When the dead body of a member of a powerful crime family is found dumped on the outskirts of the city, the police decide to build a case against them and bring them down once and for all…

Pino Tosini’s directorial debut is a a curious mix of social commentary and melodrama set in equal parts both inside and outside of prison. In the free world we follow the misadventures of Consolata, the young naive wife of a criminal who has been locked up for a petty crime. Feeling let down by his family, who she believes are making no effort to get him released, she is seduced by his brothers and duped into accepting expensive gifts for sexual favours. Meanwhile, behind bars, we are exposed to the matter-of-fact lives of various inmates and their individual problems (working conditions, loyalty, prison reform, etc…)

Promotional Brochure

“La banalità dell’intreccio e le manchevolezze della sceneggiatura, rese più evidenti da una regia sciatta ed elementare, fanno di questo film uno spettacolo estremamente modesto.” (‘Segnalazioni Cinematografiche”, vol. 69)

Locandina

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TOSINI’S FILM WILL BE MADE

Funding for Bocche Cucite has been found

A press conference by the director

Following the projection of various excerpts, minus audio, from ‘Bocche Cucite’ the director of the film, Pino Tosini, held a press conference yesterday morning in Tecno-Tele-Cine at 38/A Via Moscova. As we mentioned yesterday on another page of this newspaper, the production company (Lepidi Film) was forced to suspend the shoot, which was taking place in Reggio Emilia. Reason: The sudden cut of financing from the group interested in making the film. A (?) in some exponents of the Communist Party.

Yesterday morning in Milan, where the crew were supposed to resume work, Tosini stressed the point that the impasse has already been overcome. In other words the Communist group preferred to hand over everything it has already provided rather than find themselves implicated in this affair. This includes 30 million (lira) for the footage already shot. The rest of the funding will be put up by the very same director, one of the actors (Ezio Sancrotti: Rovoletti in ‘Bandits in Milan’) and a Swiss producer, Santos Schweigr.

(Thanks to Renato over at the Gentedirispetto forums for posting the original scan)

The Super 8 version released by Universal Cine – Roma contains the uncensored print, including roughly a minute of footage missing from the more widely circulated TV version.

All credit for the restoration of the Super8 telecine to Stefano (telecine), Michael (digital restoration)