Gogol's classic story of a stolen overcoat is done Italian-style by Alberto Lattuada. Renato Rascel does a wonderful job of portraying a Woody Allen like buffoon, Mr. DeCarmine, a bumbling civil servant who is the court jester for the corrupt local political machine. DeCarmine spends his life savings on an extravagant overcoat for the winter. It is stolen and he eventually catches a deadly cold from not having it. Eventually, however, DeCarmine does get his due. Surrealistic and Neo-Realistic at the same time; a tough thing to accomplish.