Big Deal on Madonna Street

This raucously entertaining caper comedy is the original—and arguably greatest—heist spoof (like a boisterous Italian Rififi played for laughs). Mastroianni is one among a ragtag group of petty criminals—including Vittorio Gassman as a washed-up boxer and Totò as the lone professional in the group—who hatch a seemingly foolproof plan to rob a pawnshop. But the gang proves better at cracking wise than at cracking safes. From the impeccably tossed-off one-liners to the hilariously botched break-in climax, this is commedia all’italiana at its very best. 35mm print from Istituto Luce Cinecittà.