Synopsis for
Caccia alla volpe (1966) More at IMDbPro »

Released in the US as "After The Fox", Caccia Alla Volpe is a 1966 collaboration of Vittorio De Sica and Peter Sellers. In this light romp Sellers plays Italian Master Thief Aldo Vanucci who escapes from prison to help his mother control his precocious young sister and to take part in smuggling gold bullion into Italy. With the Carabiniere always on his tail, Vanucci concocts a scheme to pose as Fellini-esque movie director Federico Fabrizzi filming a neo realistic film in a small Italian coastal town where he plans to receive the gold. Many icons are sent up in this film. De Sica himself shows he is not above a little self parody, Fellini of course gets jabbed and probably most notably, Victor Mature briefly came out of retirement to play handsome Tony Powell, a hilarious and thinly veiled caricature of himself, an aging over the hill star of the 40's desperate to recapture his former starpower complete with his signature trench coat.

Britt Ekland, Sellers then wife, stars as his naive and starstruck little sister Gina Vanucci who renames herself Gina Romantica and is a willing dupe in her brother's scheme. Martin Balsam stars as Harry, Powells exasperated agent and Akim Tamiroff gets in on the self parody playing yet another greasy fez wearing villain.

Fabrizzi snows everyone in the Italian town of Sevalio who are desperate to be in a movie including a gullible chief of police who unwittingly helps him dazzled by promises of a film career for himself.

Needless to say, the plan unravels with a few amusing surprises along the way. Certainly a must see for Sellers, Ekland and Mature fans. The film is complemented by music by Burt Bacharach and Hal David including a performance of the title theme "After The Fox" by then popular British group, The Hollies.