Number One

Number One is an Italian language film directed by Gianni Buffardi in 1973. It starred Renzo Montagnani, Luigi Pistilli, Claude Jade, Chris Avram, Guido Mannari, and Massimo Serato. The film is loosely based on a real story detailing crime and drugs in the Rome underground. After the film quickly disappeared from public view in 1973 due to political censorship, it was restored in 2021 and had its theatrical re-release and world premiere on television. It's distributed worldwide by Variety Distribution. Plot Welcome to "Number One". Benni (Chris Avram), the owner of a photo agency, arrives. He welcomes Leo (Venantino Venantini), the owner of the club, Sylvie Boisset (Claude Jade), a French actress and model, Mino Cattani (Massimo Serato), the editor of the newspaper, Commenda (Renato Turi) and the lawyer (Paolo di Tusco). There is a lot of murmuring, and the editor of the newspaper receives a phone call. He is nervous and whispers to Leo and makes another phone call. Sylvie observes the men's interactions. At dawn in a villa in Rome: three men sit next to the body of the naked Deborah Garner (Josiane Tanzilli). Her sad husband Teddy Garner Jr (Paolo Malco) is comforted by his two friends: Massimo (Guido Mannari) and Dino Pancati (Howard Ross). Shortly after, a doctor, the Doctor (Andrea Aureli), arrives. He diagnoses the death and has Deborah taken away. Teddy immediately leaves Rome. Dino and Massimo go to the Capannelle, where they meet Pupo (Bruno Di Luia), the leader of a gang. Inspector Vinci (Renzo Montagnani) starts investigating the Deborah Garner case. He interrogates all the members of Garner's entourage. The Commendatore tells him that Garner is close to a royal family, the elderly Princess (Rina Franchetti) says nothing, the lawyer turns to an art dealer (Roberto D'Ettorre Piazzoli) who is involved in the trade of stolen paintings, as well as to the director of a pawnshop who is also an accomplice. Now the case of the stolen paintings has to be investigated. Vinci now works together with the captain (Luigi Pistilli), the commander of the Carabinieri. The commendatore elaborates a scam with the notary: he pretends to have bought some paintings from the legitimate owner, now deceased, a nobleman, which then ended up in Garner's house. He negotiates with the accountant (Guido Lollobrigida). There he receives a call from Pupo, who has been ordered to punish a married couple who have taken out a loan with false cheques.