The Magic World
of Topo Gigio
(aka LE AVVENTURE DI TOPO GIGIO, THE ITALIAN MOUSE, THE WORLD OF TOPO GIGIO)
With: Ermanno Roveri, Ignazio Colnaghi, Carlo Delfini
Voices: Peppino Mazzulo, Armando Benetti, Federica Milani
English-Language Version:
Plot Outline (courtesy Kevin S. Butler): Topo Gigio, a little mouse, and his two pals, Rosie the mouse and a whiny worm, take off in Topo's new rocketship. They land not on the moon, as they had intended, but at a local carnival, where they perform a comic opera for a struggling puppeteer.
The show is a hit and Topo becomes a hero to the kids who frequent the carnival, and to the kindly puppeteer. But an evil and jealous magician kidnaps Rosie and the worm, and holds them prisoner inside his horrible magic show.
Topo is helpless to save his friends from the evil illusionist until a little girl and her friends attend one of the magician's magic shows and totally disrupt it. This gives Topo the chance to save his lady love and his good friend.
The Magician apologizes for the trouble that he had caused for Topo and his friends. He joins forces with the old puppeteer and they work with the two mice puppets and the worm to create a successful magic and puppet show.
***
Everybody’s favorite rodent puppet made the jump from the Ed Sullivan Show to the Big Screen with this rarely-seen science fiction adventure, in which the Italian Mouse takes a trip to the moon. Not to worry, though; forty years later Topo Gigio is still a beloved cultural icon, with toys and TV shows and videos abounding, both here and abroad. But we still can’t find his original adventure!
Video/DVD availability: VHS, DVD (unavailable)
(1961, Italy) color 75 minutes
Cinecidi / Jolly Film
Screenplay: Federico Caldura, Mario Faustinelli, Maria Perego, Guido Stagnaro
Music: Rinaldo Rossi, Armando Trovajoli
Cinematography: Giorgio Battilana
Directed by Federico Caldura
(1965) Columbia Pictures / Sullivan Enterprises
Directed by Luca Di Rico
