PEPPE’s nightmare in LA FAMIGLIA PASSAGUAI FA FORTUNA: Bava’s first extended sequence of surreal cinematic horror.
Macario, a popular comedian from Turin) while bumming a ride in the Alfa Romeo of his wealthy landlord, the great stage actor Gardini (Luigi Pavese). Embarrassed that he has not been as successful as his dapper-look- ing friend, Peppe takes advantage of the misunderstanding and passes himself off as a millionaire, expecting their paths will not cross again. On the contrary, Giocondo is broke too, and he decides to pose as a Count to lure Peppe into joining him as a partner in a new con- struction company. Peppe—smelling money—agrees, not realizing that it is his imaginary millions which are expected to underwrite the scheme. La famiglia Passaguai fa fortuna is not as funny as its predecessor, because much of its humor arises from troubles that the protagonists get into by their own volition, rather than finding them- selves victimized time and again by hi- lariously escalating cosmic circum- stances outside themselves. Even the
AVE NINCHI turns her back as Aldo Fabrizi’s day on the beach is complicated by a run-in with office co-worker Peppino De Filippo.
Filmed in Fiumicino under the title
Un mare di guai (“A Sea of Troubles”), the largely improvised production was completed in twenty-nine days— somewhat less than the standard six- week schedule of most Italian features. The violent chemistry between Fabrizi and Ninchi was a thing of beauty, and benefitted from their longterm work- ing relationship; Fabrizi had been the star of Ninchi’s first film, Circo equestre Za-Bum (“Za-Bum Equestrian Circus,” 1946), and she had played his wife at least twice previously, in the Rome flashbacks of Natale al Campo 119 and in Fabrizi’s own directorial de- but, Emigrantes. Audiences loved them together. In La famiglia Passaguai fa fortuna,
Valenzi (who now goes by the nick- name Peppe) is recognized by old friend Giocondo Diotallevi (Erminio
