Big Deal on Madonna Street

"The Story of a Perfect Crime ... Perfectly Hilarious!"

1958 1h 46m IT

🙌

8.1

BANGER

★8.1TMDB · 809

ComedyCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Best friends Peppe and Mario are thieves, but they're not very good at it. Still, Peppe thinks that he's finally devised a master heist that will make them rich. With the help of some fellow criminals, he plans to dig a tunnel from a rented apartment to the pawnshop next door, where they can rob the safe. But his plan is far from foolproof, and the fact that no one in the group has any experience digging tunnels proves to be the least of their problems.

“The Story of a Perfect Crime ... Perfectly Hilarious!”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Vittorio Gassman
Peppe il pantera
Renato Salvatori
Mario Angeletti
Memmo Carotenuto
Cosimo
Rossana Rory
Norma
Carla Gravina
Nicoletta
Claudia Cardinale
Carmelina
Marcello Mastroianni
Tiberio
Totò
Dante Cruciani

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mario Monicelli
Writers: Furio Scarpelli, Agenore Incrocci, Agenore Incrocci
Languages: Italian
Countries: Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

68 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "The Usual Suspects Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Mario Monicelli, shot by Gianni Di Venanzo. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Piero Umiliani. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Adriana Novelli shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Vittorio Gassman and Renato Salvatori and Memmo Carotenuto carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The Story of a Perfect Crime ... Perfectly Hilarious!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0052216 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mario Monicelli directs. Gianni Di Venanzo behind the camera. Piero Umiliani scores. Adriana Novelli cuts. Produced in Italy. Dialogue in Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

168 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Part of the "The Usual Suspects Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by Mario Monicelli, shot by Gianni Di Venanzo. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Piero Umiliani. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Adriana Novelli shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Vittorio Gassman and Renato Salvatori and Memmo Carotenuto carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The Story of a Perfect Crime ... Perfectly Hilarious!".
8IMDB entry: tt0052216 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Released under 12 different titles around the world.