Conversation Piece_
Original: Gruppo di Famiglia in un Interno
"A tangled web of bizarre mystery"
A retired professor of American origin lives a solitary life in a luxurious palazzo in Rome. He is confronted by a vulgar Italian marchesa and her lover, her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend, and forced to rent to them an apartment on the upper floor of his palazzo. From this point on his quiet routine is turned into chaos by his tenants' machinations, and everybody's life takes an unexpected but inevitable turn.
Starring
Burt Lancaster, Silvana Mangano, Helmut Berger
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Year context
Conversation Piece was released 52 years ago in 1974.
Overview
A retired professor of American origin lives a solitary life in a luxurious palazzo in Rome. He is confronted by a vulgar Italian marchesa and her lover, her...
Conversation Piece is a Drama, Romance film with a runtime of 2h 1m.
CAST (19)
Burt Lancaster
Professor
Silvana Mangano
Marquess Bianca Brumonti
Helmut Berger
Konrad Huebel
Claudia Marsani
Lietta Brumonti
Stefano Patrizi
Stefano
Elvira Cortese
Erminia
Philippe Hersent
Doorman
Guy Tréjan
Art Dealer
Jean-Pierre Zola
Blanchard
Umberto Raho
Police Inspector Bernai
Enzo Fiermonte
Police Inspector
Romolo Valli
Michelli
GC
George Clatot
Valentino Macchi
Vittorio Fanfoni
Lorenzo Piani
Margherita Horowitz
Maid
Claudia Cardinale
Professor's Wife (uncredited)
Dominique Sanda
Professor's Mother (uncredited)
DETAILS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Conversation Piece about?
A retired professor of American origin lives a solitary life in a luxurious palazzo in Rome. He is confronted by a vulgar Italian marchesa and her lover, her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend, and forced to rent to them an apartment on the upper floor of his palazzo. From this point on his quiet routine is turned into chaos by his tenants' machinations, and everybody's life takes an unexpected but inevitable turn.
How long is Conversation Piece?
Conversation Piece has a runtime of 121 minutes (2h 1m).
Who stars in Conversation Piece?
The cast of Conversation Piece includes Burt Lancaster, Silvana Mangano, Helmut Berger, Claudia Marsani, Stefano Patrizi.
What is the rating of Conversation Piece?
Conversation Piece has a rating of 7.3 out of 10 based on 156 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (2)
Drama
Romance