The Merchant of Venice mercy". Critic Harold Bloom listed it among Shakespeare's great comedies. Bassanio, a young Venetian of noble rank, wishes to woo the beautiful and wealthy heiress Portia of Belmont. Having squandered his estate, he needs 3,000 ducats to subsidise his expenditures as a suitor. Bassanio approaches his friend Antonio, a wealthy merchant of Venice who has previously and repeatedly bailed him out. Antonio agrees, but since he is cash-poor – his ships and merchandise are busy at sea to Tripolis, the Indies, Mexico and England – he promises to cover a bond if Bassanio can find a lender, so Bassanio turns
The Thief of Venice George Sanders were to play support roles, with filming to start in Italy on 1 November 1949. Sanders eventually pulled out. The movie was shot on location in Italy with studio work done at Scalera Studios. The "Christian Science Monitor" said that "a series of coups, captures and escapes take place with a great deal of running about but very little inventiveness." The "Washington Post" called it "a rip snorting Western" style film. The Thief of Venice The Thief of Venice or Il Ladro di Venezia is a 1950 Italian film directed by John Brahm. The US title was "The