This movie was poorly translated as "Murder all'italiana", so few people guessed that it was a rendition of Carlo Emilio Gadda's well-known novel QUER PASTICCIACCIO BRUTTO DE VIA MERULANA, read with delight at the beginning of the sixties. It had three major trumps: excellent plot, sophisticated language (mixed with Roman dialect)and long suspense, although the murderer is still unknown and at large when the book ends... For the movie, the double talents of Pietro Germi (director and occasional actor) and Gadda (contributing to the script)were supported by a very solid cast, including Franco Fabrizi, one of Fellini's favorite actor, Claudio Gora, a well known Italian old-timer and two major beauties, Claudia Cardinale and Eleonora Rosssi-Drago. Unfortunately, the TV rendition (thanks God, in original version) was scheduled right after the regional elections in France, at 1 a.m. I thought the event could alter the time, so I allowed 15 extra minutes on my VCR to tape it. To my surprise, it began 15 minutes ahead of schedule, but the book helped me to fill in the gap. There was not much to say on TV after the surprising defeat of the government, so they ran the film well ahead of schedule. A replay would be mandatory, but I know they'll never respond to my complaint. The film is considered a classic in Italy, and the remasterized copy was perfect. Too bad French TV doesn't have any consideration for the early birds like me. harry carasso