I soliti ignoti (1958)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Mario Monicelli

Writers:

Agenore Incrocci (story) &
Furio Scarpelli (story) ...

Release Date:

22 November 1960 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Plot:

A motley quintet of inept small-time thieves bungle the burglary of a local pawnshop in this Italian farce.

Plot Keywords:

Pawnshop | Sicilian | Photographer | Burglar | Gang

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins

Cast

Vittorio Gassman	...	Peppe il pantera
Renato Salvatori	...	Mario Angeletti
Memmo Carotenuto	...	Cosimo
Rossana Rory	...	Norma
Carla Gravina	...	Nicoletta
Claudia Cardinale	...	Carmelina
Carlo Pisacane	...	Capannelle
Tiberio Murgia	...	Michele Ferribotte
Gina Rovere	...	Teresa, wife of Tiberio
Gina Amendola	...	Mario's 'Mother'
Elvira Tonelli	...	Assunta
Elena Fabrizi	...	Signora Ada (as Elisa Fabrizi)
Pasquale Misiano	...	Massimo
Renato Terra	...	Eladio
Aldo Trifiletti	...	Fernando, doorkeeper

Also Known As:

Big Deal on Madonna Street (USA)
Persons Unknown (UK)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S | Italy:T | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | Argentina:Atp | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Cinecittà

Trivia:

At the beginning of the project, Producer Grimaldi didn't want Vittorio Gassman to play his role because he was considered too beautiful and elegant to act like a loser boxer. Gassman acted with very strong make up, included a fake nose, to fill Grimaldi's requests.

Quotes:

Cosimo: [seeing other prisoners smoking in the prison yard] May your father and mother drop dead if you have a cigarette and aren't sharing.
[no one responds]
Cosimo: All orphans here, I see.

Movie Connections:

References The Indian Fighter (1955)

Long And Dull Caper Film

A group of inept crooks device a plant to steal a stash of jewels. As expected, the poor devils keep messing up the elaborate plan. A spoof of countless "caper" films is not really very funny (well, I didn't think it was funny). It has a game cast (Vittorio Gassman, legendary comedian Totò, Marcello Mastroianni, etc.), but their combined strengths do little to put this one above the ordinary. It is a little too silly for my taste. The same story has been told (much better) elsewhere. I do prefer similar films like Jules Dassin's masterful "Topkapi (1964)" and Peter Yates' enjoyable "The Hot Rock (1972)", which are more successful at playing with the clichés of this much loved sub-genre. I personally found the whole thing pretty lame and unmemorable. But film has its defenders so I'm sure it is a matter of tastes.