The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1969)

67% of critics liked it
(6 reviews)
90% of users liked it
(420 ratings)

Italo Bombolini (Anthony Quinn) is the mayor of the hillside village of Santa Vittorio. The wine-loving town leader erases a pro-Mussolini slogan when he hears of the fascist being killed and hanged from a meathook. His wife Rosa (Anna Magnani) throws him out of their wine shop when he and his… More Italo Bombolini (Anthony Quinn) is the mayor of the hillside village of Santa Vittorio. The wine-loving town leader erases a pro-Mussolini slogan when he hears of the fascist being killed and hanged from a meathook. His wife Rosa (Anna Magnani) throws him out of their wine shop when he and his friends celebrate and he gives away too much wine. When he hears the retreating Nazi Army will soon be in town, hundreds of villagers turn out to hide the wine in an old Roman cave. The people work day and night, hiding 1 million bottles just before the Nazis enter the town. SS officers threaten death to anyone who withholds the wine. Italo presents a single bottle to the irate general (Hardy Kruger), as the hapless Germans are powerless to force the villagers to produce the coveted bottles. Not even a pistol to the head of their beloved mayor is effective as the town stands by, watching in complete silence. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 2 hr. 20 min.
Directed By: Stanley Kramer
Written By: William Rose, Ben Maddow
Genres: Drama, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Oct 29, 1969 Wide
On DVD: May 13, 2008
Studio: United Artists

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff, Variety
Carrying charm, suspense, romance, the production offers Anthony Quinn at his seasoned best, a plot and unfoldment that holds the spectator.
Vincent Canby, New York Times
There's not one affecting, surprising or spontaneous moment in the picture.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
An amusing WW II story.
Steve Crum, Dispatch-Tribune Newspapers
Quinn, as always, is the highlight in this fine Stanley Kramer production.
, Time Out
Lost without a message to sledgehammer home, Kramer turned to bombastic comedy with this World War II yarn.
, Film4
The sort of film you usually fall asleep in front of on a Sunday afternoon -- later to wish you'd stayed awake for the outcome.

Read all 6 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

No Featured Audience Ratings Found…

Cast

            Anthony Quinn as Italo Bombolini

            Anna Magnani as Rosa Bombolini

            Virna Lisi as Caterina Malatesta

            Hardy Kruger as Sepp Von Prum

            Sergio Franchi as Tufa

            Renato Rascel as Babbaluche

            Giancarlo Giannini as Fabio

            Patrizia Valturri as Angela

            Eduardo Ciannelli as Luigi Lunghetti

            Leopoldo Trieste as Vittorini

            Gigi Ballista as Padre Polenta

            Quinto Parmeggiani as Copa

            Carlo Caprioli as Giovanni Pietrosanto

            Wolfgang Jansen as Sgt. Zopf

            Aldo de Carellis as "Old Vines"

            Marco Tulli as Mazzola

            Peter Kuiper as Sgt. Traub

            Dieter Wilken as Hans

            Karl Otto Alberty as Otto

            Gigi Bonos as Benedetti

            Clelia Matania as Julietta

            Pippo Lauricella as Pulci

            Carlo Capannelle as Capoferro

            Renato Chiantoni as Bracolini

            Pino Ferrara as Dr. Bara

            Curt Lowens as Col. Scheer

            Timothy Donnelly as Pvt. Holtzmann

            Valentina Cortese as Gabriella

            Francesco Mulé as Francocci

            Chris Anders as Corporal Heinsick
See full cast

Now you can share movies with your friends on Facebook!

Discover movies your friends are watching
Keep track of what you want to see
Add your reviews to your Timeline

Get Started