Post updated May 14, 2025
Directed by: Federico Fellini
Synopsis: The film follows writer and reporter Marcello Rubini (Marcello Mastroianni) through several days of his life as he works on different news stories, carries on various dalliances and considers becoming a more serious writer.
Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): One of the most memorable scenes is when Marcello drives off with American actress and sensation Sylvia (Anita Ekberg) to journey around the abandoned late-night streets. At one point Marcello stops the car to make a phone call and when he returns he finds Sylvia squatting down on a side street where she has found an adorable white kitten.
Sylvia insists they find milk for the kitten and begins to looks for a place to buy some. Marcello finally agrees to locate some milk for the cat and runs off.
Sylvia starts to wander, petting and kissing at the mewing kitten.
She eventually places the kitten on the top of her head as she continues to walk.
Finally she comes across the Trevi Fountain which becomes the spotlight of the scene.
When Marcello at last finds Sylvia she is wading in the fountain. The kitten is sitting off to one side. Marcello pours out some of the milk he has brought in a cup into a saucer for the kitten and then joins Sylvia in the fountain.
Although the kitten is only on screen for a few minutes, the interaction between the tiny baby and the childlike Sylvia has sealed its place as one of the most iconic cat moments in cinema history.
Final Mewsings: Kittens prefer drinking milk to wading in fountains.
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