Guardie e ladri (Cops and Robbers) (1951)

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Guardie e Ladri (Cops and Robbers) is buoyed by the combined comic talents of Aldo Fabrizi and Toto. Toto plays Ferdinando Esposito, a thief who has successfully eluded the law for many years. Fabrizi plays Bottoni, a detective who has been given three months to bring Esposito to justice. Deciding… More Guardie e Ladri (Cops and Robbers) is buoyed by the combined comic talents of Aldo Fabrizi and Toto. Toto plays Ferdinando Esposito, a thief who has successfully eluded the law for many years. Fabrizi plays Bottoni, a detective who has been given three months to bring Esposito to justice. Deciding to bore from within, Bottoni ingratiates himself with Esposito's warm-hearted family. He finally meets his prey at a colorful family get-together. The men discover that they're kindred spirits. But this does not dissuade Bottoni's determination that the law must take its course. Amazingly, Cops and Robbers has yet to be remade as an American film: this would have been an ideal vehicle for the likes of Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi