Big Deal on Madonna Street movie storyline. Caught red-handed for a crime he swears he didn’t commit, the hopeful criminal mastermind and–for now–small-time thief, Cosimo, entrusts the square-jawed boxer, Peppe, with the plan for a seemingly fail-proof pawnshop heist on the quiet Madonna Street. However, as the news of this lucrative job spreads like wildfire, instead, it’s Cosimo’s band of maladroit petty criminals–including a destitute photographer with fatherly obligations–who will take action for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But, will things work as planned?
Big Deal on Madonna Street (Italian: I soliti ignoti, also released as Persons Unknown in the UK) is a 1958 Italian comedy caper film directed by Mario Monicelli[1] and considered to be among the masterpieces of Italian cinema. Its original Italian title literally translates as “the usual unknown ones,” which is roughly equivalent to the English phrase “the usual suspects.”
The name of the Roman street in the English title is a slight mistranslation, as the Italian name of the fictional Roman street on which the midnight burglary in the film takes place is the Via delle Madonne (The Street of the Madonnas) rather than “Madonna Street.” Compounding the confusion is the fact that the real Roman street on which the scene was filmed is the Via delle tre cannelle (The Street of the Three Spouts) rather than the Via delle tre Madonne (The Street of the Three Madonnas).
The film is a comedy about a group of small-time thieves and ne’er-do-wells who bungle an attempt to burgle a pawn shop in Rome.[2] The five hapless would-be burglars are played by Vittorio Gassman, Renato Salvatori, Carlo Pisacane, Tiberio Murgia and Marcello Mastroianni. The careers of both Gassman and Mastroianni were considerably helped by the success of the film, Gassman in particular, since before then he was not deemed suitable for comedic roles.
Claudia Cardinale featured in a minor role (a chaste, black-clad Sicilian girl, almost held prisoner at home by her overbearing brother, played by Murgia); she would later rise to fame for other work. The film is also notable for its breezy jazz score by composer Piero Umiliani, who helped develop the style of the jazz soundtracks now considered characteristic of European films in the 1960s and 1970s.
The producers were initially skeptical about the film’s success, and to boost audience interest highlighted the appearance of the famous comedian Totò in the original poster even though his character chooses to remain a consultant to the heist gang rather than joining it outright. The film is distributed in Region 1 by The Criterion Collection and for the Italian market in Region 2 by 20th Century Fox.
Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958)
Directed by: Mario Monicelli
Starring: Vittorio Gassman, Renato Salvatori, Memmo Carotenuto, Rossana Rory, Carla Gravina, Claudia Cardinale, Elvira Tonelli, Marcello Mastroianni, Totò, Aldo Trifiletti
Screenplay by: Age ~ Scarpelli, Suso Cecchi d’Amico, Mario Monicelli
Production Design by: Piero Gherardi
Cinematography by: Gianni di Venanzo
Film Editing by: Adriana Novelli
Costume Design by: Piero Gherardi
Set Decoration by: Vito Anzalone
Music by: Piero Umiliani
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Lux Film
Release Date: June 30, 1958
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