After the Fox [Caccia alla volpe] *** (1966, Peter Sellers, Victor Mature, Britt Ekland, Lydia Brazzi, Paola Stoppa, Akim Tamiroff, Martin Balsam) – Classic Movie Review 10,276

Director Vittorio De Sica’s 1966 comedy After the Fox [Caccia alla volpe] stars Peter Sellers in a jovial, harmless Neil Simon heist farce about a small-time conman criminal called Aldo Vanucci aka The Fox (Sellers) who gets into film directing, posing as a famous director, (who can they mean?) to cover a bullion robbery.

Sellers goes hilariously over the top in a variety of disguises and Victor Mature splendidly spoofs himself as an ex-matinée idol. Jokes fall flat and the tone wobbles alarmingly, but there are still quite a few laughs. The screenplay is by Neil Simon and Cesare Zavattini, from the play by Neil Simon.

After the Fox is surprisingly directed by Italian neo-realist maestro De Sica, who said later: ‘You can’t make an Italian dish with a Jewish comedy recipe.’

Lydia Brazzi, actor Rossano Brazzi’s wife, plays Peter Sellers’ mother Mamma Vanucci. De Sica saw her in a restaurant with Brazzi, pleaded with her to play the role, not realising she was Brazzi’s wife. She appeared in only two other films.

Britt Ekland and Peter Sellers in 1964.

Britt Ekland, who plays Gina Romantica, entered films and became a star in Italy. Peter Sellers fell for her after seeing her photograph in a newspaper and meeting her in a London hotel, where he proposed to her. They married after 10 days (19 February 1964 – 18 December 1968) (divorced, one child). Sellers suffered a heart attack in bed on their wedding night. They made one other film together, The Bobo (1967). They also appeared together in the 1964 American TV movie Carol for Another Christmas. Their daughter Victoria Sellers was born on January 20, 1965.

Britt Ekland was born Britt-Marie Eklund on 6 October 1942. She is remembered for The Night They Raided Minsky’s (1968), Get Carter (1971), Endless Night (1972), Asylum (1972), Baxter! (1973), The Wicker Man (1973) and The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Royal Flash (1975).

Also in the cast are Paola Stoppa, Akim Tamiroff, Martin Balsam, Mac Ronay, Tino Buazzelli, Lando Buzzanca as the Police Chief, Maria Grazia Buccella as Bikini Girl, Maurice Denham as Chief of Interpol and Carlo Croccolo.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,276

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