Con Manual

Love and Larceny. "The fool banks in the crook's pocket." The old Italian proverb is wittily illustrated in this new Italian film: a merry little con manual that might serve equally for the instruction of rogues and the sophistication of innocents abroad. Educative excerpts:

sb The hero (Vittorio Gassman), an artful dodger in need of some new shoes, strolls into a shoe store and tries on an expensive pair. "They look dark in this light," he murmurs, and permits the salesgirl to urge him toward the front door, where he carefully inspects the leather in the sunlight. A tomato, flung by an accomplice on the sidewalk, smacks him in the face. "Why, you punk!" the hero roars, and as the salesgirl stares in confusion he furiously pursues his assailant down the street and around the corner, running quite well for a man in a new pair of shoes.

sb Gassman and accomplice sit at separate tables in a swell restaurant. Suddenly the accomplice doubles up and cries out as if in abdominal pain. The manager, alarmed and embarrassed, hurries him into the kitchen. The crook moans louder and curses the cook for poisoning him. At that point, Gassman strides into the kitchen and declares: "I am a doctor!" He examines the patient, says he really does have food poisoning, starts to phone the health department. "Don't," the manager begs him. "Don't ruin me! I'll do anything you ask!" The "doctor" hesitates significantly, then inquires in a low voice: "Are you offering me a bribe?"

sb Smiling tenderly, the hero slips a ring on the finger of his bride (Dorian Gray), and the priest declares them man and wife. A jeweler in the wedding party steps forward with a diamond tiara. "Father,"' the groom says piously, "I have brought a little gift to the Virgin." The priest accepts it gratefully: "How good of you, my son." The jeweler walks briskly out of the church, clutching a fat check from the groom and confident that, even if it bounces, the priest will honorably render unto Caesar. But the instant he is out of sight, the "priest" grabs the "bride," the "groom" grabs the diamonds, and they all make tracks for the nearest fence.

Gassman is hilarious in all his disguises --wax teeth, putty neb, store hair, tape-on tummy--but most hilarious as the con man conned by a girl friend (Anna Maria Ferrero) who does the wedding bit with phony jewels--and a real priest.

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