Bluff (aka The Con Artists) (1976)

Set in France in the 1920s, a notorious con artist (Anthony Quinn) is sprung from prison by his ex-lover (Capucine) who is still bitter about his running off with her jewels. But with the help of his daughter (Corinne Clery, MOONRAKER) and another escaped convict (Adriano Celentano), he plans another big con job. Directed by Sergio Corbucci (DJANGO), this is a lackluster swindle caper that seems influenced by THE STING. While not as bad as THE STING (what could be?), it's a dumb and uninspired caper. Anthony Quinn has never been known for his comic touch but we're also saddled with Adriano Celentano, an irritating and hideous Italian comic actor who makes Roberto Benigni seem like Cary Grant. Incredibly, he won the Italian Oscar (David Di Donatello award) for his appalling performance here! To be fair, the transfer I saw was dubbed into English and my anathema toward Celentano's (a popular star in Italy for his low comedies) performance might possibly be due to his dubbed voice. Capucine proved herself a stylish comedienne in PINK PANTHER and WHAT'S NEW PUSSYCAT? and she's the only performer who doesn't disgrace herself here.