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Romantic drama

The Most Wonderful Moment (1957): Cast & Plot

The Most Wonderful Moment (1957) movie poster

The Most Wonderful Moment is a 1957 romantic drama directed by Luciano Emmer, starring Marcello Mastroianni as Dott. Pietro Varelli, Riccardo Garrone and Giovanna Ralli. It runs 1 hour 32 minutes.

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The Most Wonderful Moment (1957) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 32m (92 min)
Director
Luciano Emmer
Genres
Drama , Romance
Original language
Italian
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Most Wonderful Moment About?

The premise of The Most Wonderful Moment without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Pietro falls deeply in love with a nurse, and they keep the relationship hidden to avoid scandal. When the nurse learns she is pregnant, she worries that marriage could jeopardize Pietro’s career. Determined, she quietly prepares for the upcoming birth while contemplating their uncertain future.

The Most Wonderful Moment Themes & Keywords

· 11 tags
  • italy
  • rome italy
  • doctor
  • nurse
  • hospital
  • baby delivery
  • giving birth
  • male female relationship
  • medicine
  • pregnancy
  • birth of a baby footage
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Cast & crew

The Most Wonderful Moment Cast & Characters

Marcello Mastroianni leads the cast as Dott. Pietro Varelli, with Riccardo Garrone as Dott. Guido Benvenuti and Giovanna Ralli as Luisa Morelli. Directed by Luciano Emmer; 13 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in The Most Wonderful Moment

· 9 more
From the director

More from Luciano Emmer

More films directed by Luciano Emmer: Girl in the Window, The Bigamist, Camilla and Picasso.

Full filmography
Plot

The Most Wonderful Moment Plot Summary

What happens in The Most Wonderful Moment from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 1-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

In the maternity ward of a large Roman hospital, we witness the secret love between the young doctor Dott. Pietro Varelli Marcello Mastroianni and the nurse Luisa Morelli Giovanna Ralli. Pietro struggles to advance his career and hesitates to marry Luisa, unsure what future he can offer her.

The situation worsens when Luisa discovers she is pregnant. Pietro, ever indecisive, seems inclined toward a clandestine abortion, a path Luisa refuses to consider. Luisa leaves the hospital and moves to her former colleague Margherita, Marisa Merlini, who has set up on her own as a midwife.

Together, Margherita and Luisa organize pre-baby courses in which they develop a revolutionary method of painless childbirth, a technique learned in the same hospital where they once worked.

Full summary

The whole story of The Most Wonderful Moment, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The Most Wonderful Moment?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Which actor plays the young doctor Pietro Varelli?

Details

The Most Wonderful Moment Also Known As

5 alternative titles, including “Frauennot - Frauenglück” and “Wasted Lives”.

Also known as
  • Frauennot - Frauenglück
  • Wasted Lives
  • Der schönste Augenblick
  • El momento más hermoso
  • O Momento Sublime

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FAQ

The Most Wonderful Moment FAQ: Cast & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast, post-credit scenes and language of The Most Wonderful Moment, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Most Wonderful Moment?

The Most Wonderful Moment runs 1 hour 32 minutes (92 minutes).

When was The Most Wonderful Moment released?

The Most Wonderful Moment was released on March 21, 1957.

Who directed The Most Wonderful Moment?

The Most Wonderful Moment was directed by Luciano Emmer.

More films by Luciano Emmer

Who is in the cast of The Most Wonderful Moment?

The Most Wonderful Moment stars Marcello Mastroianni as Dott. Pietro Varelli, Riccardo Garrone as Dott. Guido Benvenuti and Giovanna Ralli as Luisa Morelli, among 13 credited actors.

Does The Most Wonderful Moment have a post-credit scene?

No. The Most Wonderful Moment has no extra scene during or after the credits.

What language is The Most Wonderful Moment in?

The original language of The Most Wonderful Moment is Italian.

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