The Swindle (1955) is both a stand-alone movie and the centerpiece of Federico Fellini's unofficial "trilogy of loneliness," preceded by The Road (1954) and followed by Nights of Cabiria (1957). All three are key works marking the last great moments of Italian neorealism, which was waning as central figures like Roberto Rossellini and Vittorio De Sica moved on to different genres. In the 1950s, he still held the neorealist conviction that nothing is more dramatic than the lives of ordinary people transferred to the screen with a minimum of embellishment.
Federico Fellini had originally intended Humphrey Bogart for the role of Augusto, but, learning of Bogart being ill with cancer, finally chose Broderick Crawford for the part.
Federico Fellini took full advantage of that when he cast Anthony Quinn and Richard Basehart in The Road (1954) and then invited Basehart back for The Swindle (1955) along with Crawford, who had won the Academy Award for Best Actor with his work in Robert Rossen's political drama All the King's Men (1949). Crawford's scowling face and burly frame are ideal for the immoral Augusto, and Basehart complements him with an innocent handsomeness.
Federico Fellini took full advantage of that when he cast Anthony Quinn and Richard Basehart in The Road (1954) and then invited Basehart back for The Swindle (1955) along with Crawford, who had won the Academy Award for Best Actor with his work in Robert Rossen's political drama All the King's Men (1949). Crawford's scowling face and burly frame are ideal for the immoral Augusto, and Basehart complements him with an innocent handsomeness.