Caccia alla volpe (1966)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Vittorio De Sica

Writers:

Neil Simon (play)
Neil Simon (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1966 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

Watch your girl, guard your gold, hold your jewels ...the fox is loose!

Plot:

Peter Sellers plays Aldo Vanucci (aka the Fox), one of the greatest criminals of the world, and master of disguise...

Plot Keywords:

Italy | Sister | Disguise | Posing | Prison Escape

Cast

Peter Sellers	...	Aldo Vanucci / Federico Fabrizi
Victor Mature	...	Tony Powell
Britt Ekland	...	Gina Vanucci aka "Gina Romantica"
Martin Balsam	...	Harry
Akim Tamiroff	...	Okra
Paolo Stoppa	...	Polio
Tino Buazzelli	...	Siepi
Mac Ronay	...	Carlo
Lydia Brazzi	...	Mama Vanucci
Lando Buzzanca	...	Police Chief
Maria Grazia Buccella	...	Miss Okra, the bikini trap.
Maurice Denham	...	Chief of Interpol
Tiberio Murgia	...	1st Detective
Francesco De Leone	...	2nd Detective
Carlo Croccolo	...	Cafe Owner
Nino Musco	...	Mayor
Pier Luigi Pizzi	...	Doctor
Lino Mattera	...	Singer
Piero Gerlini	...	1st Jailer
Daniele Vargas	...	Public prosecutor
Franco Sportelli	...	Judge
Giustino Durano	...	Critic
Mimmo Poli	...	Fat Actor
Enzo Fiermonte	...	Raymond
Roberto De Simone	...	Marcel Vignon (as Roberto De Simoni)
Angelo Spaggiari	...	Felix Kessler
Mario Del Vago	...	Manuel Ortega
Timothy Bateson	...	Michael O'Reilly
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Carlo Delle Piane	...	(uncredited)
Vittorio De Sica	...	Himself (uncredited)
Daniela Igliozzi	...	(uncredited)
David Lodge	...	Police officer (uncredited)
Enrico Luzi	...	Movie Director on Via Veneto (uncredited)
Carlo Pisacane	...	2nd Judge (uncredited)
Marcella Rovena	...	Salvatore's Wife (uncredited)
Lizabeth Scott	...	Actress in Tony Powell movie (archive footage) (uncredited)
Nino Vingelli	...	3d Judge (uncredited)

Directed by
Vittorio De Sica

Writing credits
Neil Simon		(play "After the Fox")
Neil Simon		(screenplay) and
Cesare Zavattini		(screenplay)

Produced by
John Bryan	....	producer
Maurizio Lodi-Fe	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Piero Piccioni		(Italian version)

Cinematography by
Leonida Barboni

Film Editing by
Russell Lloyd

Production Design by
Mario Garbuglia

Costume Design by
Piero Tosi

Makeup Department
Stuart Freeborn	....	makeup artist
Amato Garbini	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Angelo Binarelli	....	production supervisor
Maurizio Lodi-Fe	....	production manager (as Maurizio Lodi-Fè)
Orazio Tassara	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Luisa Alessandri	....	assistant director
Franco Cirino	....	assistant director
Giorgio Stegani	....	second unit director
Richard Talmadge	....	second unit director

Sound Department
Malcolm Cooke	....	sound editor
Roberto Cuomo	....	sound engineer
Sash Fisher	....	sound
Norman B. Schwartz	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Joseph Nathanson	....	special effects coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Roberto D'Ettorre Piazzoli	....	assistant camera
Claudio Ragona	....	camera operator
Arturo Zavattini	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Adriana Novelli	....	editor: Italian language version

Music Department
Burt Bacharach	....	conductor (English language version)
Charles Blackwell	....	orchestrator: Burt Bacharach
Ralph Ferraro	....	conductor (Italian language version)
The Hollies	....	performers: title song

Other crew
Maurice Binder	....	title designer
Elvira D'Amico	....	script supervisor
Valerio De Paolis	....	production secretary
Dick Horn	....	assistant title designer
Harriet Medin	....	dialogue coach (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Compagnia Cinematografica Montoro (CCM)
• Delegate
• Nancy Enterprises Inc. (I)

Distributors

• United Artists (1966) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1970) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)

Also Known As:

After the Fox (UK) (USA)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

Italy | USA | UK

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Argentina:14 | Finland:S | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | UK:U | USA:Unrated | West Germany:6 (nf) | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Ischia Island, Naples, Campania, Italy

Company:

Compagnia Cinematografica Montoro (CCM)

Trivia:

The man playing the great Italian director Vittorio De Sica is the real Vittorio De Sica who actually directed this movie.

Goofs:

Factual errors: At the beginning of this film, the police conferees are presented with a gold bar to examine. Based on its apparent size--it seems to be about a foot and a half long by three and a half inches wide and high--it would weigh on the order of 150 pounds. Yet it is passed around the table as if it weighed a tenth that much!

Quotes:

Aldo Vanucci: Aagghh! If only I could steal enough to become an honest man!

Movie Connections:

Spoofs La terra trema: Episodio del mare (1948)

Soundtrack:

After the Fox

Very funny film!

While certainly not one of his greatest works, Peter Sellers nonetheless shines as Aldo Vanucci, aka "The Fox". He underplays the role in his early scenes, as the scheming criminal, but pulls out all the stops when the character hits upon the idea to masquerade as "Fredrico Fabrizi" the great neo-realist. Much like the scheme inspires Vanucci, the disguise inspires Sellers, and his wildly inventive genius kicks into high gear.

Equally funny is Victor Mature as aging, past-his-prime movie idol Tony Powell. It's a well-written part (by Neil Simon), but Mature really brings him to life, and rather than merely making him a buffoon, which would have been easy to do, he gives him a quality of sympathy; deep down, despite all his posturing and pompousness, Powell probably knows he's on the decline.

All-in-all, a very funny film, with a truly inspired Sellers performance, even if it's not his best. Even a little really good Sellers goes a long way. He's sadly missed.