Esposito is a thief who cons tourists in Rome. Officer Bottoni manages to catch him and starts persecuting him. When Esposito manages to flee, Bottoni's superiors inform him that he'll lose his job if he can't catch Esposito.
Acting
Totò's face does three jokes at once. It's illegal.
Direction
Monicelli and Steno invented the heist comedy template here.
Production
Rome itself: crumbling, beautiful, uncooperative.
Director
Mario Monicelli
Totò
Ferdinando Esposito
Aldo Fabrizi
Brigadiere Bottoni
Ave Ninchi
Giovanna Bottoni
William Tubbs
Mr. Locuzzo, the Tourist
Pina Piovani
Donata Esposito
Rossana Podestà
Liliana Bottoni
Ernesto Almirante
Il padre di Esposito
Pietro Carloni
Commissario
Mario Castellani
Amilcare
Carlo Delle Piane
Libero Esposito
Aldo Giuffrè
Socio di Esposito
Gino Leurini
Alfredo
Riccardo Antolini
The Janitor
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This launched the 'comedy Italian style' movement—sad clowns in real ruins, not glamorous thieves.
Totò was already 54 and looked 70; his physical comedy came from genuine exhaustion, not technique.
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