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

Director:

Mario Monicelli

Writers:

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

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 | Boxer | Gang | Burglar | Photographer

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations

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 - 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
Nino Marchetti	...	Luigi
Mario De Simone	...	Il ricettatore
Marcello Mastroianni	...	Tiberio
Totò	...	Dante Cruciani
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Edith Bruck	...	Donna litigare sotto il lucernario (uncredited)
Franco Carli	...	(uncredited)
Mario Feliciani	...	Ispettore di polizia (uncredited)
Ida Masetti	...	Gabriella (uncredited)
Mario Meniconi	...	Paolo (uncredited)
Mimmo Poli	...	Prigioniero (uncredited)
Lisa Romey	...	Emilia (uncredited)
Amerigo Santarelli	...	(uncredited)
Gustavo Serena	...	(uncredited)
Roberto Spiombi	...	Piero (uncredited)

Directed by
Mario Monicelli

Writing credits
Agenore Incrocci		(story) &
Furio Scarpelli		(story)
Agenore Incrocci		(screenplay) &
Furio Scarpelli		(screenplay) &
Suso Cecchi D'Amico		(screenplay) &
Mario Monicelli		(screenplay)
Italo Calvino		(short story "Furto in una pasticceria") uncredited

Produced by
Franco Cristaldi	....	producer

Original Music by
Piero Umiliani

Cinematography by
Gianni Di Venanzo

Film Editing by
Adriana Novelli

Production Design by
Piero Gherardi

Set Decoration by
Vito Anzalone

Costume Design by
Piero Gherardi

Makeup Department
Romolo de Martino	....	makeup artist (as Romolo De Martino)

Production Management
Gino Millozza	....	production supervisor
Nicolò Pomilia	....	production manager (as Nicolo Pomilia)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mario Maffei	....	assistant director

Art Department
Italo Tomassi	....	manager of art department (uncredited)

Sound Department
Oscar Di Santo	....	sound technician
Luigi Puri	....	sound technician

Camera and Electrical Department
Erico Menczer	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Marisa Letti	....	assistant editor (as Maria Luisa Letti)

Music Department
Piero Umiliani	....	conductor

Other crew
Renato Jaboni	....	production secretary
Silvana Mangini Colizzi	....	script supervisor (as Silvana Mangini)
Vincenzo Taito	....	administrator
Renato Cominetti	....	voice dubbing: Tiberio Murgia (uncredited)
Nico Pepe	....	voice dubbing: Carlo Pisacane (uncredited)
Monica Vitti	....	voice dubbing: Rosanna Roy (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Cinecittà (Stabilimenti Cinematografici)
• Lux Film
• Vides Cinematografica

Distributors

• Cristaldifilm (1958) (worldwide) (all media) (rights)
• Lux Film (1958) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Franco Cristaldi-Lux Films (1960) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• United Motion Pictures Organization (UMPO) (1960) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Janus Films (1960) (USA) (VHS)
• Connoisseur Video Collection (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• Tamarelle's International Films (1988) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Studio Canal (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Italia (2003) (Italy) (DVD) (restoration remastered version)
• Aquarius TV (2004) (Greece) (DVD)
• Aquarius TV (2004) (Greece) (TV)
• Koch Lorber Films (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (2005) (Greece) (DVD)
• Barcino Barcino Films S.A. (Spain)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Music Group
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2005) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

"I soliti ignoti" - Italy (original title)

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:

"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.

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)

Great comedy

This film is a great parody on the influencial film 'RIFIFI'.The cast consists simply of the greatest stars of Italian cinema:Gassman,Mastroianni,Toto,Cardinale. You won't find any film nowadays which comes even close to this one. A must see for everyone who likes to laugh.