Mario Riva's "Il Musichiere" (1957/1960 Italian TV

Mario Riva with comedy stars Alessandra Panaro (left) and Lorella De Luca presenting the show.

Mario Riva in the course of a show.

Mario Riva sings Garinei and Giovannini's Domenica E' Sempre Domenica (Sunday is always sunday), Il Musichiere's closing song, with Italian crooners Nuccia Bongiovanni and Paolo Baccilieri, performers of the musical quiz' songs (Italian crooner Johnny Dorelli was the male singer of the early shows). Gina Lollobrigida can be seen sitting in the audience's front row.

Alessandra Panaro (left) and Lorella De Luca were the co-presenters of Il Musichiere in 1957 and in 1958. Mario Riva called them the little sisters-in-law after their roles in successful Dino Risi's comedy Poveri Ma Belli (Poor but beautiful) in 1957.

Italian crooners Nuccia Bongiovanni e Paolo Bacilieri, who performed live the songs of the musical quiz.

Mario Riva with two competitors of the musical quiz.
The most popular of the quiz challenges was the guessing of a series of songs. For every song, the two competitors started from a rocking chair and, after a short run across the stage, she or he had to be the first to ring a ship bell to gain the chance to answer.

Some of the many international and Italian guest stars of Il Musichiere.
Above: Mario Riva with Gary Cooper (1959).

Mario Riva with Jayne Mansfield (1959).

Nat King Cole sings Non Dimenticar (1960).

Mario Riva and Myléne Demongeot sing Boccuccia di Rosa (Little mouth of rose) (1959).

Anne Heywood with the TV show mascottes.

Mario Riva with Marcello Mastroianni (1958).

Marcello Mastroianni talks with Mario Riva and sings Quartetto Cetra's hit Un Disco dei Platters (A Platters' record), with Quartetto Cetra's comic version of their song.

Above and below: Mario Riva with Italian revue and comedy star Antonio de Curtis (aka Totò)(1958).

Mario Riva with Italian comedy star Alberto Sordi.

Mario Riva with Italian theatre and movie star Franca Valeri.

Italian crooner Fred Buscaglione performing with a children's choir (1959).

Mario Riva (centre) with legendary Italian cycling champions and rivals Gino Bartali (left) and Fausto Coppi (aka il Campionissimo, right)(1959).

The mascotte of Il Musichiere.

Fonoscope singing postcard featuring Mario Riva and the mascotte of Il Musichiere.

Cover of Italian weekly showbiz magazine Radiocorriere TV, featuring Italian comedy stars Alessandra Panaro (left) and Lorella De Luca as the co-presenters of Il Musichiere (26th January 1958).

The huge success of Il Musichiere: cover of Italian weekly newsmagazine La Domenica del Corriere (1st February 1959).

After the huge success of Il Musichiere, in 1959 a weekly showbiz magazine was published with the same title (by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore).
Each issue included a free 45rpm record.
Above: Italian revue and comedy star Delia Scala sings Femminilità (Femininity)(3rd December 1959).

8th January 1959: Mario Riva and the TV show mascotte ready for the quiz challenge!

Load more items (3 more in this list)

Il Musichiere (obsolete word for musicista,musician but also music-maker in ironic sense) was a Saturday night musical
quiz and variety show broadcasted by RAI-Radiotelevisione Italiana from 1957 to 1960.
It was based on the NBC format Name That Tune.
The show was presented by Italian revue and comedy star Mario Riva.
The show's screenplay was written by Pietro Garinei and Sandro Giovannini, authors of successful theatre and movie musical
comedies (such as Attanasio Cavallo Vanesio, Alvaro Piuttosto Corsaro and Giove in Doppiopetto) and of popular songs (among them Arrivederci Roma, written with Renato Rascel). The studio orchestra was conducted by band leader and composer Gorni Kramer.
The show was the first huge success of TV director Antonello Falqui.
It featured many popular international and Italian guest stars, including actors, actresses, singers and sport champions.
The first season of Il Musichiere started on 7th December 1957; the third and last season ended on 7th May 1960. There were no more seasons after Mario Riva's tragic death on 1st September 1960.