Guardie e Ladri marks the meeting of two great Italian comic actors, Totó, as a sly and resourceful thief, and Aldo Fabrizi (best known here as the priest in Rossellini's Open City, but in Italy as a veteran comic), as a cop whose heart is too big for his badge. The thief, Ferdinando Esposito, has robbed a visiting American (William Tubbs) of his wallet and his pride; the cop, Bottoni, has three months to find the elusive crook on pain of losing both job and pension. In an attempt to get at Esposito, Bottoni befriends his family and gradually begins to understand the man's predicament; when the two finally meet, they are already philosophical soulmates. A tale of a cop and a robber teaming up to exploit the bourgeoisie did not sit well with Italian establishment critics and Guardie e Ladri was the source of a good deal of controversy. But it is the epitome of the pragmatic spirit that informs so many of the Italian comedies-survival first, morality second-and as such it is deeply human, and deeply satisfying.