Per amore... per magia...
A musicarello fantasy romance set in a fantastic Middle Ages.
Per amore... per magia... (English: For Love... for Magic...) is a 1967 Italian film that blends romantic comedy, fantasy, and musical numbers. Directed by Duccio Tessari, it falls into the musicarello genre.
Set in a fantastical version of the Middle Ages, the story follows Aladdin, a penniless young man who works as a model in tailor Jo Babà’s atelier. He loves Princess Esmeralda, daughter of the Grand Duke of Forilarì, but the Viscount of Pallerineri also seeks her hand in order to seize the Duchy. Born on a moonless night, Aladdin is one of the few people able to claim a magic lamp hidden beneath a trap door in the witches’ woods. With the help of five loyal friends and the lamp’s genie, he overcomes obstacles including the Viscount, a Maghreb magician, the enchanting Aichesiade, a peculiar penguin, and an interrogation by four wise men. His love for Esmeralda gives him the strength to succeed, ultimately saving his sister Algisa from execution and freeing the genie.
The cast includes Mina as Aichesiade, Gianni Morandi as Aladdin, Sandra Milo as Algisa, Paolo Poli as Jo Babà, Rosemarie Dexter as Esmeralda, Mischa Auer as the Grand Duke, Daniele Vargas as the Viscount, Gianni Musy Glori as the Magrebino, and Harold Bradley as Hassan. The film was distributed in Italy by C.E.I.A.D.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Duccio Tessari
- Screenplay
- Ennio De Concini / Duccio Tessari / Alberto Cavallone / Franco Migliacci
- Story
- Ennio De Concini
- Starring
- Gianni Morandi / Rosemary Dexter / Mina / Rossano Brazzi / Sandra Milo
- Music
- Luis Enriquez Bacalov
- Cinematography
- Alfio Contini
- Editing
- Romano Trina
- Production Companies
- Rizzoli Film / Vides Cinematografica di Franco Cristaldi / Films Ariane
- Distributor
- C.E.I.A.D. (Italy)
- Released
- 1967
- Country
- Italy / France
- Language
- English, Italian
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film follows Aladdin, a penniless boy who works as a model in tailor Jo Babà's atelier. He is in love with Princess Esmeralda, daughter of the Grand Duke of Forilarì, but the Viscount of Pallerineri also seeks her hand to take over the duchy. Aladdin, born on a moonless night, is one of the few who can obtain the magic lamp containing a genie, hidden under a trap door in the witches' woods.
Reader's Guide
Per amore... per magia... represents a specific subgenre of Italian cinema, the musicarello, which combined popular music stars with lighthearted, often fantastical plots. The film features singer Gianni Morandi as Aladdin and Mina as Aichesiade, both major figures in Italian pop music. Its significance lies in its fusion of fairy-tale elements—Aladdin, a genie, a magic lamp—with the musical-comedy format popular in 1960s Italy. The film's legacy is as a period piece reflecting the era's entertainment trends, though it remains a minor work within Duccio Tessari's broader filmography.
Did You Know?
- The film is a musicarello, a genre of Italian musical comedy films popular in the 1960s.
- Gianni Morandi, a famous Italian singer, plays the lead role of Aladdin.
- The plot includes a magic lamp, a genie, and a penguin.
- Aladdin's sister Algisa is played by Sandra Milo.
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