goofy Italian crime farce, with Ray Danton in great form!

The title of the English language TV print I watched of this film is HOW TO WIN A BILLION...AND GET AWAY WITH IT. Imagine a cross between THE GANG THAT COULDN'T SHOOT STRAIGHT and OCEAN'S ELEVEN, if it had starred the Bowery Boys instead of the Rat Pack, and maybe you'll have some idea about this goofy 60s Italian crime farce. Ray Danton plays both an aging crime boss AND his playboy-wannabe son, and he's very funny in both roles. And thankfully Danton himself--a man with a fine voice--dubs both voices. This is lowbrow comedy on a Franco and Ciccio or Bowery Boys level, and what holds the film together is the charm and wit of Ray Danton, spoofing the tough-guy roles he played in so many earlier films. No great analysis is needed of a film such as this--if you want a dubbed Italian slapstick crime comedy starring a fine American tough-guy actor who did a number of good films during his European sojourn, then you'll want to find a copy of this obscure film. My copy was taped off a UHF station in the 1980's. Why there isn't a cable network specializing in European genre films, I don't know, but until there is, I wouldn't hold my breath expecting to see this on television.

Italian cinema has deeply influenced world cinema through its socially conscious realism and modernist experimentation, but it also flourished in popular genres like peplum (sword & sandal), giallo thrillers, and broad comedies. Its narratives often weave together politics, contemporary social change, class consciousness, and family dynamics, balancing artistic ambition with entertainment that resonated widely.

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