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Bicycle Thieves (1948)

Ladri di biciclette (original title)
Not Rated | | Drama | 13 December 1949 (USA)
Bicycle Thieves Poster
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In post-war Italy, a working-class man's bicycle is stolen. He and his son set out to find it.

Director:

Vittorio De Sica

Writers:

Cesare Zavattini (story), Luigi Bartolini (novel) | 7 more credits »

Stars:

Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carell | See full cast & crew »
Reviews
Top Rated Movies #99 | Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 18 wins. See more awards »

Videos

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Photos

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Cast

Complete credited cast:
Lamberto Maggiorani ... Antonio
Enzo Staiola ... Bruno
Lianella Carell Lianella Carell ... Maria
Elena Altieri Elena Altieri ... The Charitable Lady
Gino Saltamerenda Gino Saltamerenda ... Baiocco
Giulio Chiari Giulio Chiari ... The Beggar
Vittorio Antonucci Vittorio Antonucci ... The Thief
Michele Sakara Michele Sakara ... Secretary of the Charity Organization
Fausto Guerzoni Fausto Guerzoni ... Amateur Actor
Emma Druetti Emma Druetti
Carlo Jachino Carlo Jachino ... A Beggar
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

Ricci, an unemployed man in the depressed post-WWII economy of Italy, gets at last a good job - for which he needs a bike - hanging up posters. But soon his bicycle is stolen. He and his son walk the streets of Rome, looking for the bicycle. Ricci finally manages to locate the thief but with no proof, he has to abandon his cause. But he and his son know perfectly well that without a bike, Ricci won't be able to keep his job. Written by jolusoma

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

thief | theft | despair | church | chase | See All (215) »

Taglines:

The Prize Picture They Want to Censor!

Genres:

Drama

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

13 December 1949 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Bicycle Thieves See more »

Filming Locations:

Via del Gran Paradiso, Rome, Lazio, Italy See more »
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Box Office

Budget:

$133,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,845, 4 October 1998, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$36,818, 31 December 2009
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Produzioni De Sica (PDS), Produzioni De Sica See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

For his cast, Vittorio De Sica chose a factory fitter who had brought his son along for an audition as his male lead. His lead actress was a journalist who had approached him for an interview, while the young boy was filled by a child spotted in the crowd watching the filming. See more »

Goofs

[All goofs for this title are spoilers.] See more »

Quotes

Antonio: It's pointless. These's nothing doing. It always rains on Sundays.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Broadway Danny Rose (1984) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Robert Osbourne describes this film as 'neorealism'. What is neorealism?
Q: Is 'Bicycle Thieves' based on a book?
Q: What is 'Bicycle Thieves' about?
See more »

User Reviews

The true point of the film
14 December 2000 | by Foo King – See all my reviews

....is the relationship of the father and son.

Watch the film with your focus on the son, not the father. Watch what happens to the boy, what he sees, how he is influenced, his point of view. The father is so preoccupied with the bicycle he fails to see what is happening to his son. This is the strength of the film. Watch the boy.
106 of 145 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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