MAGICAL CITY


View at Tainiothiki tis Ellados
  • Autre(s) titre(s): MAGIC CITY
  • Genre: Feature Film
  • Année: 1954
  • Description: A working-class neighborhood in Piraeus is the setting for the story of a hard-working young man (Giorgos Fountas) who finds himself entangled in illegal dealings with a fraudster (Stefanos Stratigos). With help from his neighbors, the young man comes out of his adventure unscathed and wins the heart of the girl he loves (Margarita Papageorgiou).
    1. OPENING TITLES )
    10. THE TWO FACETS OF KOSMAS’ S HONESTY AND INTEGRITY: HIS REFUSAL TO COLLABORATE WITH THE GANG, AT THE COST OF LOSING HIS TRUCK AND HIS REFUSAL TO BETRAY HIS FEELINGS FOR PSIPSINA FOR A RICH LIFE WITH HIS LOVER, THE WEALTHY WIDOW Morning. Kosmas has taken the truck to the garage. Thanasis comes and tells him that he needs the car for that night. Kosmas does not agree. He states emphatically that he has given up on this stuff and that he feels better now. Thanasis informs him that the boss paid the debt and he can take it whenever he wants to. Although Kosmas is not persuaded: «Let him take it. I am not giving it for drugs». It is noon in the poor neighbourhood and the seaman’s wife, clad in black, returns holding parcels. The women of the neighbourhood make comments, saying that the deceased left her a lot of money. As she opens her house door, the seaman’s widow sees Kosmas waiting for her. He has disappeared for three days and has just found out about her husband’s death. The widow speaks ironically of Psipsina and shows him the money that her dead husband left her, in dollars. The length of her mourning depends on Kosmas. She proposes to him to leave the neighborhood with the muddy waters. He bypasses her imperiously, ignoring her offer. (GARAGE - NEIGHBORHOOD – LELA’S HOUSE )
    11. KOSMAS CONFESSES TO PSIPSINA HIS MIX UP AS WELL AS HIS LOVE. HE PROMISES HER A REPUTABLE FUTURE. Night. Kosmas parks the truck and goes to Psipsina’s house. She tells him that she was waiting for him. He whistles and she comes out on the little yard. She tells him that she was waiting for him. Kosmas tells her about his mix up and his attempt to break away. Although they may take his car on one of the following days, he doesn’t care. The two of them may take start together, with their work, an honest and honorable life. Psipsina seems touched by this unexpected conversation. They hug tenderly. (OUTSIDE PSIPSINA’S HOUSE – COURTYARD OF PSIPSINA’S HOUSE)
    12. THE PROCESS SERVER ARRIVES FOR THE SEIZURE OF THE TRUCK, BUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S AND THANASIS’S INTERVENTION KEEP HIM OFF On the following morning. A strange mobility on the neighborhood’s streets. Argyris jokes with Kosmas, who lies on the earth and fixes his truck. Psipsina, seated next to the driver’s seat, seems to dream of the life that lies ahead of them. The news that they will take Kosmas’s car circulates in the neighborhood. The narrow streets are filled with people. A bold process-server arrives, followed by a team of moppets. He pulls some documents out of his bag and announces the seizure of Kosmas Betsos’ car, according to a decision of the Court of the First Instance. The chorus of the neighbourhood men has encircled the process server. They object to the unfair decision. The process-server leaves, terrified. The people οf the neighborhood have formed a protective cycle around the car and Kosmas’ family. Everyone waits. The process-server returns accompanied by policemen as well as by the boss, who is ready to take the truck from Kosmas, without setting any deadline for the installments. Kosmas comes off the cycle and goes to the seaman’s widow who watches the scene from a distant spot. He asks her for help. She sets him the same dilemma again: “her or Psipsina?” Kosmas turns his back. Suddenly Thanasis appears. Decisively, he stops the process, accusing the boss as a smuggler and drug dealer. Upon hearing Thanasis’ words, the boss hides in the crowd, backing off. Then he takes off. Argyris runs after him. Some of the neighborhood men and youths follow angrily. (NEIGBORHOOD STREETS)
