This Italian-made comedy has Peter Sellers in the role of a master crook of many disguises. There's an old saying, "The clothes make the man," that might apply here. Because, except for a mustache and a little rearrangement of his hair, Aldo Vanucci – aka, "The Fox," is able to pass himself off as any number of people not readily recognized by the police. Of course, we in the audience recognize him right away. But his neat suit leaving the prison doesn't arouse the guards to check to see closely that it is not the prison psychiatrist leaving, but Vanucci. Then policemen walk right by him on the street when he appears as a priest with no facial changes at all; and then in a formal Army uniform as an officer, with a mustache.
"After the Fox" is set in Rome and the Italian coast, where it was filmed. It's a good comedy of antics and situations that Sellers was master at. He is joined by Victor Mature, who plays an aging but still screen idol actor, Tony Powell. Also in the cast are Britt Ekland as his sister with her wannabe stage name of Gina Romantica. Martin Balsam plays Harry Granoff, Powell's frustrated agent. And one of the best supporting actors for mid-20th century comedies, Akim Tamiroff, plays Okra. Several other good small roles add to this fine comedy.
Maria Grazia Buccella plays Okra's sister, but The Fox doesn't know it at the time and he's attracted to her on their first meeting. It's a hilarious scene and one of the funniest of all time in the movies. The Fox is supposed to met Okra in a well-known Italian restaurant that caters to tourists. They won't be so conspicuous there. The sister is sitting alone at a table and Okra is sitting at the table behind her. They are seated back-to-back, their chairs touching. She mouths the words that Okra speaks, in perfect sync so that one thinks it's really she who is speaking with the broken, deep male voice. The Fox thinks it is her voice at first and is taken aback. Okra tells him to sit down and that he is speaking through her because they wouldn't draw attention as would two men talking.
A lengthy conversation takes place, and The Fox comes on to her during this. Her lip-synching is so perfect, it is one hilarious scene. Later on, Okra and The Fox have a similar scene when we see two horses drinking at a fountain, and hear the voices of the two men as they talk. One would think it was the horses (by ventriloquism) until the camera pans back and we see that Okra and The Fox are each driving a carriage with passengers.
Things go into high gear when The Fox commandeers a film company truck and equipment to stage a fake movie in a small coastal town. It's there that they plan to land two tons of gold bars the Okra's gang managed to steal from Cairo, Egypt. The whole town gets involved. I can only imagine that the cast, film crew and all the people of that village must have had a fun time making this movie there.
One last good element of this film is a crazy vehicle chase. Okra tries to flee the scene with the gold all by himself in the movie production truck. He turns on a smoke screen first and takes off. By this time the police have arrived, and the crazy chase with The Fox and police in pursuit winds up and down and around the roads from the village. The smoke screen is so dense after a while that we can't see the vehicles. Anyone who has seen "The Pink Panther" knows how this chase will end.
It's a funny and very enjoyable film with more than a little satire of the Italian and Egyptian police, and of foreign filmmakers.
Here are some funny lines from the film. For more, see the Quotes section on this IMDb Web page for the movie.
Gina Romantica, watching a movie in a theater that stars Victor Mature, "He's a good kisser." Aldo Vanucci, "Do you know how many good kissers are starving in Italy?"
Aldo Vanucci, to the Police Chief after townsfolk boo him, "We should have a talk in your office before they kill you."
Police Chief, as he holds a cigar box open for Aldo, "Have a cigar." Aldo Vanucci, "Oh, I couldn't take your last one." Police Chief, "Thank you."
Gina Romantica, to Tony Powell, "You're even more beautiful in person than you are in real life."
Aldo Vanucci, to Tony and Gina, "When I give you the signal, do nothing, absolutely nothing."
Bikini Girl comes to see Aldo, who doesn't know she is Okra's sister. She says, "He doesn't let me talk to anyone. I haven't used a telephone in six years. If he knew I was here, he would kill me." Aldo Vanucci, "That swine."
"After the Fox" is set in Rome and the Italian coast, where it was filmed. It's a good comedy of antics and situations that Sellers was master at. He is joined by Victor Mature, who plays an aging but still screen idol actor, Tony Powell. Also in the cast are Britt Ekland as his sister with her wannabe stage name of Gina Romantica. Martin Balsam plays Harry Granoff, Powell's frustrated agent. And one of the best supporting actors for mid-20th century comedies, Akim Tamiroff, plays Okra. Several other good small roles add to this fine comedy.
Maria Grazia Buccella plays Okra's sister, but The Fox doesn't know it at the time and he's attracted to her on their first meeting. It's a hilarious scene and one of the funniest of all time in the movies. The Fox is supposed to met Okra in a well-known Italian restaurant that caters to tourists. They won't be so conspicuous there. The sister is sitting alone at a table and Okra is sitting at the table behind her. They are seated back-to-back, their chairs touching. She mouths the words that Okra speaks, in perfect sync so that one thinks it's really she who is speaking with the broken, deep male voice. The Fox thinks it is her voice at first and is taken aback. Okra tells him to sit down and that he is speaking through her because they wouldn't draw attention as would two men talking.
A lengthy conversation takes place, and The Fox comes on to her during this. Her lip-synching is so perfect, it is one hilarious scene. Later on, Okra and The Fox have a similar scene when we see two horses drinking at a fountain, and hear the voices of the two men as they talk. One would think it was the horses (by ventriloquism) until the camera pans back and we see that Okra and The Fox are each driving a carriage with passengers.
Things go into high gear when The Fox commandeers a film company truck and equipment to stage a fake movie in a small coastal town. It's there that they plan to land two tons of gold bars the Okra's gang managed to steal from Cairo, Egypt. The whole town gets involved. I can only imagine that the cast, film crew and all the people of that village must have had a fun time making this movie there.
One last good element of this film is a crazy vehicle chase. Okra tries to flee the scene with the gold all by himself in the movie production truck. He turns on a smoke screen first and takes off. By this time the police have arrived, and the crazy chase with The Fox and police in pursuit winds up and down and around the roads from the village. The smoke screen is so dense after a while that we can't see the vehicles. Anyone who has seen "The Pink Panther" knows how this chase will end.
It's a funny and very enjoyable film with more than a little satire of the Italian and Egyptian police, and of foreign filmmakers.
Here are some funny lines from the film. For more, see the Quotes section on this IMDb Web page for the movie.
Gina Romantica, watching a movie in a theater that stars Victor Mature, "He's a good kisser." Aldo Vanucci, "Do you know how many good kissers are starving in Italy?"
Aldo Vanucci, to the Police Chief after townsfolk boo him, "We should have a talk in your office before they kill you."
Police Chief, as he holds a cigar box open for Aldo, "Have a cigar." Aldo Vanucci, "Oh, I couldn't take your last one." Police Chief, "Thank you."
Gina Romantica, to Tony Powell, "You're even more beautiful in person than you are in real life."
Aldo Vanucci, to Tony and Gina, "When I give you the signal, do nothing, absolutely nothing."
Bikini Girl comes to see Aldo, who doesn't know she is Okra's sister. She says, "He doesn't let me talk to anyone. I haven't used a telephone in six years. If he knew I was here, he would kill me." Aldo Vanucci, "That swine."