In Venice, a millionaire hires an actor to help him prank three greedy exes into thinking he's dying and leaving his fortune to one of them.
Acting
Rex Harrison at peak smug; Maggie Smith already stealing scenes pre-Downton.
Writing
Mankiewicz's dialogue cuts like Venetian glass—elegant and deadly.
Production
Palazzo settings so lush you'll smell the canal rot through the glamour.
Director
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Rex Harrison
Cecil Fox
Susan Hayward
Mrs. Sheridan
Cliff Robertson
William McFly
Capucine
Princess Dominique
Edie Adams
Merle McGill
Maggie Smith
Sarah Watkins
Adolfo Celi
Inspector Rizzi
Hugh Manning
Volpone
Mimmo Poli
Cook (uncredited)
Luigi Scavran
Massimo (uncredited)
Jack Benny
Violinist Outside Restaurant (uncredited)
Herschel Bernardi
Oscar Ludwig (uncredited) (scenes deleted)
Massimo Serato
The Pretender (uncredited) (scenes deleted)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Mankiewicz spent years developing this; it was originally a play called 'Mr. Fox of Venice' before evolving into this cinematic con game.
This was Maggie Smith's first major Hollywood role—she'd win her first Oscar two years later, and you can already see the steel beneath the secretary routine.
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