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Sunday Heroes

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Sunday Heroes
Film poster
Directed byMario Camerini
Written byFranco Brusati
Ennio De Concini
Mario Camerini
Lionello De Felice
Dino Risi
Produced byMario Camerini
StarringRaf Vallone
Cosetta Greco
Marcello Mastroianni
CinematographyMario Bava
Edited byAdriana Novelli
Music byAlessandro Cicognini
Production
company
Rizzoli Film
Distributed byCineriz
Release date
  • 30 December 1952 (1952-12-30)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryItaly
LanguageItalian

Sunday Heroes (Italian: Gli eroi della domenica) is a 1952 Italian sports drama film directed by Mario Camerini and starring Raf Vallone, Cosetta Greco and Marcello Mastroianni.[1] [2] It was shot at the Titanus Studios in Rome and on location at the San Siro in Milan. The film's sets were designed by the art director Piero Filippone as well as former Italy national team coach Vittorio Pozzo. It features many players from the A.C. Milan team of the era. Vallone had been a professional footballer before turning to acting.

Synopsis

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A struggling team at the bottom of the Serie A standings travel to play A.C. Milan knowing that a defeat will see them relegated. Staying in a hotel ahead of Sunday's game, the various players experience the city in different ways and the club's regular goalkeeper is injured, requiring his place to be taken by the inexperienced, young Marini. Meanwhile Gino Bardi, the club's star striker, is approached via his girlfriend to deliberately throw the game in exchange for a large sum of money.

Despite her pressure, he refuses, but his performance in the first half is poor and the team are trailing by two goals. The team's fans mistakenly believe that he has indeed been bought off. In the interval the team's doctor informs him that tests done the day before show him to be seriously ill and advises him not to return to the pitch, but Bardi insists on going out for the second half. He spearheads the team's recovery, coming from behind to lead 4-3 before he collapses and has to be stretched off. In the final moments Milan are awarded a penalty but Marini, who has had a bad game, miraculously saves it to win the game.

Bardi, recuperating in hospital, is visited by Mariolina the club's secretary who is much better suited to him than his previous girlfriend.

Cast

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References

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  1. ^ "The Complete Index To World Film: Sunday Heroes". CITWF.com. Retrieved 15 March 2009.
  2. ^ Moliterno p.5

Bibliography

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  • Foot, John. Calcio: A History of Italian Football. Fourth Estate, 2006.
  • Moliterno, Gino. The A to Z of Italian Cinema. Scarecrow Press, 2009.
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