Following up with Anthony Martignetti, the Boston Globe asks why the new Prince Spaghetti commercial has a new actor instead of the original Anthony!
Martignetti says he doesn’t want to sound bitter, but being asked why he’s not in the new commercial has become as common as hearing people yell his name. “Why couldn’t they have got the real Anthony? He’s available,” said a man who dashed out of a convenience store yelling “Anthony” as Martignetti walked by.
“They went out of their way to make it look like the original, why not just use the original?” Martignetti replied. “I would have done it for free. An old Italian tradition passed down to a new generation. Can you imagine me calling my son out the window? This isn’t the 70s anymore. I’m a single parent. There’s so much they could have done with it.”
The original Prince Spaghetti commercial first aired in 1969 staring 12-year old Anthony Martignetti and Mary Fiumara as the mother yelling out the window … “Anthony! Anthony!” Both Anthony and Mary were from the North End at the time. The apartment building that Anthony was running home to was located on Powers Court in Boston’s North End.
In the new TV spot, young Anthony is shown in black and white running through today’s North End in full color. Recognizable locations include the Prado with Paul Revere’s statue, Hanover Street and Regina Pizzeria. Anthony is shown racing up Margaret Street toward his “home” on Sheafe Street. At the end of the commercial, the out-of-breath young boy entering the family’s apartment has been replaced by a new adult actor portraying a grown-up version of Anthony in a modern family.
Read more about the remake of the commercial.
The new commercial is shown below followed by the original 1969 version.
[responsive_youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jc6aaMQQb40]
Below is the original 1969 version:
[responsive_youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8ti1hnLiLw]
Just hate the new one every time I see it they should of used Anthony in some way maybe the older person coming in the door or even what Anthony said him calling his son and making it the same way to the house it would of looked great because a lot has changed in view of the area this way it would of been old family time to new age family time isn’t prince pasta a tradition so make the commercial the same way
Prince probably didn’t want to continue to pay the “real” Anthony any more residuals. Shame on Prince. Anyone for a plate of Barilla?
I agree too bad they should have continued the old Anthony! I remember when that commercial came out the tourist would call out Anthony! Which was annoying since most Italians have an Anthony including me. But what can you do not too many people today call Anthony from the window
The tourists still call out “ANTHONY” on Prince and Sheafe and Margaret St and some yell it out on any street they happen to be walking on in the North End.
I really wish they would take this commercial off the TV. I find it to be extremely very very annoying and when it does come on , I have to mute the tv just so I don’t have to listen to it. I realize it helps to sell the Prince Pasta but come on now, This is way too much as Anthony is a very grown man now. Let’s leave the old commercials in the past where they belong. Just saying….
Seems like Prince is continually filming an Anthony ad over on Margret Street about once every decade. The last one that I saw, had an actor yelling out the window and he couldn’t get the lines straight. Going back to the old Anthony might be better since he knows the lines pretty well.
There is only one line repeated twice in the entire commercial
Anthony did a remake of this commercial; in the 80s ” and he was all grown-up ” ,, doesn’t anyone remember?
I did love that commercial!