The Icicle Thief
Director Maurizio Nichetti is invited on TV to introduce a screening of his neo-realist classic 'The Icicle Thief'. He is horrified to discover that his black-and-white tale of life in poverty is constantly interrupted by garish color commercials, and even more horrified when a power cut in the studio causes film and commercials to mix up – a glamorous model finds herself in the arms of an unemployed pauper, while his wife finds herself in consumers' heaven. Nichetti has to break into the film to try to sort everything out.
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Cast
30 people
Maurizio Nichetti
Self / Antonio Piermattei
Known for
Here Come the Teachers
To Want to Fly
Caterina Sylos Labini
Maria Piermattei
Known for
Father Matteo
Natale a Rio
Manuel De Sica
Ernesto Di Sarro
Federico Rizzo
Bruno Piermattei
Known for
Il bambino e il poliziotto
Mauro Monti
Mario Battistoni
Renato Scarpa
Don Italo
Known for
The Two Popes
The Count of Monte Cristo
Heidi Komarek
Modella
Also in
One Night Stand
Carlina Torta
Telespettatrice
Known for
That's Life
The Nest
Massimo Sacilotto
Telespettatore
Known for
The Girl in the Fog
Claudio G. Fava
Critico
Also in
Festival
Maurizio Nichetti Director · Mauro Monti Screenplay Manuel De Sica Composer
Worldwide gross $1.2M · United States release November 2, 1989 · Produced in Italy
Box office
Worldwide gross
$1,231,622
Production
Reteitalia
Production
Bambú Cinema e TV
Production
Italy
Produced in
Languages
Original title
Ladri di saponette
Original language
Italian
Spoken on screen
English · Italian
Release dates
Italy · February 16, 1989
Theatrical
United States · November 2, 1989
Chicago International Film Festival
Australia
May 2, 1991
Canada
September 7, 1989 · Toronto Film Festival
Czechia
July 1, 1994 · Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
France
December 13, 1989
Germany
August 30, 1990 · Theatrical
Hungary
August 23, 1990
Japan
August 31, 1991
Netherlands
July 6, 1991 · TV premiere
Russia
July 1, 1989 · Moscow Film Festival
United Kingdom
November 16, 1990
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Some details come from TheTVDB.