Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958)
"I soliti ignoti" (original title)

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

Director:

Mario Monicelli

Writers:

Agenore Incrocci (story), Furio Scarpelli (story),

Stars:

Vittorio Gassman, Renato Salvatori, Marcello Mastroianni

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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 - la moglie di Tiberio
Gina Amendola	...	Mario's 'Madre'
Elvira Tonelli	...	Assunta
Elena Fabrizi	...	Signora Ada (as Elisa Fabrizi)
Pasquale Misiano	...	Massimo
Renato Terra	...	Eladio
Aldo Trifiletti	...	Fernando - portinaio

Storyline

Peppe, formerly a boxer, organizes the break-in of a pawnshop. Tiberio, an unemployed photographer, Mario, a receiver, the Sicilian Michele and Capannelle, an ex-jockey, are the other members of the gang. Though they are advised by Dante, a retired burglar, the task is not so easy...

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Plot Keywords:

pawnshop | gang | sicilian | boxer | burglar | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

22 November 1960 (USA)

Also Known As:

Big Deal on Madonna Street

Filming Locations:

Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinecittà, Lux Film, Vides Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Big Deal on Madonna Street" was the inspiration for the 1986 Broadway Musical "Big Deal" by Bob Fosse. Bob Fosse was inspired by other classic Italian films for his musical repertoire including Fellini's "Nights of Cabiria" and "8 1/2," the basis for "Sweet Charity" and "Nine" respectively.

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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.

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Connections

Referenced in Gli insoliti ignoti (2003)

User Reviews

A tender look at some incompetent incorrigibles

One character approaches another to get him to take the rap for a crime. But he can't do it, so he suggests someone else. The third character can't do it either. Soon a half dozen people are in search of someone to take the rap. They eventually decide that they need someone without a previous criminal record. But none of them knows anyone without a criminal record.

I had no idea it was going to be a comedy when I first started watching it. By the end I was laughing out loud. It's a little slow, but many Italian movies are a little slow and caper films usually build slowly. But it is thoroughly enjoyable with some gags that I've never seen anywhere else in film. Cosimo's bank heist was very amusing.

If you've just recently watched The Bicycle Thief, and are depressed by the bleakness of life shown there, this movie is the perfect antidote. It shows the lighter side of people who are down on their luck.