Ringing in the new year with a classic Italian comedy set on New Year’s Eve, Mario Monicelli’s The Passionate Thief (Risate di Gioia) stars Anna Magnani, Totò, and Ben Gazzarra on a night of misadventures, misunderstandings, and mishaps. This non-stop comedy is layered with deep gravitas, surfacing generational divides, power dynamics, and deception.

Links:

• The Passionate Thief: Rialto Pictures | Film Forum
• Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

This episode features the following music excerpts from the film’s soundtrack by Lelio Luttazzi:

• “Risate di gioia”
• “Furto cha cha cha”
• “Jazzy”
• “Una zebra a pois”
• “Quando una ragazza a New Orleans”