: 106 min · 1h 46m
Status: Released
Original language: IT
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Scandal in Sorrento (1955)

Awards

David di Donatello for Best Actor

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Part of

Bread, Love and...

Also by

Dino Risi

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2025-08-18
★ 7/10
With a uniform for just about every occasion, “Carotenuto” (Vittorio De Sica) returns to his home town of Sorrento to take over the local, if rarely busy, police force. It’s hardly a suitable job for a man of his standing (or with his many medals and feathers) and his new situation doesn’t get any more suitable when he discovers that his home is occupied by local fishmonger “Sofia” (Sophia Loren)! He likes her, indeed he becomes quite infatuated with her, so he doesn’t evict her immediately but rather moves in to lodge with the more traditional “Violante” (Lea Padovani) who quickly takes a shine to he dapper visitor. All the while, “Sofia” is having a lively relationship with “Nicolino” (Antonio Cifariello) but she’s a bit of a tease, wanting him to aspire to something more than just being a traffic cop, so she mischievously flirts with “Carotenuto” and even agrees to his proposal. What is going to come of it all? De Sica and Loren make for a pretty much perfect combination in this light-hearted comedy. It’s one that would probably really only scandalise some nuns in a monastery somewhere, or perhaps amongst even a few of the Trappists that our plumed gent considers joining as his phalanx of amorous admirers begins to accumulate! For the rest of us, it’s really just an excuse for us to watch these stars get up to some mischief; for some fine pieces of classical piano to emanate now and again and for us to sit back and enjoy a slightly more sophisticated seaside romantic romp. It is a bit long, but when it is in it’s zone, it provides for a flighty and engaging look at love amongst the aged/ages and Loren glides through it all, even when carrying fish, effortlessly.

Production companies