Banana Joe (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Banana Joe |
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Theatrical release poster by Renato Casaro
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| Directed by | Stefano Vanzina |
| Written by | Mario Amendola Bruno Corbucci Bud Spencer Stefano Vanzina |
| Starring | Bud Spencer |
| Music by | Guido De Angelis Maurizio De Angelis |
| Cinematography | Luigi Kuveiller |
| Editing by | Raimondo Crociani |
| Release date(s) | 1982 |
| Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | Italy West Germany |
| Language | English (International version) |
Banana Joe is an exciting 1982 Italian comedy film. It stars the famous actor Bud Spencer. The movie is full of adventure and funny moments.
Contents
What is Banana Joe About?
Meet Banana Joe
The story follows a strong but friendly man named Banana Joe. He lives in a small rainforest village called Amantido. Joe has many children and regularly delivers bananas to a South American river port. This is how he got his unique name!
Trouble in Paradise
One day, some tough guys arrive in Amantido. They work for a local gangster boss named Torsillo. Torsillo wants to build a banana processing factory in Joe's peaceful village. Of course, Joe doesn't like this idea. He quickly sends Torsillo's workers away.
A Trip to the City
Torsillo then discovers that Joe sells bananas without a special permit, called a license. He decides to use this against Joe. The next time Joe delivers bananas, the police stop him. They tell him he must get a license or his boat will be taken away.
Joe has to travel to the nearest big city. This is a completely new experience for him, as he grew up in the rainforest. He doesn't know much about city life. He also struggles with reading and writing. Because of this, he falls for a trick by a clever con man named Manuel. Manuel is very good with words and has even helped the country's President!
New Friends and Old Enemies
Joe eventually meets Dorianne, a talented singer. She works in a bar owned by Torsillo. Joe gets a temporary job there as a bouncer. Torsillo keeps running into Joe, and it never ends well for the gangster. After seeing Joe easily handle five of his strongest guards, Torsillo gets scared. He often jumps out of the nearest window whenever he sees Joe!
Dealing with Rules
To get his license, Joe learns he needs to officially register himself. This means he needs proper records to "exist" legally. But since he has no official papers, it's very difficult. The many rules and tricky parts of the government system don't help him at all.
Joe even has to join the Army! But he makes his drill sergeant so frustrated that he gives up. Joe then leaves the Army without permission. In his impatience, he tries to solve things his own way. This leads him to a difficult situation where he ends up in prison.
Unexpected Help
In prison, Joe meets Manuel again. Joe plans to get back at Manuel for tricking him earlier. But it turns out Manuel is actually a good person. He feels bad for Joe and has used his connections to get Joe the license he needs! Dorianne visits Joe in prison and tells him that Torsillo has used Joe's absence to start building his banana factory.
Saving Amantido
Joe and Manuel quickly escape from prison. They rush back to Amantido. There, Joe easily defeats Torsillo's tough guys and destroys a new casino Torsillo built. Soon after, the police arrive. But they aren't there to arrest Joe! They were looking for Manuel. The special medicine he made for the President worked!
Manuel and Joe are both forgiven for their past actions. They also get a wish granted. Manuel decides to become the Minister of Finance! To make things even better, the police know all about Torsillo's illegal activities. Torsillo and his group are arrested right away. Dorianne decides to stay with Joe in Amantido. She opens a school there, and Joe even becomes one of her students! Joe's life goes back to normal, but with a lot more fun.
Who is in Banana Joe?
- Bud Spencer: Banana Joe
- Marina Langner: Dorianne
- Mario Scarpetta: Manuel
- Gianfranco Barra: Torsillo
- Enzo Garinei: Eng. Moreno
- Gunther Philipp: the Tailor
- Giorgio Bracardi: Sergeant Josè Felipe Maria Martiño
- Nello Pazzafini: Torsillo's truck driver
- Nazzareno Zamperla: Hitman (uncredited)
Making the Movie
- The story for Banana Joe was written by Bud Spencer himself! He used his real name, Carlo Pedersoli.
- Some parts of the movie were filmed in Cartagena, Colombia. Local people from Cartagena even appeared as extras in the film.
See also
- List of Italian films of 1982
