Dio, sei proprio un padreterno! (1973)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Michele Lupo

Writers:

Nicola Badalucco (writer)
Sergio Donati (screenplay)

Release Date:

August 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

Crazy enough to take on the cops and the mob... Mean enough to whip 'em!

Plot:

This is a buddy film with a small-time thug (Victor Lobianco) meeting a high-profile gangster (Lee Van Cleef) while in prison. The pair team up to attempt a prison breakout.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Gangster | Breakout | Beautiful Woman | Grindhouse

Cast

Lee Van Cleef	...	Frankie Diomede
Tony Lo Bianco	...	Tony Breda
Edwige Fenech	...	Orchidea
Jean Rochefort	...	Louis Annunziata
Fausto Tozzi	...	Massara
Mario Erpichini	...	Joe Sciti
Jess Hahn	...	Jeannot
Adolfo Lastretti	...	Al
Silvano Tranquilli	...	Sylvester
Nello Pazzafini	...	Thug in Prison
Claudio Undari	...	Assassin (as Robert Hundar)
Claudio Gora	...	Director of 'Casa del Giovane'
Steffen Zacharias	...	Lawyer
Ugo Fangareggi	...	Man in Café
Romano Puppo	...	Assassin

Also Known As:

Escape from Death Row (USA) (reissue title)
Frank and Tony (USA) (video title)
Il suo nome faceva tremare
Interpol in allarme
L'homme aux nerfs d'acier (France)
Mean Frank and Crazy Tony
Power Kill (USA)

Runtime:

USA:85 min | 97 min (uncut)

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:18 (nf) | Finland:K-18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Norway:(Banned) (1974-2003) (cinema release)

Company:

Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica

Trivia:

Italian censorship visa #63444 delivered on 2-11-1973.

A Really Fun Italian Crime Tale

Frankie Dio (Lee VanCleef) is a high-ranking mobster who turns himself in to the police or illegal gambling (for reasons that seem unclear to me). Tony (Tony Lo Bianco) is a low-level thug who frequents a pool hall and spends his free time envying Frankie. By being in the right place at the right time, Tony gets arrested with Frankie and is sent to jail... where they form a bond that may not quite be friendship, but it will do for now.

This film came to me under the title of "Frank and Tony", which is disappointing because I see an alternate name is "Mean Frank and Crazy Tony", which would have helped sell the film more effectively. I presume that's an homage to "Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry" but what do I know? I watched it shortly after another Italian crime film, "Violent Professionals", and I must say the two complement each other very well.

Italians have always lagged behind Americans in their budgets and production values, which is a real shame with this film. It is considered a "grindhouse" film, which unfairly demotes it to a b-movie (or worse). With a cleaner sound and picture, this could have been a Hollywood hit, I suspect. I found the story very interesting, the characters (and actors) better than average and unlike "Violent Professionals" the plot is fairly clear -- not too many secondary characters.

If you like Mafia movies or crime films you should give this one a try. A film about the mob that's actually from Italy (how much more authentic do you want?) is as much as you can ask. Sure, it's not "The Godfather", but it's not supposed to be. This isn't a drama, it's a light comedy, heavy action buddy film... like "Die Hard With a Vengeance" from the point of view of the bad guys. Well, okay, not really.

If nothing else, this film made me want to check out other films from the director and the principle cast. Films besides "Escape From New York" (where VanCleef plays "Hauk") and the usual cult movies. What's more fun than discovering a lost classic?