Chi Mai
Encyclopedia
"Chi Mai" is a composition by Ennio Morricone
that was used in the films, Maddalena (1971) and Le Professionnel
(1981), as well as the TV series, An Englishman's Castle
(1978) and The Life and Times of David Lloyd George
(1981). Because of its appearance on the latter, "Chi Mai" reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart
in 1981.
"Chi Mai" is especially famous in France for being used for a Royal Canin
's 1980s commercial, to the point that it is more closely associated with the commercial than with its other appearances. In 2002, this association was referenced by the French movie, Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra
, in a scene in which Dogmatix
is chasing a legionaire running on all fours in slow motion (like in the commercial) while "Chi Mai" is playing in the background.
Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone, Grand Officer OMRI, , is an Italian composer and conductor, who wrote music to more than 500 motion pictures and television series, in a career lasting over 50 years. His scores have been included in over 20 award-winning films as well as several symphonic and choral pieces...
that was used in the films, Maddalena (1971) and Le Professionnel
Le Professionnel
Le Professionnel is a 1981 French action thriller film directed by French director Georges Lautner, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Desailly and Robert Hossein, based on the award-winning 1976 novel Death of a Thin-Skinned Animal by Patrick Alexander.The music is composed by Ennio Morricone and...
(1981), as well as the TV series, An Englishman's Castle
An Englishman's Castle
An Englishman's Castle is a BBC television serial first broadcast in 1978 which was written by Philip Mackie. The story was set in an alternate history 1970s, in which Nazi Germany has won World War II and occupied England...
(1978) and The Life and Times of David Lloyd George
The Life and Times of David Lloyd George
The Life and Times of David Lloyd George is a BBC Wales drama serial broadcast in 1981 on the BBC1 network which starred Philip Madoc, Elizabeth Miles, Kika Markham and David Markham....
(1981). Because of its appearance on the latter, "Chi Mai" reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in 1981.
"Chi Mai" is especially famous in France for being used for a Royal Canin
Royal Canin
Royal Canin is a worldwide manufacturer and supplier of premium dog and cat nutrition. It was founded in 1967 in a village of Gard, France, by the French veterinary surgeon, Jean Cathary....
's 1980s commercial, to the point that it is more closely associated with the commercial than with its other appearances. In 2002, this association was referenced by the French movie, Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra
Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra
Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, originally titled Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre, is a 2002 French-German film based on the comic book Astérix et Cléopatre by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo and a sequel for the 1999 movie Asterix & Obelix Take On Caesar. It was the most expensive French...
, in a scene in which Dogmatix
Dogmatix
Dogmatix is a fictional character, a tiny white dog who belongs to Obelix in the Asterix comics. Dogmatix is a pun on the words dog and dogmatic. In the original French his name is Idéfix, itself a pun on the French expression idée fixe meaning an obsession...
is chasing a legionaire running on all fours in slow motion (like in the commercial) while "Chi Mai" is playing in the background.