Ginger and Fred (Italian: Ginger e Fred) is a 1986 comedy-drama film written and directed by Federico Fellini and starring Marcello Mastroianni and Giulietta Masina.[2]
The title is a reference to the American dancing couple Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The two leads portray Italian impersonators of Astaire and Rogers who reunite after thirty years of retirement for a vulgar and bizarre television extravaganza.
The film was the subject of a trademark claim in the United States by Ginger Rogers, who claimed in Rogers v. Grimaldi that the film violated her Lanham Act trademark rights, right of publicity, and was a "false light" defamation.[3] The Second Circuit rejected this claim, finding that "suppressing an artistically relevant though ambiguous[ly] title[d] film" on trademark grounds would "unduly restrict expression."[4]
Plot
Amelia and Pippo were once together famous as dancers, imitating Ginger Rogers' and Fred Astaire's dance routines. Thirty years after they've retired, they team up one more time for a live TV show. Although this reunion is overshadowed by Pippo's lack of stamina, their performance is well-received and revives their popularity for another day.
Cast
- Giulietta Masina as Amelia Bonetti (Ginger)
- Marcello Mastroianni as Pippo Botticella (Fred)
- Franco Fabrizi as Show host
- Friedrich von Ledebur as Admiral Aulenti
- Augusto Poderosi as transvestite
- Martin Maria Blau as assistant director
- Jacques Henri Lartigue as Brother Gerolamo
- Totò Mignone as Totò
- Ezio Marano as the intellectual
- Antoine Saint-John as bandaged man
- Friedrich von Thun as kidnapped tycoon
- Antonino Iuorio as TV inspector
- Barbara Scoppa as journalist
- Elisabetta Flumeri as journalist
- Salvatore Billa as Clark Gable
- Caterina Vertova
Release
The film opened the 36th Berlin Film Festival on 14 February 1986.[5]
Reception
Critical response
Ginger and Fred has an approval rating of 77% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 13 reviews, and an average rating of 7/10.[6]
Awards and nominations
Ginger and Fred was nominated for best foreign film awards in 1986 by the U.S. National Board of Review of Motion Pictures,[7] as well as the 1987 Golden Globes and BAFTA. Masina received a David di Donatello for Best Actress award for her role (1986).
See also
References
- ^ "Ginger & Fred".
- ^ "NY Times: Ginger and Fred". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-12-23. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
- ^ Rogers v. Grimaldi, 875 F.2d 994 (2d Cir. 1989).
- ^ Rogers v. Grimaldi, 875 F.2d 994, at 1001.
- ^ Sutherland, Alex (6 January 1986). "Fellini's Ginger And Fred to open Berlin Film Festival". Screen International. p. 1.
- ^ "Ginger and Fred | Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ "1986 Award Winners". National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
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