L'Agent américain

Dustin Hoffman's character Jason Fister is sent to Rome to track down the million dollars a deceased gangster named Mike Madigan (Cesar Romero) left behind.Giorgio Gentili's Madigan's Million was shot in 1966 but wasn't released until a couple years later, in 1968.Dustin Hoffman had gotten some name to himself with The Graduate so they brought this to the big screen with much less success.It is Hoffman who saves the show.He steals the show from the moment he stumbles on the screen till the moment he hops off the screen.This is totally and completely a Dustin Hoffman show.There are other actors too who aren't bad at all.There are people such as Elsa Martinelli, Gustavo Rojo, Fernando Hilbeck, Riccardo Garrone and so on.And let's not forget those few minutes in the beginning with Cesar Romero.I recommend this movie solely to Dustin Hoffman fans.Others don't be bothered.

OK, so "Un dollaro per 7 vigliacchi" (aka "Madigan's Millions") is pretty much all low humor, with a pre-"Graduate" Dustin Hoffman as a witless government agent sent to Italy to find the million dollars that a murdered gangster (Cesar Romero) kept hidden. Still, the movie elicits a certain charm, as he irks the police, leaves a lawyer in an embarrassing position, and causes a wacky chase through Rome. If absolutely nothing else, it's neat to see Dustin Hoffman in an early role. Personally, I wish that he would do more comedy (think "Tootsie" and "Meet the Fockers").

So, it's worth seeing if only for that. And because Elsa Martinelli was really hot!

In spite of the low rating of this film I got interested in it as I wanted to see an early Hoffman's performance and the story sounded interesting.So I watched the film and I think it isn't bad at all.Yes,it has its weak points but there is plenty of humor and fun in it.Some scenes can really make you laugh.The mixture of comedy and crime works in my view and the reason for that is mainly the wonderful Hoffman ,who makes a very good role.There is even a car chase in the movie which isn't bad for a film made in the 1960s.The plot is interesting,maybe it isn't so well written but it won't bother you and you'll probably find the movie nice.The supporting cast is also good:Elsa Martinelli,Gustavo Rojo,Ricardo Carrone,Fernando Hilbeck and the others do their job well.

After a few years in light roles in film and TV, Dustin Hoffman scored stardom in 1967 with "The Graduate." So, why would he be cast the next year in a "spaghetti" comedy? I don't know the machinations of Hollywood, but I'd like to posit a wild guess: He or someone else thought he might score again in a comedy. In this case, a sort of Italian-American "Pink Panther." When you finish laughing, consider the similarities in this film with the 1963 smash hit, "The Pink Panther."

Hoffman's character is similar to Peter Sellers' Jacques Clouseau. Both were government detectives of sorts. Both were bungling characters who fell, tripped or ran into objects and people. Both were disliked by their superiors and cohorts, who considered them incompetent. Inspector Clouseau incessantly corrected people who called him "inspector Clouseau," stating that he was "CHIEF inspector Clouseau." Hoffman's Jason Fister is a U.S. Treasury agent (auditor), whom people keep referring to as "Mr. FAWster." He continually corrects people: "It's FISTer – F, I, S, T, E, R." But amidst their bumbling and bungling, both had some keen insights about their work and the case they were on.

So, maybe it's not so implausible after all – the intentional copying of "The Pink Panther," with obvious redesigning for the later movie? Well, whether or not it was meant to be a copy, "Madigan's Millions" didn't succeed. Hoffman is not Peter Sellers. He doesn't have a naturally funny recovery from his bungling episodes. Hoffman appeared to be having fun at times in the film, but the script, acting, direction and whole thing just seemed too hackneyed. At times, I thought the director and producer must have known and purposely chopped up some scenes.

I gave this four stars only because it is an interesting look at a relatively new actor for the time; and for a cast of other interesting actors. Even with major rewriting and better direction, I'm not sure this movie would work. Surely, it wouldn't establish Hoffman as a comedy actor capable of buffoonery. I think he can do humor, but it's the more serious type – clever, witty, and wry, as in "Rain Man."

There's a reason we never see this shown on ANY channel.... it's just really poor direction. Using the circus background music when people trip... a trick usually saved for movies aimed at children. And for the first half hour, hoffman yells his lines at the microphone. When madigan (cesar romero) is sent back to italy, the feds still want to find out what happened to the cash he stole in the united states. In an early film role, dustin hoffman is fister, the fed official, trying to track down madigan and the missing money. But he's a goof up, pink panther style. Or matt helm. But the awful script and direction just aren't up to even those standards. Where is the missing money? Some great shots of what the coliseum looked like in 1966. Directed by giorgio gentili and filmed in italy and spain. Although wikipedia says the director is standley prager. Odd. Wasn't prager the broadway show director?? Wikipedia also tells us this was filmed in 1966, but not released until 1968. That alone was a warning sign. One of three films directed by gentili. And now we know why! It's just very barely okay. Mostly interesting as how hoffman got his start.