Films about Mussolini

[J. Duncan]

Of recent releases, a clip from the film "Vincere" (the "official trailer"). The movie is about Mussolini's relationship with one of his mistresses, Ida Dalser. Dalser was a hairdresser who owned a salon and financially supported the young , struggling Mussolini during his Socialist years. She gave him shelter, money, and sex. It is a chapter of Mussolini's life which is is often overlooked in many biographies. Rumours always persisted that they had a son together (Benito jr.) and that they got married. He repaid her by violent scorn, rejection, and banishment. She died insane and the son (of limited mental capacity) died in an asylum as well. Amazing story. I have not yet viewed the film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeaRJxJcp7E

[J. Duncan]

From the 1985 television miniseries "Mussolini: The Untold Story" starring George C. Scott as Il Duce

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLOlJ6LGhag

[J. Duncan]

Film trailer "Mussolini and I". Bob Hoskins as Mussolini, Susan Sarandon as Edda, and a very good Anthony Hopkins as Count Galeazzo Ciano.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h8TpNPitAI

[J. Duncan]

This film clip is from the movie "Lion of the Desert", an Italian-Libyan co-production. This film stars Rod Steiger as Mussolini and Anthony Quinn as the Islamist rebel Omar Muhktar. The film concerns the Italian colonial period in Libya and was made under the supervision of dictator Muammar Quadafi. The battle scenes were quite good. First clip shows part 1 in the arabic version, clip 2 is the English language version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE63_kgG ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-nR17o5 ... re=related

[J. Duncan]

Rod Steiger in the same role in the film "Last Days of Mussolini". This clip is from the italian version but the film was dubbed in English (could not find a clip from this version). The clip shows the meeting with Roman Cardinal Shuster (played by Henry Fonda). Concerned with his personal safety and survival, Mussolini is seeking asylum in the Vatican.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL0xnflZi4s

[Clemence]

Does anyone know something more about the question a female foreign reporter asked the Duce in the mini-series ''Mussolini The Untold Story''? It was something about the anexation of the Dodecanese in 1922 but I can find nothing on this!

[J. Duncan]

The scene was given "poetic license" as they say in Hollywood (a euphemism for telling lies). That particular scene had nothing to do with historical truth. It was used to illustrate Mussolini's brutality towards women...he addresses her as "Ms. Thompson" (which is a reference to an actual reporter named Dorothy Thompson, who interviewed Hitler and wrote a book "I Saw Hitler" in which she gives vent to her hatred for the man - she was also married to alcoholic writer Sinclair Lewis). Mussolini violently rapes her in the scene, an event which never took place - at least not with Thompson. The dialogic conversation about certain annexations that most viewers would be totally unawares may simply be more "poetic license". If you are not finding anything on it, that's probably why.

[Clemence]

Thank you! I had no idea the Duce was famous for being brutal to women, as for the conversation, I was so impressed because I'm native and living in the island of Rhodes! But I believe there's nothing true about that hole scene as well.