The Swindle

"SOME PEOPLE DON’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOUR DAUGHTERS' WELFARE!"

1955 1h 53m IT

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 231

DramaCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Aging small-time conman Augusto works with two younger men: Roberto, who desires to become the Italian Johnny Ray, and Carlo, nicknamed Picasso. Through a series of mishaps and personal entanglements, things go badly for Augusto.

“SOME PEOPLE DON’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOUR DAUGHTERS' WELFARE!”

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Cast

Broderick Crawford
Augusto
Giulietta Masina
Iris
Richard Basehart
Carlo
Franco Fabrizi
Roberto
Sue Ellen Blake
Susanna
Irene Cefaro
Marisa
Alberto De Amicis
Rinaldo
Lorella De Luca
Patrizia, Augusto's Daughter

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Federico Fellini
Writers: Tullio Pinelli, Tullio Pinelli, Federico Fellini
Languages: Italian
Countries: France, 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

71 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: France, Italy.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Federico Fellini, shot by Otello Martelli. 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 Nino Rota. 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 Giuseppe Vari 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

Broderick Crawford and Giulietta Masina and Richard Basehart carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "SOME PEOPLE DON’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOUR DAUGHTERS' WELFARE!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0047876 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Federico Fellini directs. Otello Martelli behind the camera. Nino Rota scores. Giuseppe Vari cuts. Produced in France, Italy. Dialogue in Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

171 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2International production across 2 countries: France, Italy.
3Directed by Federico Fellini, shot by Otello Martelli. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Nino Rota. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Giuseppe Vari shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Broderick Crawford and Giulietta Masina and Richard Basehart carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "SOME PEOPLE DON’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOUR DAUGHTERS' WELFARE!".
8IMDB entry: tt0047876 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Released under 16 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Otello Martelli
Original score: Nino Rota
Editing: Giuseppe Vari
Production design: Dario Cecchi
Costume design: Dario Cecchi
Makeup / hair: Fiamma Rocchetti
Runtime: 113 min · 1h 53m
Status: Released
Original language: IT
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Swindle (1955)

Also by

Federico Fellini

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-11-14
★ 7/10
I had no idea, until recently, that Broderick Crawford had ever done this film and he's really quite good. He ("Augusto") leads a trio of grifters who take the low hanging fruit. They have no scruples about robbing the vulnerable, ordinary folks - and are quite imaginative when it comes to their scams. Set against a backdrop of a still recovering post-war Italy, there is an effective cynicism about the way the plot and the characters develop. Crawford works well with sidekick Richard Basehart's "Carlo" but his is the stand out role. The rest of the film does run a little to typical crime-noir stereotype, but the photography that marries the bleak with the beautiful, and a superb score from the always reliable Nino Rota give this more of a grandeur. I wasn't mad on the ending - it was just too easy, too predictable and somehow underwhelmed Crawford's otherwise really quite nuanced performance. It tugs well at our heart-strings at times whilst offering a soupçon of humour and is a film that demonstrated a talent in the star I wasn't expecting.

Production companies