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[Jonny]

There's an interesting interview with Italian actor Mario Merola (NAPOLI... SERENATA CALIBRO 9, FROM CORLEONE TO BROOKLYN, THE NEW GODFATHERS etc) on the main site.

Thanks to Johan for the scans of the interview and DjangoLi for the translation.  :'(

Mario Merola interview - English translation

Mario Merola interview - Original Italian version

[Stephen Grimes]

Superb,thanks to everyone involved for doing such a top job on this

[Mart85]

Yeah nice one fellas. 

[MikeMalloy]

Waaay cool, guys.

I've always wondered: Did Merola start making movies before or after he started putting out records?

[Stephen Grimes]

I've always wondered: Did Merola start making movies before or after he started putting out records?

He was making records first,he then became a huge star thanks to the films he made with Alfonso Brescia in the mid to late 70's.

[MikeMalloy]

...he then became a huge star thanks to the films he made with Alfonso Brescia in the mid to late 70's.

All throughout Italy, or mainly just in Naples? I think someone told me that Merola was a huge star in Naples, but much less so in the rest of the country...

[Michael Blanton]

Thanks to Johan for the scans of the interview and DjangoLi for the translation.  :'(

Nice work guys! 

I just saw my first Mario Merola film about a week ago, NAPOLI... SERENATA CALIBRO 9, and its tone, amusing, reminded me of Terence Hill's and Bud Spencer's films.

I'm gonna have to check out more of 'em. 

[Stephen Grimes]

All throughout Italy, or mainly just in Naples?

Roberto Curti's excellent article says a little about it:
"Onore e guapparia was a remarkable success in the local Neapolitan market, leading producer Ciro Ippolito to write and produce L’ultimo guappo (The Last Gangster, 1978), starring Merola and directed by Alfonso Brescia, a Roman-based director who had just finished shooting no less than five Star Wars rip-offs. L’ultimo guappo became an unexpected hit: made on a shoestring (110 million liras) and destined to regional distribution in Southern Italy, it did well even in Northern cinemas. Merola became a sort of mass phenomenon, starring in seventeen films in the following five years: many of them were directed by Brescia, and all made considerable profits at the box office, even though mainly in the South."

[Rogerio Ferraz]

Fantastic work, guys!!! Many many thanks to all involved!! 

[JJJunkk]

This is fortuitous.  A few nights ago I had a dream about Mario Merola.

He and entourage were eating dinner at a restaurant in the small Canadian town (pop. 40,000) where I grew up.  He was very gracious and said he was acting in regional theatre nearby

I asked him one question in the dream.  Guess what it was:

"What was it like to work with Maurizio Merli?"

[Stephen Grimes]

Classic Merola in his first film SGARRO ALLA CAMORRA from 1974 

**This clip includes spoilers**
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wiK_B80cClk

[Federico]

I warmly suggest everybody to read Mario Merola's autobiography (written by Mario himself and journalist Geo Nocchetti).
I don't think it has been translated in English but it really worths to be read.
It's full of great Mario Merola anedoctes and there's also a bunch of very interesting pictures.


 

[Stephen Grimes]

Been meaning to get the 'NAPOLI..SERENATA CALIBRO 9.STORIA E IMMAGINI DELLA CAMORRA TRA CINEMA,SCENEGGIATA E NEOMELODICI' book for ages,any idea if this is worth buying Federico?
LINK

[Federico]

Been meaning to get the 'NAPOLI..SERENATA CALIBRO 9.STORIA E IMMAGINI DELLA CAMORRA TRA CINEMA,SCENEGGIATA E NEOMELODICI' book for ages,any idea if this is worth buying Federico?
LINK

I'm sorry but I didn't read that book...

By the way, a friend recently suggested me to read this book which is a pretty interesting essay about the "guappi" in history, art and folklore. It's very informative.

[Stephen Grimes]

Thanks for the recomendation Federico,hopefully Nocturno will decide to do a dossier on this genre sometime in the future as well.