On 27 June 1959, I Ladri was released in Italy. It is notable primarily because it was the first feature film of horror legend Lucio Fulci.

The title is translated “The Thieves.” It is a comedy starring Armando Calvo as Joe Castagnato, a gangster deported from the US back to Italy. He manages to return with a ton of gold smuggled in jars of pineapple jam. But the dimwitted Scognamiglio family figure out what he is doing and blackmails him into working with them. Meanwhile, he is surveilled by Commissioner Di Sapio (Totò).

Giovanna Ralli got top billing as the intelligent seamstress wife of Vincenzo Scognamillo (Giacomo Furia). Fulci was one of eight writers on the film. It was an Italian-Spanish co-production, released 12 December 1960 in Spain. It doesn’t look like an English dub was ever made nor that the film was ever released in the United States.

Regardless, I have not been able to find a copy of I Ladri — in any language. In fact, I haven’t even been able to find a trailer for the film. It is available on an expensive DVD with only Italian sound and subtitles. It seems like the kind of thing that will eventually end up on Archive.

I Ladri is definitely something to look out for. Those who have seen it tend to think it was fairly entertaining. If anyone finds a print (or even a trailer), please let me know in the comments!

---

The I Ladri poster image was taken from Wikipedia and used under Fair Use.