Eye of the Cat (Italian: Attenti al buffone, lit. 'Beware the Fool') is a 1975 Italian comedy-drama film written and directed by Alberto Bevilacqua.
Contents
Plot
Ras is a ruler or dictator who covets another man's wife as his own. He gets what he wants, but Ras wants more: in this case, to humiliate Marcello, a dedicated musician whose life he has already ruined by leaving his cat and taking his wife. He forces Marcello to seek an annulment to his marriage through the Vatican. Ras gets everything, but Marcello's wife, Giulia, and Marcello have other ideas.
Cast
Nino Manfredi as Marcello Ferrari
Mariangela Melato as Giulia
Eli Wallach as Cesare
Enzo Cannavale as Lolo
Francisco Rabal as the priest
Mario Scaccia as Salomone
Adriana Innocenti as Jolanda
Franco Scandurra as the Butler
Ettore Manni as Cesare's friend
Erika Blanc as Margot
Cristina Gajoni as a prostitute
Loredana Bertè as a prostitute
Production
The film is an adaptation of Bevilacqua's 1968 novel Occhio del gatto. It was shot in the spring of 1975.. The production was difficult, with Manfredi and Bevilacqua clashing to the point of physical confrontation.
Reception
Released in December 1975, the film was a commercial success, grossing over 1,4 billion lire at the Italian box office. It was mostly badly received by critics, even if it won the David di Donatello for Best Screenplay.