WarDrama

A Bell for Adano

- The great novel of today becomes the great picture of our time !

Major Joppolo and his men are assigned to restore order to the war-torn Italian town of Adano. He has to manage getting supplies into town without interfering with troop movements, all the while dealing with colorful citizens of the town. One of his quests is to replace the bell which orders the town's life.

Release Date : 1945-06-21

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : 20th Century Fox

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles : (John Hersey's A Bell for Adano)

Cast

Character Name : Maj. Victor P. Joppolo

Original Name : John Hodiak

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tina Tomasino

Original Name : Gene Tierney

Gender : Female

Character Name : Sgt. Borth

Original Name : William Bendix

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lt. Crofts Livingstone, USN

Original Name : Glenn Langan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nicolo - Italian POW

Original Name : Richard Conte

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sgt. Trampani

Original Name : Stanley Prager

Gender : Male

Character Name : Capt. N. Purvis

Original Name : Harry Morgan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Giuseppe

Original Name : Monty Banks

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cmdr. Robertson

Original Name : Reed Hadley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Col. W.W. Middleton - Provost Marshal

Original Name : Roy Roberts

Gender : Male

Character Name : Father Pensovecchio

Original Name : Hugo Haas

Gender : Male

Character Name : Zito

Original Name : Marcel Dalio

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gargano - Chief of Police

Original Name : Fortunio Bonanova

Gender : Male

Character Name : Errante - Cart Man

Original Name : Henry Armetta

Gender : Male

Character Name : Carl Erba - Cart Man

Original Name : Roman Bohnen

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cacopardo

Original Name : Luis Alberni

Gender : Male

Character Name : Maj. Nasta

Original Name : Eduardo Ciannelli

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rosa Tomasino

Original Name : Mimi Aguglia

Gender : Female

Character Name : Priest

Original Name : John Bagni

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier

Original Name : Attilio Barbato

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier

Original Name : Ray Barons

Gender : Male

Character Name : Italian Woman

Original Name : Valeria Caravacci

Gender : Male

Character Name : NCO

Original Name : Harry Carter

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier's Wife

Original Name : Helen Ciancaglini

Gender : Male

Character Name : Zapulla

Original Name : Gino Corrado

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier

Original Name : Franco Corsaro

Gender : Male

Character Name : Italian Woman

Original Name : Elvira Curci

Gender : Female

Character Name : Craxi

Original Name : Peter Cusanelli

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rosa

Original Name : Anna Demetrio

Gender : Female

Character Name : Boy Violinist

Original Name : Earl Easton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tomasino - Fisherman

Original Name : William Edmunds

Gender : Male

Character Name : Italian Man

Original Name : Antonio Filauri

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier

Original Name : Russell Hoyt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Military Policeman

Original Name : Eddie Hyans

Gender : Male

Character Name : Basile

Original Name : Frank Jaquet

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier

Original Name : Ted Jordan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Afronti

Original Name : Charles Judels

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier's Wife

Original Name : Shirley Karnes

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier

Original Name : Serge Krizman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mercurio Salvatore

Original Name : Charles La Torre

Gender : Male

Character Name : Photographer

Original Name : Frank Lackteen

Gender : Male

Character Name : Italian Woman

Original Name : Connie Leon

Gender : Female

Character Name : Woman Holding Baby

Original Name : Cecilia Meagher

Gender : Male

Character Name : Capello

Original Name : Chef Milani

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier's Wife

Original Name : Marie Monteil

Gender : Male

Character Name : Emaciated Man

Original Name : Edward Mundy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Italian Woman

Original Name : Rita Nardi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Italian Woman

Original Name : Inez Palange

Gender : Female

Character Name : Soldier

Original Name : Guy Pharis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Boy

Original Name : Nino Pipitone Jr.

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier

Original Name : Mario Pirrone

Gender : Male

Character Name : Woman

Original Name : Eva Puig

Gender : Female

Character Name : Italian Man

Original Name : Rudy Rama

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lt. Col. Sartorius

Original Name : James Rennie

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier

Original Name : Jerry Riggio

Gender : Male

Character Name : Peasant

Original Name : Julian Rivero

Gender : Male

Character Name : Capt. Anderson

Original Name : John Russell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman

Original Name : Hector V. Sarno

Gender : Male

Character Name : Italian Man

Original Name : Alexander Sascha

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pfc. Edward - Algiers Mail Clerk

Original Name : Grady Sutton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Italian Man

Original Name : Nick Thompson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Italian Woman

Original Name : Teresa Tirelli

Gender : Male

Character Name : Italian Woman

Original Name : Minerva Urecal

Gender : Female

Character Name : Francesca Tomasino

Original Name : Yvonne Vautrot

Gender : Male

Character Name : Italian Woman

Original Name : Annina Verrone

Gender : Male

Character Name : Maj. Gen. McKay

Original Name : Minor Watson

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-12-22

When "Maj. Joppolo" (John Hodiak) and his squad arrive in the eponymous Italian town, he finds it's war-weary population apprehensive of yet another conqueror telling the what they can and cannot do. His challenge is made even more difficult when he receives orders that will constrain the movements of the villagers and that means their drinking water and food will become even harder to obtain. The major decides to countermand these commands and gradually starts to build quite robust relationship with the locals who begin to admire his integrity and respect for them and the rule of law. The bell? Well that's been merrily chiming away from their small church for seven hundred years until it was required for the war effort. They want it back! He puts his bloodhounds onto the case, but what chance? Meantime he starts to befriend the charming young "Tina" (Gene Tierney) who is pining for her love who is away fighting in the war. The two start to bond as he also misses his wife back home in the USA - then the two of them get some separate doses of bad news that will impact on both of their futures. Have they still time to sort out a bell, though? Though Hodiak and Tierney take top billing, the real stars for me here were the locals. A motley collection of fast-talking Italians who epitomise a spirit of defiance, mischief and religiosity as they come to terms with this latest version of freedom whilst dealing with some of the consequences of their recent Fascist past. It addresses issues of collaboration, but in quite a friendly fashion that is more about unscrupulous war profiteering and skullduggery and less to do with politics. Everyone had to play the game, and in that it offers us a salutary lesson of the issues and dangers faced by those living day-by-day in wartime Italy; even one that was now ostensibly free. Maybe not the most Italian of names, but Monty Banks has some fun, as does Fortunio Bonanova as the the feather-hatted "Gargano" - their ebullient local policeman. The whole film has a certain feel-good factor that probably offered a cheering tonic in 1945, and I quite enjoyed it.