''Free Hand for a Tough Cop'' (), also known as ''Tough Cop'', is an Italian

poliziottesco ''Poliziotteschi'' (; : ''poliziottesco'') constitute a subgenre of crime and action films that emerged in Italy in the late 1960s and reached the height of their popularity in the 1970s. They are also known as ''polizieschi all'italiana'', ''I ...

action film The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...

directed in 1976 by

Umberto Lenzi Umberto Lenzi (6 August 1931 – 19 October 2017) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and novelist. A fan of film since young age, Lenzi studied at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia and made his first film in 1958 which went unre ...

and the second entry into the Tanzi/Moretto/Monnezza shared universe. In this movie Tomas Milian plays for the first time Sergio Marazzi a.k.a. "Er Monnezza", a role that he later played several more times, in Lenzi's '' Brothers Till We Die'' (1978, a sort of sequel of this movie), in '' Destruction Force'' by

Stelvio Massi Stelvio Massi (26 March 1929 – 26 March 2004), sometimes credited "Max Steel", was an Italian director, screenwriter, and cinematographer, best known for his "''poliziotteschi''" films. Career Born in Civitanova Marche, the son of a tobacconi ...

(1977) and, with slight differences, in ''

Uno contro l'altro, praticamente amici ''Uno contro l'altro, praticamente amici'' (''Against Each Other, Practically Friends'') is a 1981 Italian comedy film directed by Bruno Corbucci. Cast * Renato Pozzetto as Franco Colombo *Tomas Milian as Quinto Cecioni aka "Er Monnezza" * An ...

'' by

Bruno Corbucci Bruno Corbucci (23 October 1931 – 7 September 1996) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He was the younger brother of Sergio Corbucci and wrote many of his films. He was born in Rome, where he also died. The vast majority of h ...

(1980) and in Francesco Massaro's '' Il lupo e l'agnello'' (1980).

Plot

Camilla is a little girl suffering with a kidney disorder. Before she can receive her next due treatment she gets kidnapped. The gangsters intend to blackmail her rich father. Commissario Antonio Sarti knows that time is running out on the victim and takes desperate measures. He secretly organises a

prison escape A prison escape (also referred to as a bust out, breakout, jailbreak, jail escape or prison break) is the act of an Prisoner, inmate leaving prison through unofficial or illegal ways. Normally, when this occurs, an effort is made on the part o ...

for petty crook Sergio Marazzi. By using Marazzi's insider knowledge of the criminal milieu Sarti detects kidnapper's hideout.

Cast

Tomas Milian Tomás Quintín Rodríguez-Varona Milián Salinas de la Fé y Álvarez de la Campa (3 March 1933 – 22 March 2017) was a Cuban-born actor with American and Italian citizenship, known for the emotional intensity and humor he brought to starring ...

as Sergio Marazzi / "Er Monnezza" * Claudio Cassinelli as Commissioner Antonio Sarti *

Henry Silva Henry Silva (September 23, 1926 – September 14, 2022) was an American actor, with a film and television career which spanned fifty years. A prolific character actor in over 140 productions, he was known for his "dark, sepulchral" looks and ...

as Brescianelli * Nicoletta Machiavelli as Mara * Robert Hundar as Mario “The Cynic” *

Biagio Pelligra Biagio Pelligra (born 24 June 1937, in Comiso) is an Italian stage, film and television actor. Life and career Born in Comiso, Province of Ragusa, Pelligra started his acting career in the second half of the sixties, and after several minor rol ...

as Calabrese *

Giuseppe Castellano Giuseppe Castellano (September 12, 1893 – July 31, 1977) was an Italian general who negotiated and signed the armistice between Italy and the Allies on September 3, 1943. Biography Military career Of Sicilian descent but born in Prato, he was ...

as Vallelunga * Ernesto Colli as Roscetto *

Tano Cimarosa Tano Cimarosa, (real name Gaetano Cisco; 1 January 1922 – 24 May 2008) was an Italian actor, screenwriter and film director. He participated in more than fifty movies. He played the "Blacksmith" in the Oscar-winning film ''Cinema Paradiso'' fr ...

as Cravatta *

Dana Ghia Dana Ghia (born Felicita Ghia; 13 July 1932 – January 2024) was an Italian actress, singer, and model. During her acting career, Ghia was sometimes credited as Ghia Arlen. Life and career Born Felicita Ghia in Milan, Italy, Ghia started her ...

as Clara Finzi * Renato Mori as Commissioner Franchini *

Antonio Casale Antonio Casale (17 May 1932 – 4 February 2017) was an Italian film actor of the 1960s and 1970s who appeared in mostly Spaghetti Western Italian films between 1965 and 1976. Although his later roles were more prominent, Casale is probably mo ...

as Pasquale Tomati / “Er Greve” *

Massimo Bonetti Massimo Bonetti (born 28 March 1951) is an Italian actor and director. Life and career Born in Rome, Bonetti after several years as character actor debuted in a leading role in 1981, in Aurelio Chiesa's ''Bim Bum Bam''. Then, he obtained role ...

as Pickpocket * Luciano Rossi as Dealer * Umberto Raho as Lawyer * Sara Franchetti as Moretti's Cleaning Lady *

Arturo Dominici Arturo Dominici (2 January 1916 – 7 September 1992) was an Italian film, television and voice actor. Biography Born in Palermo, Dominici became best known for his many villainous roles in horror and fantasy films. He is best remembered f ...

as De Rita *

Giovanni Cianfriglia Giovanni Cianfriglia (5 April 1935 – 30 October 2024), also known as Ken Wood, was an Italian film actor and stuntman. He appeared in more than 100 films from 1958 to 2000. Life and career Born in Anzio, Cianfriglia debuted as the body doub ...

as Camini

References

External links

*
''Free Hand for a Tough Cop''
at

Variety Distribution Variety Distribution is an Italian-based film distribution company. It distributes Italian films worldwide, produced from the 1930s onward. History Variety Distribution (formerly Variety Film and Variety Communications) has been in the film ...

1976 films Films directed by Umberto Lenzi Poliziotteschi films 1970s crime action films 1970s Italian films Films scored by Bruno Canfora {{1970s-action-film-stub

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links