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Crime drama

The Day of the Owl (1968): Cast & Plot

The Day of the Owl (1968) movie poster

The Day of the Owl is a 1968 crime drama directed by Damiano Damiani, starring Franco Nero as Captain Bellodi, Giovanni Pallavicino and Claudia Cardinale. It runs 1 hour 48 minutes.

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The Day of the Owl (1968) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 48m (108 min)
Director
Damiano Damiani
Genres
Drama , Crime
Original language
Italian
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Day of the Owl About?

The premise of The Day of the Owl without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Set in Sicily, this gritty crime drama follows an Italian police detective sent to a remote island town to investigate the murder of a construction supplier. As he delves deeper, he confronts the pervasive power of the Mafia, which manipulates the locals and threatens to corrupt even his own sense of justice.

The Day of the Owl Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • mafia
  • sicily
  • based on novel
  • italy
  • sicilian mafia
  • police investigation
  • shotgun murder
  • card game
  • sicilian mafioso
  • policeman
  • evil wins in the end
  • town
+38 more
  • jeep
  • signed confession
  • curse
  • woman rejects a man's advances
  • police
  • ruse
  • bare chested male
  • fiat 124
  • eating paper
  • mob hit
  • running from police
  • girl with pigtails
  • road construction
  • side by side shotgun
  • woman running
  • woman with a ponytail
  • hand gesture
  • view through binoculars
  • ambush
  • stepping on someone's foot
  • driver shot
  • chicory
  • shot with a shotgun
  • scene during opening credits
  • missing husband
  • truck crash
  • horse cart
  • code of silence
  • shrouded corpse
  • blood from ear
  • arrest
  • girl wears a short dress
  • police informant
  • car bomb
  • bicycle
  • messenger
  • defamation
  • false accusation
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Cast & crew

The Day of the Owl Cast & Characters

Franco Nero leads the cast as Captain Bellodi, with Giovanni Pallavicino as The Marshal of the Carabinieri and Claudia Cardinale as Rosa Nicolosi. Directed by Damiano Damiani; 18 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in The Day of the Owl

· 14 more
From the director

More from Damiano Damiani

More films directed by Damiano Damiani, best-rated first: Amityville II: The Possession, Alex the Ram, Massacre Play and The Inquiry.

Full filmography
Plot

The Day of the Owl Plot Summary

What happens in The Day of the Owl from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Captain Bellodi, a Carabinieri captain recently transferred from northern Italy, arrives in Sicily to investigate a murder that seems simple at first but hints at deeper, dangerous currents. Truck driver Salvatore Colasberna is gunned down in the early hours while delivering cement for a highway project, and the crime unfolds within sight of the house of Rosa Nicolosi and her husband, who witnesses the event before mysteriously disappearing. The case quickly exposes a landscape where money, power, and loyalty blur the line between law and crime.

Full summary

The whole story of The Day of the Owl, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Videos

The Day of the Owl Trailers & Videos

The trailer of The Day of the Owl.

The Day of the Owl (1968) Original Trailer [HD]
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The Day of the Owl?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What is Captain Bellodi's profession?

Details

The Day of the Owl Also Known As

19 alternative titles, including “Mafia” and “Uglens dag”.

Also known as
  • Mafia
  • Uglens dag
  • La mafia fait la loi
  • Dzien puszczyka
  • El silencio del diablo
  • Mint a bagoly nappal
  • O Dia da Vergonha
  • Денят на кукумявката
  • День совы
  • Сова появляется днём
  • Der Tag der Eule
  • Don Mariano weiß von nichts
+7 more
  • El día de la lechuza
  • Сова появляется днем
  • 白天的猫头鹰
  • O Dia da Coruja
  • El dia de l’òliba
  • Den sovy
  • Dzień puszczyka

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FAQ

The Day of the Owl FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast, post-credit scenes and language of The Day of the Owl, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Day of the Owl?

The Day of the Owl runs 1 hour 48 minutes (108 minutes).

When was The Day of the Owl released?

The Day of the Owl was released on February 17, 1968.

Who directed The Day of the Owl?

The Day of the Owl was directed by Damiano Damiani.

More films by Damiano Damiani

Who is in the cast of The Day of the Owl?

The Day of the Owl stars Franco Nero as Captain Bellodi, Giovanni Pallavicino as The Marshal of the Carabinieri and Claudia Cardinale as Rosa Nicolosi, among 18 credited actors.

Does The Day of the Owl have a post-credit scene?

No. The Day of the Owl has no extra scene during or after the credits.

What language is The Day of the Owl in?

The original language of The Day of the Owl is Italian.

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