A criminal mastermind sets up a phony film production as part of a plan to smuggle stolen gold.
Acting
Sellers juggling three personas while barely containing his own glee.
Direction
De Sica winking at neorealism while staging pure comic artifice.
Writing
Neil Simon's script mocking Hollywood while being undeniably Hollywood.
Director
Vittorio De Sica
Peter Sellers
Aldo Vanucci/Federico Fabrizi
Victor Mature
Tony Powell
Britt Ekland
Gina Vanucci/Gina Romantica
Martin Balsam
Harry
Akim Tamiroff
Okra
Paolo Stoppa
Polio
Tino Buazzelli
Siepi
Mac Ronay
Carlo
Maria Grazia Buccella
Bikini Girl
Lando Buzzanca
Police Chief
Maurice Denham
Chief of Interpol
Tiberio Murgia
1st Detective
Carlo Croccolo
Cafe Owner
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Sellers insisted on casting Britt Ekland, his then-wife, and reportedly rewrote scenes daily to give her more screen time.
De Sica, father of Italian neorealism, directing pure Hollywood farce represents cinema eating its own tail—deliberately.
US
