Piraeus: Every port and woe

Dramatic and comedic movies from the 1950s and 1960s that left their mark on Greek cinema include scenes shot in the port of Piraeus, Pasalimani, and Kastella. Or, for the sake of the plot, they recreate the neighborhood of Troumba in a studio, as was done in "Lola" and "Red Lanterns."

• The most famous and important film of all is, of course, "Never on Sunday," written and directed by Jules Dassin. Melina Mercouri, as Ilya, sang (and even in front of a photo of the Olympiacos team!) the famous "Children of Piraeus" by Manos Hatzidakis, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in April 1961, although the composer refused to accept it. No other Greek film song has been able to surpass it in international success, and it is the one with the most cover versions worldwide. Melina won the Best Actress award at Cannes.
  Dassin's bilingual film is a hymn to the Piraeus of the era, passing in front of the camera. The carriages, the port, the cafes, the rebetika nightclubs, the ships of the 5th fleet - they all depict a cheerful and idealized Piraeus with people who didn't hesitate to dance the famous syrtaki at any moment! An unforgettable advertisement for the city (and Olympiacos, as Melina wears the number 4 jersey in another scene) that made history.
• Another iconic film was "Stella," directed by Michael Cacoyannis, starring Melina Mercouri as Stella and Giorgos Foundas as Miltos, with music by Manos Hatzidakis. Some scenes were filmed in Kastella and Mikrolimano. The backdrop in the scene with the famous phrase "Go, Stella, I have a knife" when Miltos kills Stella because she refused to marry him, appears to be in Piraeus. However, this was actually shot in Athens, in Exarchia. "Stella" won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and was nominated for an Oscar for costume design.
  However, Greek films were not the only ones that brought Piraeus into the cinematic spotlight of the time.
• Sophia Loren appeared in Pasalimani for the filming of the movie "Boy on a Dolphin" in November 1956 and caused quite a commotion, as all the people of Piraeus took to the streets to see her up close. It became literally impassable, and the actress even had trouble reaching the filming location. The scenes in the film depict the commercial port, Pasalimani at the height of the Metaxas Hospital, and Second Merarhia Avenue. The filming eventually took place at night or in the early morning because the crowds constantly disrupted the shots! A characteristic moment is when Sophia Loren sings "What is This Thing Called Love" in Greek, along with Tony Maroudas. The scenes were filmed at the "Spiro's Cave" tavern in Votsalakia.
• In 1971, two stars of the era, Jean-Paul Belmondo and Omar Sharif, came to Piraeus to film "Le Casse" ("The Burglars"). The city's landmarks, from the OLP Pagoda to Kastella, passed through the screen as their cars (a Fiat 124 and an Opel Rekord) chased each other, crossing even the underground passage of New Faliro, going down the stairs, and speeding through the streets - even interrupting a church service at the Prophet Elias Church! The film was directed by Henri Verneuil. During breaks in filming, the two actors visited the Karaiskakis Stadium to admire Olympiacos, and it is said that they enjoyed their ouzo in a tavern in Drapetsona.
• The film "The Angry Hills" from 1959, starring Robert Mitchum, concerned the adventures of a war correspondent during the German invasion of our country. Part of the filming took place in Kastella, where there were only dirt roads, and especially in Mikrolimano (Turkolimano). Other scenes were filmed on Moutsopoulou Avenue, all the way to the famous Clock of Pasalimani.
• One more thing that many people don't know concerns the 1964 film "Zorba the Greek," based on the masterpiece novel by Nikos Kazantzakis and directed by Michael Cacoyannis. Most of the filming took place in Crete, but there is a characteristic scene of the meeting of the two protagonists, Anthony Quinn and Alan Bates, which was filmed in Piraeus.

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• The real stories of the women who worked in Trumpas' brothels inspired many movie scripts. 
• "The Innocent of the Port" (1952), written and directed by Giorgos Tzavellas, featured music by Manos Hatzidakis - it was actually the one and only time the famous composer appeared in a film! The movie was filmed in Trumpas and Salamis. The initial choice for the lead actress was Melina Mercouri, but eventually, Eleni Hatziargyri was chosen. 
• Filming for the movie "The Scum" with Maro Kontou and Giorgos Foundas took place around Trumpas (Miaouli Coast, Xaveriou Coast).