Big Deal on Madonna Street

Big Deal on Madonna Street (Italian: I soliti ignoti), is a 1958 Italian language film, directed by Mario Monicelli. The stars of the film include Marcello Mastroianni and Vittorio Gassman, both of whose careers were helped considerably by the success of the film. It is a comedy about a group of small-time thieves and ne'er-do-wells who attempt to burglarize a state run pawn shop (Monte di Pieta').

A literal English translation of the title is "usually unknown people", which is a bit of a spoiler considering the final plot twist at the end of the film. The title under which the film was released in the United States is more descriptive of the plot.

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*Criterion Collection essay by Bruce Eder