    13. THE SOLUTION: THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORTS KOSMAS, CHASING ΤHE BOSS AND BUYING OFF COLLECTIVELY THE TRUCK FOR KOSMAS’ SAKE. KOSMAS AND PSIPSINA ANNOUNCE THEIR WEDDING The chase of the rogue continues on the streets of the slum. The number of his persecutors increases. The chase continues in a deserted industrial building, a scrap heap and a worksite. The criminal enters a giant pipe. No way out. He comes out by himself, terrified at the prospect of being lynched. A policeman goes to arrest him. All together take the criminal to the place of the seizure. The process server insists that he has to sign in order to finish the seizure. As the criminal prepares to sign, an elderly man of the neighbourhood stands out, takes out money from his wallet and says: “It is a shame for them to take the car. Kosmas will work and will pay us back”. Suddenly, all the people of the neighborhood are looking for money. All the working people contribute, in order to save the car. Psipsina sheds some tears. Argyris goes to Thanasis who hides behind a wash hanging out to dry. He asks him to contribute, too, and he agrees. Among the people of the neighborhood who heed to help them out, Kosmas and Psipsina do not hide their happiness. Panoramic shot, from top to bottom, of the slum. The narrator’s voice praises the people of labor who find their way in life and live according to social values. (ABANDONED INDUSTRIAL BUILDING – SCRAP HEAP – PIPE – WORKSITE – NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS)
    2. INTRODUCTION TO THE THEME: THE SLUM AND KOSMAS AT HIS YOUNG LOVER’S Shots of characteristic parts of Athens, as it wakes up (central streets, University, statue of Kolokotronis, Old Parliament, tram, National Gardens, etc. ). The narrator (Manos Katrakis) appears on the narrow streets of a poor neighborhood, at the outskirts of the city, towards the sea, by the great avenue. In this neighborhood with nonexistent town planning, where the difference between personal and collective life is hard to understand, the stories and dreams of the people are as squeezed as the small houses. Kosmas Betsos (Giorgos Fountas), an inhabitant of the neighborhood, owner of an old truck that he hasn’t paid up, wakes up in a house of the neighborhood: it is the house of the young and flirtatious wife of a seaman, who is away, traveling. Kosmas is getting dressed, cursing fate that led him to this neighborhood with the dirty waters. He leaves hastily, indifferent to the girl’s request to stay for coffee. The girl, alone in the room, plays a foreign song on the old gramophone. (STREETS OF ATHENS – UNIVERSITY – STATUE OF KOLOKOTRONIS – OLD PARLIAMENT – NATIONAL GARDENS LELA’S HOUSE)
    3. KOSMAS’ WORK AND HIS FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS Crossing the streets of the neighborhood, Kosmas arrives at his house. His mother and young sister are already up. He asks his mother to make coffee, while she scolds him for sleeping out at the house of the "tart". As for the money he needs in order to pay out the truck, it cannot be gathered. His aunt asked to mortgage their only piece of property, their poor little house. Kosmas leaves very upset, without drinking a sip of his coffee. An old truck is parked before his house. Kosmas starts the car and goes to the outskirts of the neighborhood. Two young men, the industrious Argyris (Antreas Ntouzos) and the lazyish Thanasis (Thanasis Vengos) hop on the carrier. Τhe truck takes off, while a girl, Psipsina (Margarita Papageorgiou), looks tenderly at Kosmas from her window. In the vegetable market (Lemonadika) of Piraeus, they load the truck with produce. Thanasis, lounging, states that he is sick and tired of this job, and speaks ironically to Argyris who seems tireless. Kosmas counts the money they earned, giving each guy his share. «Another thirty years and I will have paid it out». Αlthough money is hard to earn, they decide to spend the night at the «lights», the «games». (NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS – KOSMAS’S HOUSE – OUTSIDE KOSMAS’ S HOUSE – PIRAEUS VEGETABLE MARKET)
