While working for an insurance company, Piantadino, a shy man, is selected by sly characters to insure some things that they will later make disappear. Though Piantadino lacks courage, he nonetheless uncovers the fraudulent activity, making a positive impression on his fiancée's father.[6]
Piantadino was a classic comic strip character created by one of Argentina's most notable comics artists and humorists, Adolfo Mazzone.[5]
Piantadino was Mazzone's best known character.[7]
The name Piantadino is a diminutive of "Piantado", which means mentally disturbed person, half-mad or, a person who escapes, whether that be physically or just from a situation.[8]
First appearing in the newspaper El Mundo in 1941, Piantadino, the daily comic strip, followed the adventures of a convict who behaved in jail as if he were on a pension. With the characters Afanancio and Barili, the three formed a sympathetic trio of scoundrels.[8] The character subsequently appeared in Guillermo Divito's magazine Rico Tipo.[7]
Piantadino was adapted for cinema in 1950.[9]
In the 1970s and 1980s, the comic strip was re-published as a comic magazine.[10]
Film production
Piantadino was made into a film by Emelco-Cinematográfica Interamericana.
The script was written by Carlos A. Petit and Rodolfo Sciamarella, and the film was directed by Francisco Mugica.[11][12]
It was filmed in black-and-white.[6]
The elusive convict was played by Pepe Iglesias, known for his title role in El Zorro pierde el pelo.[11]
Other stars were Norma Giménez, Juan José Porta[13] and Rodolfo Onetto.[12]
Carlos Fioriti played Afanancio and Rafael Diserio played Batilio.
The film premiered at the Ocean cinema on March 24, 1950.[11]