La compagna di banco (1977)

"La compagna di banco" (1977), directed by Mariano Laurenti, is a quintessential Italian "commedia sexy all’italiana," a genre that thrived in the 1970s by mixing slapstick humor with generous doses of eroticism. Released on August 12, 1977, this 84-minute film stars Lilli Carati as Simona, a stunning high school student who becomes the object of obsession for Mario (Antonio Melidoni), a local Casanova. Set in a small town, the story unfolds with a familiar mix of horny teenagers, bumbling teachers, and absurd misunderstandings, all wrapped in a lighthearted, if predictable, package.

The plot kicks off with Simona catching Mario’s eye, sparking a pursuit that drives the film’s comedic engine. Meanwhile, the school setting introduces two hapless teachers—Professor Cacioppo (Gianfranco D’Angelo) and Salvatore (Alvaro Vitali)—who live together in poverty, subsisting on fruit gifted by students that’s often booby-trapped by pranksters. Mario’s father, a tailor played by Lino Banfi, adds a side plot involving a gangster’s moll (Nikki Gentile), while a towering new teacher (Francesca Romana Coluzzi) brings her own awkward romantic subplot with Cacioppo. The narrative bounces between these threads—pranks, voyeurism, and romantic misfires—culminating in a chaotic police station showdown over a stolen heirloom.