Ginger and Fred (Italian: Ginger e Fred) is a 1986 comedy-drama film written and directed by Federico Fellini and starring Marcello Mastroianni and Giulietta Masina.[2]

Ginger and Fred
Italian theatrical release poster
ItalianGinger e Fred
Directed byFederico Fellini
Screenplay byFederico Fellini
Tonino Guerra
Tullio Pinelli
Story byFederico Fellini
Tonino Guerra
Produced byAlberto Grimaldi
Heinz Bibo
Starring
CinematographyTonino Delli Colli
Ennio Guarnieri
Edited byRuggero Mastroianni
Music byNicola Piovani
Irving Berlin
Jerome Kern
Lorenz Hart
Production
companies
Distributed by
  • Istituto Luce-Italnoleggio Cinematografico (Italy)
  • Acteurs Auteurs Associés (France)
  • Tobis (West Germany)
Release dates
  • 13 January 1986 (1986-01-13) (Paris)
  • 22 January 1986 (1986-01-22) (France and Italy)
  • 20 February 1986 (1986-02-20) (West Germany)
Running time
125 minutes
CountriesItaly
France
West Germany
LanguagesItalian
English
Box office$837,623[1]

The title is a reference to the American dancing couple Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The two leads portray Italian impersonators of Astaire and Rogers who reunite after thirty years of retirement for a vulgar and bizarre television extravaganza.

The film was the subject of a trademark claim in the United States by Ginger Rogers, who claimed in Rogers v. Grimaldi that the film violated her Lanham Act trademark rights, right of publicity, and was a "false light" defamation.[3] The Second Circuit rejected this claim, finding that "suppressing an artistically relevant though ambiguous[ly] title[d] film" on trademark grounds would "unduly restrict expression."[4]

Plot

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Amelia and Pippo were once together famous as dancers, imitating Ginger Rogers' and Fred Astaire's dance routines. Thirty years after they've retired, they team up one more time for a live TV show. Although this reunion is overshadowed by Pippo's lack of stamina, their performance is well-received and revives their popularity for another day.

Cast

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Release

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The film opened the 36th Berlin Film Festival on 14 February 1986.[5]

Reception

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Critical response

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Ginger and Fred has an approval rating of 77% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 13 reviews, and an average rating of 7/10.[6]

Awards and nominations

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Ginger and Fred was nominated for best foreign film awards in 1986 by the U.S. National Board of Review of Motion Pictures,[7] as well as the 1987 Golden Globes and BAFTA. Masina received a David di Donatello for Best Actress award for her role (1986).

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Ginger & Fred".
  2. ^ "NY Times: Ginger and Fred". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-12-23. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
  3. ^ Rogers v. Grimaldi, 875 F.2d 994 (2d Cir. 1989).
  4. ^ Rogers v. Grimaldi, 875 F.2d 994, at 1001.
  5. ^ Sutherland, Alex (6 January 1986). "Fellini's Ginger And Fred to open Berlin Film Festival". Screen International. p. 1.
  6. ^ "Ginger and Fred | Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes.
  7. ^ "1986 Award Winners". National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
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