    4. KOSMAS AND HIS FRIENDS GO OUT AND MEET OUTLAWS The city in the dark. Lights and neon advertisements: «MAGIC CITY”». Criers and street vendors advertise their goods. Lights, games and popular spectacles, a feast for adults. The three young men stand out in the crowd. Thanasis seems to be looking for something. They go shooting. As Kosmas and Argyris try their luck at shooting, Thanasis asks tactfully the young employee whether the guys have showed up. They need the job. They keep strolling, but Thanasis is uneasy as he looks around. Three well-dressed men appear. One of them, who seems to be the leader of the team (Stefanos Stratigos) exchanges glances with the girl at the shooting gallery. He plays an American song at the juke box and shows the three young men to his friends. Thanasis says that they need the “job”. The second well-dressed man has certain reservations for the collaboration, while the third (Mimis Fotopoulos), who wears his coat thrown over his shoulder, proposes to leave the wretches alone. The three «well-dressed» men approach the three «wretches». Thanasis makes the introductions as he examines their expensive clothes in awe. The «boss» pays for all and proposes to go someplace else, in order to be able to talk. They end up in a night club, with half-naked exotic dancers. The six men sit at a table close to the πίστα. The well-dressed men place an order, seeming familiar with the place. On the occasion of the bulk cigarettes that the three poor men smoke, the boss starts a conversation about work: it is an hour’s work at the beach and there is money for everyone. Kosmas, pondering, asks for time to think about it. (A FEAST IN THE CITY – NIGHTCLUB – EXOTIC DANCERS)
    5. THE LOVE AFFAIR OF KOSMAS AND PSIPSINA Saturday morning at the neighborhood. The children are gathered around the barell-organ, the gypsies with monkeys wander in the neighborhood, the girls collect the washed clothes, the housewives clean before the small “common” yards. Psipsina watches Kosmas, runs and stumbles on him. She has grown considerably. From now on, he will be calling her “Miss Maria”. On the following day, a Sunday, he is to take her for a ride early in the morning. Kosmas waits for Psipsina in the truck. Crossing the streets with the hanging clothes, the dirty waters and the mud, they come on the main avenue. They head to the sea. Psipsina tells him that she works as a seamstress. The truck gasps as it goes up a steep ascent. «Don’t judge by its looks. Its engine is new». They arrive at Kastella. The sea opens before their eyes. Psipsina, enthusiastically says that this is the first time she looks at the sea from high up. Kosmas tells her that she has beautiful eyes. This is again the first time she hears it. Anyway, at the "pit" where she lives with her aunt, who is to tell her so? (THE HILL OF KASTELLA – MAIN SEASIDE AVENUE IN PIRAEUS – STREETS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD)
    6. THE NEWS FOR THE SEIZURE OF THE TRUCK LEADS KOSMAS TO COLLABORATE WITH THE UNDERWORLD Evening. Kosmas, at the lamplight, finishes off his dinner. His mother seems to be waiting for this moment. Before his young sister, who watches the scene silently, she brings the document announcing the seizure of the truck. Kosmas starts yelling and leaves the house. The mother, who «didn’t want to mortgage their little house», embraces her daughter. Kosmas goes on the dark and deserted neighborhood streets. Night. Cheap hotel room. On the radio plays a jazz tune. The girl of the shooting gallery lies on a bed, six men surround her. The boss who gets ready before the mirror and his two assistants try to talk about the job reassuringly. It seems so easy. A simple drive by the sea. Everything is taken care of in the smallest detail. As for the money, they wouldn’t be able to make so much money in six months. Kosmas seems to hesitate, although his need for money is pressing. Argyris remains silent and Thanasis examines the girls on the photographs hanging on the walls. «Zero danger, lots of money». (KOSMAS’ S HOUSE – CHEAP HOTEL ROOM – NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS)
