Marcello Curti is a young man from a good background who, unknown to his family, is also involved in money laundering. While acting as the middleman in a currency exchange, the negotiations degenerate into a brawl and one of the traffickers is fatally shot. Marcello, who attempted to aid the wounded man, is arrested and accused of murder. Thanks to the help of his girlfriend and a clue found at the scene of the crime, Marcello and the police are able to track down the real culprit. The film was Marcello Mastroianni’s first lead role and featured the use of his own voice. It was produced by S.Ca.La., of which Mastroianni, Paolo Panelli and Tino Buazzelli were members. Released in the summer of 1952, the film was popular with audiences and critics alike, who praised the direction and action scenes, despite the limited budget: “The narration progressively tightens its grip on the audience’s attention, as the investigation reveals the plot little by little without ever putting at risk the surprise of the final discovery. The pace of the editing is a perfect accompaniment to the narrative development, providing the adventure with the necessary dramatic cadence to give the spectator a thoroughly exciting experience” (“Rivista del cinematografo”, August 1952). Unlike many genre films, which often fell into the trap of precautionary self-censorship, Calzavara’s film was positively received from the outset, also because it had been co-written by Calogero Marrocco, the ex-head of Rome’s Flying Squad of. The ministerial document states: “The depiction of events, from a certain point of view, appears to have been treated by expert hands and the police work itself comes across as brilliant and astute. The screenplay does not reveal the secrets of the criminal division, but sufficiently depicts its investigative methods, concluding with the apprehension of the murderer. A ‘detective film’, therefore, but one that is skilfully constructed and free from any unnecessary truculence”.

Cristina D’Osualdo