Spoiler
While watching this film I was struck by the fanciful idea that this is really about health care in Italy in the late 1950s. Here we see Mario Lanza raising money for a deaf girl's operation by performing in a stunning series of operas. I suppose a lucky patient would have to be an attractive, virginal girl like the one in this film. Then I recalled that Mario was often called upon in real life to raise money for charities in this way. I began to think this must have been how health care evolved in Italy. With Mario's untimely death- some claim by the Mafia because illness caused him to miss a concert he had promised to give-some other system had to replace him.
The film itself is an excellent opportunity to witness Mario's rapturous tenor in a variety of roles -Canio,Radames,Otelo among others. The locations are gloriously picturesque. The copy I saw was actually dubbed in German which made it more interesting.
While watching this film I was struck by the fanciful idea that this is really about health care in Italy in the late 1950s. Here we see Mario Lanza raising money for a deaf girl's operation by performing in a stunning series of operas. I suppose a lucky patient would have to be an attractive, virginal girl like the one in this film. Then I recalled that Mario was often called upon in real life to raise money for charities in this way. I began to think this must have been how health care evolved in Italy. With Mario's untimely death- some claim by the Mafia because illness caused him to miss a concert he had promised to give-some other system had to replace him.
The film itself is an excellent opportunity to witness Mario's rapturous tenor in a variety of roles -Canio,Radames,Otelo among others. The locations are gloriously picturesque. The copy I saw was actually dubbed in German which made it more interesting.