The Iron Crown (1941 Venice Film Festival Winner)

The Iron Crown (1941 Venice Film Festival Winner)

Author: Awesome Movie Year March 26, 2025 Duration: 59:17

The third episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features one of the Venice Film Festival’s top award winners, Alessandro Blasetti’s The Iron Crown. Directed and co-written by Alessandro Blasetti and starring Massimo Girotti, Gino Cervi, Elisa Cegani and Luisa Ferida, The Iron Crown was awarded the Mussolini Cup for best Italian film at the 1941 Venice Film Festival.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Howard Thompson in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1949/06/11/archives/an-elaborate-italian-import.html), Marjory Adams in The Boston Globe, and Edith Lindeman in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyear 

You can find Jason on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jasonharriscomedy/ and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/goforjason/

You can find Josh online at http://joshbellhateseverything.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/joshbellhateseverything/, on Bluesky at signalbleed.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/signalbleed/

If you’re a Letterboxd user and you watch any of the movies we talk about on the show, tag your review “Awesome Movie Year” to share your thoughts.

You can find our producer David Rosen and his Piecing It Together Podcast at https://www.piecingpod.com, on Twitter at @piecingpod, on Bluesky at piecingpod.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/bydavidrosen/ 

Join the Popcorn & Puzzle Pieces Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/piecingpod for more movie discussion and our Awesome Movie Year audience choice polls.

All of the music in the episode is by David Rosen. Find more of his music at https://www.bydavidrosen.com

Subscribe on Patreon to support the show and get access to exclusive content from Awesome Movie Year and Piecing It Together, plus music by David Rosen: https://www.patreon.com/bydavidrosen

Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1941 episode, featuring the year’s biggest flop, William Dieterle’s All That Money Can Buy.


Ever wonder what makes a particular year in cinema truly stand out? Awesome Movie Year digs into that very question, one remarkable film at a time. Co-hosted by film critic Josh Bell alongside filmmaker and comedian Jason Harris, this podcast picks a single, noteworthy year each season and meticulously explores what made it so special. Rather than broad overviews, every episode zooms in on a different movie from that chosen year, offering a deep dive into its impact, its cultural moment, and its lasting legacy. The conversations blend critical analysis with a genuine love for the medium, thanks to the hosts' complementary backgrounds. Produced by David Rosen of Piecing It Together for the All Points West Podcast Network, the show has a polished yet conversational feel. You’ll hear about blockbusters and hidden gems alike, all through the lens of why they mattered then and why they still resonate. It’s for anyone who loves to look beyond the screen and understand the context that creates a classic. Tune in to Awesome Movie Year for a thoughtful and engaging tour through some of cinema’s most fascinating periods.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Awesome Movie Year
Podcast Episodes
The Station Agent (2003 First Feature) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:05
The second episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2003 features our pick for a notable filmmaking debut, Tom McCarthy’s The Station Agent. Written and directed by Tom McCarthy and starring Peter Dinklage, Pat…
Finding Nemo (2003 Box Office Champ) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:43
The first episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2003 features the second highest-grossing film at the box office, Pixar’s Finding Nemo. Directed and co-written by Andrew Stanton and starring the voices of Al…
Saturday Night Fever (1977 Bonus Episode) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:41
In this special bonus episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1977, we’re talking about the runner-up in our audience choice poll, disco classic Saturday Night Fever. Directed by John Badham and starring John…
1984 Epilogue [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:57
In this epilogue to our season on the awesome movie year of 1984, we talk about alternate movies we considered including in all of our different categories this season, and read suggestions from some listeners about whic…
Footloose (1984 Audience Choice) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:43
In the finale of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984, we’re talking about this season’s audience choice pick, Herbert Ross’ Footloose. Directed by Herbert Ross from a screenplay by songwriter Dean Pitchford and…
Repo Man (1984 Future Cult Classic) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:01
The twelfth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features our future cult classic pick, Alex Cox’s Repo Man. Written and directed by Alex Cox and starring Emilio Estevez, Harry Dean Stanton, Olivia Bar…
Ghostbusters (1984 Dave’s Pick) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:24
The eleventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features our producer David Rosen’s personal pick, Ivan Reitman’s Ghostbusters. Directed by Ivan Reitman from a script by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis…
Amadeus (1984 Best Picture) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:57
The tenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features the Best Picture Oscar winner, Milos Forman’s Amadeus. Directed by Milos Forman, written by Peter Shaffer (based on his stage play) and starring…
Old Enough (1984 Sundance Award Winner) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:27
The ninth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner, Marisa Silver’s Old Enough. Written and directed by Marisa Silver and starring Sarah Boyd, Ra…
The Karate Kid (1984 Jason’s Pick) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:02
The eighth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features Jason’s personal pick, John G. Avildsen’s The Karate Kid. Directed by John G. Avildsen from a script by Robert Mark Kamen and starring Ralph Mac…