The Jester's Supper (film)

The Jester's Supper (film), also known as La cena delle beffe, is the title of several adaptations of the play La cena delle beffe by Sem Benelli. These adaptations include at least two notable film versions:

• A 1919 Italian silent film directed by Alessandro Blasetti, starring Ettore Petrolini. This version is considered a landmark of early Italian cinema. Details surrounding the film's plot closely follow the original Benelli play, centered around a cruel practical joke played during a lavish banquet in Renaissance Florence and the subsequent elaborate revenge.

• A 1942 Italian film directed by Alessandro Blasetti (also director of the 1919 version), starring Amedeo Nazzari and Clara Calamai. This sound film adaptation, like the silent version, retells the story of Lorenzo de' Medici-era Florence where two rivals engage in escalating acts of cruelty and retribution, sparked by a prank at a supper. This version is particularly known for its elaborate sets and costumes, characteristic of Italian historical films of the period. It's also notable for its operatic style and heightened melodrama.