MovieChat Forums > La strada (1956) Discussion > How much did Zampano pay for Gelsomina?

How much did Zampano pay for Gelsomina?

posted 13 years ago by MIchiganJFrogg
9 replies | jump to latest

I am trying to get an idea of how much he paid in real terms. If she was dirt cheap vs. if he paid a high amount may make a difference in how he regards her, as well as in her perspective on it. He paid $10,000 lire. In 1954, the exchange rate was 600 lire per dollar, so that would indicate he paid about $20. However, that may not truly reflect the buying power of 10,000 lire. Zampano paid 200 lire for dinner in the bar. Putting dinner for 2 with 2 bottles of wine at $40 to $50 in todays money, then that would mean 10,000 lire had the buying power of $2000 to $2500 today.
In either case, her fate is tragic, but I am curious of the relative value he paid for her.

[–] Haverchuck_Is_King 12 years ago

I am curious about that too, but I can't imagine it was much, considering his method of transportation and tattered clothes. I also wonder how much she was worth to the act, financially speaking. Did her contribution really bring in that much more money than if he worked alone?

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] maxax68 12 years ago

The translation on my dvd (swedish) I don't understand italian.
He paid 4200 lire for food and wine. Maybe it makes more scence.

[–] jtdeclercq 12 years ago

Zampano buys an ice cream cone at 30 lire. This, and the transaction at the bar/restaurant, is the only reference to the purchasing power of money in the 50s.

[–] olivethomasproject 11 years ago

In the commentary on the DVD, Peter Bondanella stated that it was about 20 dollars.

[–] Strazdamonas 9 years ago

I find it hard to believe he paid 20 dollars for her because the mother said they are going to fix the roof for that money and you cant fix house roofs for 20 dollars, not even then.

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[–] jonkennedy 8 years ago

Using two sites - http://www.measuringworth.com/exchangeglobal/ and then http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm the 10,000 lire Zampano paid for Gelsomina would equate to $16 in 1954 and thus about $141 in 2015.

[–] nicolas28 8 years ago

The best way is to compare it with the food......because doesn't matter how many USD they worth.

Maybe in that time, with USD 100 you could buy a car.

If he paid 200 lire for a dinner for two, 10.000 lire equals to 100 dinners.

Means if today you pay USD 10-20 for a meal in a cantina (not a restaurant, since this place was cheaper than a restaurant), means he paid USD 1.000-2.000 aprox if this movie happened in USA today.

[–] bbaldwin7 8 years ago

IT Lira was at 625 to $1.00 in 1954. So he paid $16. In today's money about $150.