    7. THE FIRST ILLEGAL PROJECT SUCCEEDS. KOSMAS CELEBRATES AT HIS LOVER’S HOUSE It is late at night at the shipyards of Perama. The truck approaches the sea and stops by the caiques. While the three well-dressed men watch, the three working youths board the boat that brought the “captain”. They sail to the caique that brought the “stuff”. On the shore, the captain meets the boss of the gang. He tells him about the merchandise (lipstick, powder etc), takes the money and sets a new appointment for the following Wednesday. The boss explains that the guys are novices, it is better not to know much. The three young men are done loading. Kosmas closes the carrier. The boss awaits him at the corner. Back in the hotel room, the odalisk fixes her stockings. The boss gives Kosmas the money, explaining that if they waited for the stuff to be sold they would make more. Kosmas distributes the money to his two comrades. He asks the boss, who now lies in bed, for a lipstick. The three young men greet and leave. The odalisk begins to undress and the two aids realize it’s time to leave. The truck arrives at the neighborhood. As they walk in the mud, Thanasis announces that next time he will take his wallet along, while Kosmas realizes that his dream is coming true: to pay off the truck and leave the neighborhood. When Thanasis leaves, Argyris gives Kosmas his share. The truck is saved, for the time being. As he goes to meet the seaman’s wife, Kosmas faces her complains: his mother accused her of destroying him... Kosmas is upset, he breaks the mambo record playing on the gramophone. They lie on the bed. He hands her the lipstick. She says that it’s her favorite color. They kiss passionately. (PERAMA SHIPYARDS – CHEAP HOTEL ROOM – NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS – LELA’S HOUSE)
    8. KOSMAS CONFESSES HIS INTEREST IN PSIPSINA AND DREAMS OF A BETTER FUTURE. THE GANG IS AFTER HIM, TO PREPARE THEIR NEXT DIRTY TRICK Kosmas waits in the truck. Psipsina and other girls walk out of the tailor’s. It is the time they finish work. «I had work to do around here and I passed by.. Come in», says Kosmas. They go to a pastry shop in Piraeus. They order. Kosmas reminds her of the talk they had on their excursion and explains to her how he wants to have someone close to him. As soon as he gets the money he will leave. Seeing the parked truck, the «boss» knocks on the pastry shop window. He comes in uninvited and sits at their table. He tries to talk to Psipsina. Kosmas takes her and leaves. They return to the neighborhood hand in hand. The seaman’s wife watches them rather vexed. At the night club with the exotic dances, “well-dressed” and breadwinners drink together. When Kosmas tries to treat the company, the boss stops him and offends him. The two men quarrel. Thanasis asks a girl to dance, in order to defuse things. Kosmas asks Argyris to go out. They agree that something is wrong in this business. Exhaustion and neat work do not burden their conscience. They sleep well, without the fear brought about by dirty money. (OUTSIDE THE TAILOR’S – PASTRY SHOP IN PIRAEUS – NIGHT CLUB – OUTSIDE THE NIGHT CLUB)
    9. IN THE COURSE OF THE SECOND ILLEGAL OUTING, THE POLICE APPEARS. THE LEADER OF THE GANG BELIEVES THAT KOSMAS TOLD THEM IN AND WANTS TO TAKE REVENGE Midday at the Perama shipyards. The two assistants who are on the look out, try to inform the boss that someone told them in. Kosmas unwittingly overhears the captain talking to the boss about drugs. He refuses to load. Thanasis, unsuspected, tries to change his mind. At the sight of the men of the Harbor Guard, the look-outs signal. Everyone tries to escape. The three working youths run to the parked truck, leaving the stuff on the shore. The boss tries to escape, running in the shipyards. The two assistants try to escape like «gentlemen»: «Don’t tell God”, one of them says as they take a different path back. The three well-dressed men wait in the hotel room. The leader is up the wall, he insists that Kosmas told them in. One of the assistants seems to disagree, the other states with certainty that the captain will keep his mouth shut. The boss, mad at Kosmas, asks for revenge in any way. (PERAMA SHIPYARDS – CHEAP HOTEL ROOM)
  • Mots-clés: IMediaCities / ΣΥΝΕΡΓΕΙΟ ΣΚΟΠΟΒΟΛΗ ΓΡΑΜΜΟΦΩΝΟ ΛΑΤΕΡΝΑ ΠΕΙΡΑΙΑΣ ΑΘΗΝΑ ΚΑΡΝΑΓΙΟ ΦΟΡΤΗΓΟ ΕΜΠΟΡΙΟ ΝΑΡΚΩΤΙΚΩΝ ΦΤΩΧΟΓΕΙΤΟΝΙΑ / GARAGE SHOOTING GRAMOPHONE HAND-ORGAN PIRAEUS ATHENS SHIPYARD TRUCK DRUD TRAFFICKING SLUMS / ΣΥΝΕΡΓΕΙΟ ΣΚΟΠΟΒΟΛΗ ΓΡΑΜΜΟΦΩΝΟ ΛΑΤΕΡΝΑ ΠΕΙΡΑΙΑΣ ΑΘΗΝΑ ΚΑΡΝΑΓΙΟ ΦΟΡΤΗΓΟ ΕΜΠΟΡΙΟ ΝΑΡΚΩΤΙΚΩΝ ΦΤΩΧΟΓΕΙΤΟΝΙΑ / GARAGE SHOOTING GRAMOPHONE HAND-ORGAN PIRAEUS ATHENS SHIPYARD TRUCK DRUD TRAFFICKING SLUMS
  • Fournisseur: Tainiothiki tis Ellados
  • Droits: In Copyright
  • Société de production: ATHENS FILM COMPANY
  • Director: KOUNDOUROS NIKOS
  • Recueil: Ψηφιοποιημένες ελληνικές ταινίες μυθοπλασίας