Rosolino Paternò, soldato... (also known as Operation Snafu and Situation Normal: A.F.U.) is a 1970 Italian comedy film. The film stars Martin Landau, Jason Robards, and Peter Falk. In the title role is Nino Manfredi.
Plot Sicily, 1943, before the Allied assault in July. A pair of American commandos parachute inside the island for a secret mission. They are asked to check on the German weapons and positions before the assault. Along the way, they meet a wounded Italian prisoner of war. He agrees to help them complete their mission, provided there are no bumps in the road and no Germans thrown in.
Cast Nino Manfredi as Rosolino Paternò Jason Robards as Sam Armstrong Martin Landau as Joe Mellone Peter Falk as Peter Pawney Scott Hylands as Reginald Wollington Milena Vukotic as Rosolino's wife Frank Latimore as the American Lieutenant Anthony Dawson as the Italian General Slim Pickens as General Maxwell Lorenza Guerrieri as Vincenzina Puglisi Renzo Marignano Mario Maranzana Orso Maria Guerrini
Production The project was first mooted several years earlier, with Arthur Hiller initially appointed as director. Its working title was La guerra è l’anima del commercio ('War is the lifeblood of trade'). The film was filmed in Licata and Agrigento; it was shot entirely in English, which proved particularly difficult for lead actor Nino Manfredi, who had very limited English-language skills. The English-language version took its title from the American anacronym during the war used for situational conditions before any sanctioned mission by the military: SNAFU, meaning Situation Normal, All Fucked Up.
Reception The film was panned by critics but was a major success at the Italian box office, grossing about 1.5 billion lire.
References
External links