Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsABFFPride MonthOutfest OutfrontsSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Bicycle Thieves

Original title: Ladri di biciclette
  • 1948
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 29m
IMDb RATING
8.3/10
168K
YOUR RATING
Lamberto Maggiorani and Enzo Staiola in Bicycle Thieves (1948)
Trailer for The Bicylce Thief
Play trailer2:00
4 Videos
99+ Photos
Drama

In post-war Italy, a working-class man's bicycle is stolen, endangering his efforts to find work. He and his son set out to find it.In post-war Italy, a working-class man's bicycle is stolen, endangering his efforts to find work. He and his son set out to find it.In post-war Italy, a working-class man's bicycle is stolen, endangering his efforts to find work. He and his son set out to find it.

  • Director
    • Vittorio De Sica
  • Writers
    • Cesare Zavattini
    • Luigi Bartolini
    • Oreste Biancoli
  • Stars
    • Lamberto Maggiorani
    • Enzo Staiola
    • Lianella Carell
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    8.3/10
    168K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Vittorio De Sica
    • Writers
      • Cesare Zavattini
      • Luigi Bartolini
      • Oreste Biancoli
    • Stars
      • Lamberto Maggiorani
      • Enzo Staiola
      • Lianella Carell
    • 361User reviews
    • 148Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #120
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 20 wins & 3 nominations total

    Videos4

    The Bicycle Thief
    Trailer 2:00
    Watch The Bicycle Thief
    The Bicycle Thief
    Trailer 3:58
    Watch The Bicycle Thief
    THE BICYCLE THIEF Trailer
    Trailer 2:00
    Watch THE BICYCLE THIEF Trailer
    The Bicycle Thief: After Him!
    Clip 1:09
    Watch The Bicycle Thief: After Him!

    Photos131

    Lamberto Maggiorani and Enzo Staiola in Bicycle Thieves (1948)
    Vittorio De Sica in Bicycle Thieves (1948)
    Lamberto Maggiorani and Enzo Staiola in Bicycle Thieves (1948)
    Lamberto Maggiorani and Enzo Staiola in Bicycle Thieves (1948)
    Lamberto Maggiorani in Bicycle Thieves (1948)
    Lamberto Maggiorani and Enzo Staiola in Bicycle Thieves (1948)
    Lamberto Maggiorani and Enzo Staiola in Bicycle Thieves (1948)
    Bicycle Thieves (1948)
    Lamberto Maggiorani and Enzo Staiola in Bicycle Thieves (1948)
    Lamberto Maggiorani and Enzo Staiola in Bicycle Thieves (1948)
    Lamberto Maggiorani and Enzo Staiola in Bicycle Thieves (1948)
    Lamberto Maggiorani and Enzo Staiola in Bicycle Thieves (1948)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Lamberto Maggiorani
    Lamberto Maggiorani
    • Antonio
    Enzo Staiola
    Enzo Staiola
    • Bruno
    Lianella Carell
    Lianella Carell
    • Maria
    Elena Altieri
    Elena Altieri
    • The Charitable Lady
    Gino Saltamerenda
    Gino Saltamerenda
    • Baiocco
    Giulio Chiari
    Giulio Chiari
    • The Beggar
    Vittorio Antonucci
    Vittorio Antonucci
    • The Thief
    Michele Sakara
    • Secretary of the Charity Organization
    Fausto Guerzoni
    Fausto Guerzoni
    • Amateur Actor
    Emma Druetti
    Carlo Jachino
    • A Beggar
    Giulio Battiferri
    • Citizen Who Protects the Real Thief
    • (uncredited)
    Ida Bracci Dorati
    • La Santona
    • (uncredited)
    Nando Bruno
      Eolo Capritti
        Memmo Carotenuto
        Memmo Carotenuto
          Giovanni Corporale
            Veriano Ginesi
            • Man in the Crowd
            • (uncredited)
            • Director
              • Vittorio De Sica
            • Writers
              • Cesare Zavattini
              • Luigi Bartolini
              • Oreste Biancoli
            • All cast & crew
            • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

            More like this

            The 400 Blows
            8.1
            The 400 Blows
            Metropolis
            8.3
            Metropolis
            M
            8.3
            M
            Citizen Kane
            8.3
            Citizen Kane
            City Lights
            8.5
            City Lights
            Double Indemnity
            8.3
            Double Indemnity
            Vertigo
            8.3
            Vertigo
            Rashomon
            8.2
            Rashomon
            Modern Times
            8.5
            Modern Times
            Singin' in the Rain
            8.3
            Singin' in the Rain
            North by Northwest
            8.3
            North by Northwest
            Sunset Blvd.
            8.4
            Sunset Blvd.

