Some of moviedom’s first caper comedies appeared in Italian cinema

A caper film is a parody of a theft, kidnapping or a burglary gone wrong. The gang leader is often misguided. He leads a band of misfits who are about to commit a crime and are always caught up in dicey situations.

Italo Calvino’s short story titled “Furto in una Pasticceria” (Theft in a Pastry Shop) was the inspiration for the film “Big Deal on Madonna Street.”

“Big Deal on Madonna Street” (I Ignoti Soliti) was filmed in 1958. It starred Vittorio Gassman, Toto’, Marcello Mastroianni and 20-year-old Claudia Cardinale. Gassman was classically trained and was known as one of the best actor/directors of his generation while both Mastroianni and Cardinale were on the verge of becoming Italian icons in suaveness and sensuality. Toto’ was the quintessential comedian who was often compared to Charlie Chaplin and endeared himself to Italian audiences throughout the post-war years.

The film begins with an unsuccessful attempt to steal a car. Later the leader of the gang, “Peppe,” (Gassman) discusses the heist to steal money from a pawn shop. He leads a gang of losers which includes among others an unemployed photographer whose wife is in jail because she smuggled cigarettes, a mama’s boy who steals gifts for his orphanage and an old grifter who steals food wherever he goes. Toto’ enters the gang as the “consultant” who designs the plan but does not participate in the actual heist. However, the scenes that include Toto’s antics are on full display and demonstrated by his Chaplinesque mimes and pratfalls.

This seminal film includes Piero Umiliani’s (Mah-Na-Mah-Na) catchy jazz refrain. The jazz soundtrack is typical of many European films in this period. Jazz became popular throughout Europe due to the impact of U.S. influence after World War II. Consequently, Italy adopted jazz as an integral component to add sophistication and foreign appeal to films.

“Initially doubtful about the film’s potential success, the producers strategically featured the renowned comedian Toto’ on the original poster to generate audience intrigue. Despite being cast for comic relief, the Toto character opts to serve as a consultant to the heist gang instead of directly joining them.” During its 50^th anniversary release in 2008, “Big Deal on Madonna Street” was included as one best of 100 Italian films to be saved by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage.

Popular caper films of the 1960s like “The Pink Panther” starring Peter Sellers and the original “Ocean’s 11” starring Frank Sinatra owe a large debt of gratitude to the black and white film a half-century earlier that began in a war-torn country that was trying to laugh again.

Adesso lo sa.

Lou Thomas was born and raised in Philadelphia, in a family with origins in Abruzzo. He is a Temple graduate who has been teaching Italian for 20 years at all levels. He attained a master’s degree in teaching Italian from Rutgers University. The sounds of Vivaldi and Jovanotti fill his classroom. His favorite quote is “Il vino e’ la poesia
della terra.”