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Alfredo Mayo - The teacher and the miracle Original titles : El maestro/Il maestro |
 Programme 1957 Other titles : Le destin d'un enfant/Le rendez-vous de Gabriel |
| Director : Aldo Fabrizzi Assistants: Eduardo Manzanos Brochero & Luis María Delgado Declared as national interest film in Spain (1957) Mediterranan Award 1957 Venice Film Festival Best original argument by the Club of the Spanish story-board writters/CEC-España (1958) Argumentary: Luis Lucas, José Gallardo From the short novel "Dabar" by Luis Lucas Story board : Luis Lucas, José Gallardo, Aldo Fabrizi Collaboration: Mario Amendola Photography: Antonio Macasoli, Manuel Merino Cameramen: Ricardo Andreu, Ángel Ampuero,Victoriano Gómez Making up: Fernando Florido - Mariano García Script: Vanda Tussi y M. Teresa Garrido Stage manager: Antonio Ibañez Sound: Antonio Alonso - Jaime Torrens - R. Armada, E.Bueno Vestuary : Cornejo - Accessoires: Vázquez Music: Isidro B. Maiztegui, Carlo Innocenzi, Musical direction: Alberto Paoletti Fitting: Antonietta Zita - Adjointe: Blanca Rodríguez Spanish adaptation: Pedro del Rey Director of production: Armando Franci Assistant : Pedro Escuder Setting: Antonio T. de la Fuente - Aide décorateur: Horario Rodríguez Fixed photographies: Claudio Grau Assistant of direction: Sergio Leone Chief of production: José María Rodríguez - Assistant: Jose Pernas Producers : Unión Films (Spain) - Gladiator Films (Italy) Studios: Sevilla Films - Laboratoires : Cinefoto (Barcelone) Original duration : 82 minutes For all publics
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Casting Aldo Fabrizzi, Alfredo Mayo, Mary Lamar, Felix Fernández, Julio San Juan, José Calvo, Mercedes Barranco, Julia Caba Alba. And the children:
Marco
Paoletti (Gabriel), Edoardo Nevola (Antonio), Jesús
María Martell,
Fidel Martín, José Rodríguez Chicano,
Luis Miguel Falcon, Miguel Ochi,
Alejandro Rivas, Giovanio Ouzonoff, José de la Iglesia,
Arturo del
Pino, Jesús Municio, José Francisco
Martín, Luis Fernández Fernández. |
French DVD |
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We are in the middle of the
XXth century in a little town of Galicia (North West of Spain) , John Merino, a widower teacher, takes the
train to Madrid with Anthony, his young son who is 8 years old. John hopes
to open an art school and awaits the letter of permission from
the Ministry of Education. But for the moment he has to teach
in Saint Mary School in Madrid. Some days before the
beginning of the
classes, he sees the principal (Alfredo Mayo) and
Louise Fernández (Mary Lamar), other teacher. But John Merino
shows very quickly his pedagogical talents.
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 The principal (Alfredo Mayo) and his teachers are discovering the new methods of teaching used by John |
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| The father and his son get friends quickly. John is invited for the party because of the motive of a baptism (Saint Mary School hall porter's grandson). During this party he is very happy and dances with Louise. On the same day a letter from the Ministry arrives. Well aware of his father's eagerness, Anthony rushes to the party. In his excitement he dashes across the street and is killed by a truck. |
 John
wants to quit his job
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| John
is desperate and he wants to quit his job. The principal doesn't
accept it. But a new pupil arrives in the classroom and takes the place
of Anthony. This boy whose name is Gabriel thanks to his behaviour, his
questions, his great faith in God and the Virgin (Sequence in a church
of Madrid), his confidence in the
future, take out John from his desperation. |
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| But in fact John Merino was sleeping, his head on the desk of his classroom. On the morning his pupils discover him. John understands he has been dreaming. And with his pupils, if he doesn't forget his pain, he knows he has to continue to teach and send on academic, humanistic, social and catholic values. |
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Remarks
Co production Hispano -
Italian filmed in Spain, "The
teacher and the miracle"
(1957) is co directed by the very famous Italian actor, storyboard
writer and director Aldo Fabrizi (1905 -1990). It is the 9th and the
last film directed by Fabrizi, the unforgettable don Pietro Pellegrini
in "Roma, città aperta" (1945) by Roberto Rossellini.1.- The film This film has been declared as national interest in Spain in 1957, nominated for the Golden Lion in Venice, and received the First Mediterranean Award in film festival in Venice (1957) Of course it is a didactical and moralizing work, a very conventional kind of films in this period, but maybe now entirely has-been after the waves of contestation of the sixties and seventies. And however it remains necessary insisting about the importance of school and essential mission of teachers in the learning of work and liability. 2.-The actors:
This film maybe hasn’t the same emotional intensity than other films with or with and directed Aldo Fabrizi. But his playing is always exceptional. He seems to be very involved in the realisation of “the teacher and the miracle” but it is obvious a co production is not ideal and we can’t discover Fabrizi with his own voice. The main roles of the children are played by two Italian boys, Edoardo Nevola (credited as Eduardo in the Spanish version) and Marco Paoletti. Very good actors, they will not have in spite of this, a very important career. Edoardo (born in 1948) was Sandro Marcocci in "Il Ferroviere/ The railroad man" by & with Pietro Germi, awarded by the Cannes Festival in 1956. The young actor will be in eleven films between 1956 and 1963. When he will be adult, he will work in some series for the Italian TV, the last one in 1996, "Caro maestro", with a role of the Father Andrea. Marco Paoletti (born in 1949), the very beautiful fair headed boy Gabriel, has begun his career with “the teacher and the miracle”. He will play only in five films (between 1957 and 1964). He will be in particular the young hero, the famous Lazarillo, in the homonymous film adapted from the Spanish picaresque novel (XVI Th century) by César Fernández Ardavín (Golden bear in Berlin festival in1960), with Carlos Casaravilla playing the blind man. All the other actors are Spaniards. And we see in particular Mary Lamar, the Spanish specialist actress of “the bad woman” in a lot of films of the forties and fifties in Spain. Of course, we always appreciate our favourite actor, Alfredo Mayo, who is always elegant. We see him as the principal of the college and he shows us a new facet of his talent when he is with the children and testifies to them tenderness and consideration. On the other hand, the DVD in a digital version (2002), even in Spanish, seems not to have left his original voice to Alfredo Mayo. It’s a pity ! 3.-Conclusion
« The teacher and the miracle » (1957) by and with Aldo Fabrizi, is a very nice film which permits us to see again or to discover Spain and Spanish school in the fifties. And without being nostalgic, what a beautiful thing seemed to be the school in this period! |
 Digital version 2002 DVD collection the Golden century of the Spanish cinema by Video Mercury Films S.A. |
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| File written the : 2sd september 2008 – Last version the: 5th september 2008 |
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