            Storyline

            Edit

            Did you know

            Edit
            • Trivia
              There's a scene late in the movie where Bruno is nearly run over twice whilst crossing the street. This was absolutely unrehearsed - it was filmed on location and the two cars happened to pass by at the same time.
            • Goofs
              All entries contain spoilers
            • Quotes

              Antonio Ricci: "There's a cure for everything except death."

            • Connections
              Edited into Bellissimo: Immagini del cinema italiano (1985)

            User reviews361

            Review
            Review
            Featured review
            10/10
            Another one to add to my top 50- a delicate study of desperation in post war Italy
            Vittorio De Sica's ground/heartbreaking motion picture, The Bicycle Thief, is based on a very simple ideal for a story- man against the elements. In this case the elements are of a society that is often cruel and unforgiving, and that a job in post-war Rome is looked on as the luckiest of good luck charms.

            Such a man as presented by De Sica is Maggiorani (an actor who really is the type of actor right off the street), a father of a little boy who gets a job putting up movie posters along some walls in Rome. To do this he needs a bicycle, or the job will be lost, and he gets one following a pawning of linen sheets. Very soon though, the bicycle is stolen, and from there a sad downward spiral unravels for the man and his son as they scour the streets for the bicycle.

            While the score adds basic dramatic tension, everything else on the screen is done to such a pitch of neo-realism it's at times shattering, joyful (scene in the pizzeria the most note-worthy), and with a feeling of day-to-day resonance to those who may have not even felt at or below the poverty level in their lives. Credit due to all parties involved, though I don't think the boy Bruno, played by Staiola, gets nearly enough considering his role as a minor coming of age (that moment after the father and son leave the church nearly brought tears to my eyes). A++
            helpful•116
            20
            • Quinoa1984
            • Apr 8, 2003

            Top picks

            Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
            Sign in

            FAQ4

            • What is 'Bicycle Thieves' about?
            • Is 'Bicycle Thieves' based on a book?
            • How does the movie end?

            Details

            Edit
            • Release date
              • December 13, 1949 (United States)
            • Country of origin
              • Italy
            • Languages
              • Italian
              • English
              • German
            • Also known as
              • The Bicycle Thief
            • Filming locations
              • Citta Valmelaina, Via Salaria, Rome, Lazio, Italy
            • Production company
              • Produzioni De Sica
            • See more company credits at IMDbPro

            Box office

            Edit
            • Budget
              • $133,000 (estimated)
            • Gross US & Canada
              • $371,111
            • Opening weekend US & Canada
              • $25,377
              • Oct 4, 1998
            • Gross worldwide
              • $436,655
            See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

            Technical specs

            Edit
            • Runtime
              1 hour 29 minutes
            • Color
              • Black and White
            • Sound mix
              • Mono
            • Aspect ratio
              • 1.37 : 1

            Related news

            Contribute to this page

            Suggest an edit or add missing content
            Lamberto Maggiorani and Enzo Staiola in Bicycle Thieves (1948)
            Top Gap
            What was the official certification given to Bicycle Thieves (1948) in Mexico?
            Answer
            • See more gaps
            • Learn more about contributing
            Edit page

            More to explore

            Recently viewed

            Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
            Get the IMDb App
            Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
            • Get the IMDb App
            • Help
            • Site Index
            • IMDbPro
            • Box Office Mojo
            • IMDb Developer
            • Press Room
            • Advertising
            • Jobs
            • Conditions of Use
            • Privacy Policy
            • Your Ads Privacy Choices
            IMDb, an Amazon company

            © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.