Casanova's Big Night (1954)
Casanova's Big Night (1954), directed by Norman Z. McLeod, starring Bob Hope and Joan Fontaine.
score
The hilarious story of Casanova - history's greatest wolf !
Synopsis
Italy 1757, Pippo Popolino, a lowly tailor, disguises himself as the great Casanova in order to romance the attractive widow Francesca. He little suspects what awaits him... Locked into the incongruous role by the desperation of the real Casanova's creditors, Pippo must journey to Venice on a delicate mission far beyond his capabilities.
- Lionel LindonCinematography
- Norman Z. McLeodDirector
- Ellsworth HoaglandEditing
- Paul JonesProducer
About the film
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).
Read the full article (2k characters)
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
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
Production
Paramount built a 400 feet-long full-scale imitation of the Grand Canal in Venice together with bridge and 16 buildings for the film.
References
External links
Casanova's Big Night at IMDb
Casanova's Big Night at the TCM Movie Database (archived)
Text from Casanova's Big Night on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casanova's_Big_Night
Trivia
- It premiered on April 7, 1954, a Wednesday.
- It runs 1h26 — a typical feature length.
- This film's quiz has 11 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.
Production
- StudiosParamount Pictures
- CountriesUnited States
- LanguagesEnglish
- StatusReleased
More about this film
Set in
- Italy
Cast
-
Bob Hope
Pippo Popolino -
Joan Fontaine
Francesca Bruni -
Audrey Dalton
Elena Di Gambetta -
Basil Rathbone
Lucio / Narrator -
Hugh Marlowe
Stefano Di Gambetta -
Arnold Moss
The Doge -
John Carradine
Foressi -
John Hoyt
Maggiorin -
Hope Emerson
Duchess of Castelbello -
Robert Hutton
Raphael, Duc of Castelbello -
Lon Chaney Jr.
Emo, the Murderer -
Raymond Burr
Bragadin -
Frieda Inescort
Signora Di Gambetta -
Frank Puglia
Carabaccio -
Paul Cavanagh
Signor Alberto Di Gambetta -
Romo Vincent
Giovanni -
Henry Brandon
Capt. Rugello -
Natalie Schafer
Signora Foressi -
Douglas Fowley
Second Prisoner -
Nestor Paiva
Gnocchi
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Tags
Crew
- Lionel Lindon Cinematography
- Norman Z. McLeod Director
- Ellsworth Hoagland Editing
- Paul Jones Producer
- Lyn Murray Original music
- Aubrey Wisberg Story
- Edmund L. Hartmann Writer
- Hal Kanter Writer
Questions about this film
What is Casanova's Big Night about?
Casanova's Big Night: Italy 1757, Pippo Popolino, a lowly tailor, disguises himself as the great Casanova in order to romance the attractive widow Francesca. He little suspects what awaits him... Locked into the incongruous role by the desperation of the real Casanova's creditors, Pippo must journey to Venice on a delicate mission far beyo…
Who directed Casanova's Big Night?
Casanova's Big Night was directed by Norman Z. McLeod in 1954.
Who stars in Casanova's Big Night?
The cast of Casanova's Big Night includes Bob Hope, Joan Fontaine, Audrey Dalton, Basil Rathbone and Hugh Marlowe.
How long is Casanova's Big Night?
Casanova's Big Night runs for 86 minutes, or 1h26.
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Page updated on 09/13/2026.
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