Antonio Griffo Focas Flavio Angelo Ducas Comneno Porfirogenito Gagliardi de Curtis di Bisanzio (15 February 1898 – 15 April 1967), best known by his stage name Totò (), or simply as Antonio de Curtis, and nicknamed ''il Principe della risata'' ("the Prince of laughter"), was an Italian actor, comedian, screenwriter, dramatist, poet, singer and lyricist. He was commonly referred to as one of the most popular Italian performers of all time. He is best known for his funny and sometimes cynical character as a comedian in theatre and then in many successful films shot from the 1940s to the 1960s, but he also worked with many iconic Italian film directors in dramatic/poetic roles.
Early life
Totò was born Antonio Vincenzo Stefano Clemente on 15 February 1898 in the
Rione Sanità, a poor district of
Naples, the illegitimate son of Anna Clemente (1881–1947), a Sicilian woman, and the Neapolitan
marquis
A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman wi ...
Giuseppe de Curtis (1873–1944). His father did not legally recognize him, and Totò so regretted growing up without a father that in 1933, at age 35, he managed to have the marquis Francesco Maria Gagliardi Focas adopt him in exchange for a
life annuity
A life annuity is an annuity, or series of payments at fixed intervals, paid while the purchaser (or annuitant) is alive. The majority of life annuities are insurance products sold or issued by life insurance companies however substantial case l ...
.
As a consequence, when Marquis de Curtis recognized him in 1937 Totò had become an heir of two noble families, ultimately claiming an impressive slew of titles.
Totò's mother wanted him to become a priest, but as early as 1913, at the age of 15, he was already acting as a comedian in small theatres, under the pseudonym Clerment. His early repertoire mostly consisted in imitations of
Gustavo De Marco
Gustavo is the Latinate form of a Germanic male given name with respective prevalence in Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian. It has been a common name for Swedish monarchs since the reign of Gustav Vasa.
It is derived from Gustav /ˈɡʊstɑːv ...
's characters. In the minor venues where he performed, Totò had the chance to meet famous artists like
Eduardo and
Peppino De Filippo. He served in the army during
World War I and then went back to acting. He learned the art of the ''
guitti'', the Neapolitan scriptless comedians, heirs to the tradition of the
Commedia dell'Arte
(; ; ) was an early form of professional theatre, originating from Italian theatre, that was popular throughout Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was formerly called Italian comedy in English and is also known as , , and . Charact ...
, and began developing the trademarks of his style, including a puppet-like, disjointed gesticulation, emphasized facial expressions, and an extreme, sometimes surrealistic, sense of humor, largely based on emphasizing primitive urges such as hunger and sexual desire.
Career
In 1922, he moved to Rome to perform in bigger theatres. He performed in the genre of ''
avanspettacolo'', a
vaudevillian mixture of music, ballet and comedy preceding the main act (hence its name, which roughly translates as "before show"). He became adept at these shows (also known as ''rivista'' – ''
Revue''), and in the 1930s he had his own company, with which he travelled across Italy. In 1937, he appeared in his first movie ''
Fermo con le mani'', and later starred in 96 other films.
As the vast majority of his movies were essentially meant to showcase his performances, many have his name "Totò" in the title. Some of his best-known films are ''
Fifa e Arena'', ''
Totò al Giro d'Italia'', ''
Totò Sceicco'', ''
Guardie e ladri'', ''
Totò e le donne'', ''
Totò Tarzan'', ''
Totò terzo uomo'', ''
Totò a colori'' (one of the first Italian color movies, 1952, in
Ferraniacolor), ''
I soliti ignoti
''Big Deal on Madonna Street'' ( it, I soliti ignoti; released in the UK as ''Persons Unknown'') is a 1958 Italian comedy caper film directed by Mario Monicelli and considered to be among the masterpieces of Italian cinema. Its original Italian ...
'', ''
Totò, Peppino e la malafemmina'', ''
La legge è legge
''The Law Is the Law'' (french: La loi, c'est la loi, it, La legge è legge) is a 1958 French-Italian comedy film directed by Christian-Jaque. It was entered into the 8th Berlin International Film Festival.
Plot
In the village of Assola, divid ...
''.
Pier Paolo Pasolini's ''
The Hawks and the Sparrows'' and the episode "Che cosa sono le nuvole" from ''
Capriccio all'italiana
''Caprice Italian Style'' ( it, Capriccio all'italiana) is a 1968 Italian comedy film directed by six different directors, including Mario Monicelli and Pier Paolo Pasolini. The film starred both Totò and the comic duo Franco and Ciccio.
Plot ...
'' (the latter released after his death), showed his dramatic skills.
In his vast cinematographic career, Totò had the opportunity to act side by side with virtually all major Italian actors of the time. With some of them he paired in several films, the most renowned and successful teams being established with
Aldo Fabrizi and
Peppino De Filippo. De Filippo was one of the few actors to have his name appear in movie titles along with that of Totò, for example in ''
Totò, Peppino e la malafemmina'' and ''
Totò e Peppino divisi a Berlino
''Totò e Peppino divisi a Berlino'', internationally released as ''Toto and Peppino Divided in Berlin'', is a 1962 Italian comedy film directed by Giorgio Bianchi.
Plot
Antonio leaves Italy for Berlin to reach Peppino, who works the miserable ...
''.
Partly because of the radical, naive immorality of his roles, some of his more spicy gags raised much controversy in a society that was both strictly
Catholic and ruled by the conservative
Democrazia Cristiana (Christian Democracy) party. For example, Totò's 1964 movie ''
Che fine ha fatto Totò Baby?'' (a parody of ''
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?'') included a humorous celebration of
cannabis in an era when drugs were perceived by the Italian audience as something as exotic as depraved and dangerous.
Writing
During the 1950s, he started to compose poetry. The best-known is probably A Livella'', in which an arrogant rich man and a humble poor man meet after their deaths and discuss their differences. Totò was also a songwriter: ''
Malafemmena'' (''Wayward Woman''), dedicated to his wife Diana after they separated, is considered a classic of the
Neapolitan popular music.
Personal life
Totò had a reputation as a
playboy. One of his lovers, the well known
chanteuse and
dancer
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoi ...
Liliana Castagnola, committed suicide after their relationship ended. This tragedy marked his life. He buried Liliana in his family's chapel, and named his only daughter
Liliana (born 10 May 1933 to his wife, Diana Bandini Rogliani, whom he married in 1935).
Another personal tragedy was the premature birth of his son Massenzio in 1954. The child died a few hours later. He was the son of Totò's mistress
Franca Faldini
Franca Faldini (10 February 1931 – 22 July 2016) was an Italian writer, journalist and actress.
Life and career
Born in Rome into a middle-class Jewish family, Faldini was forced to flee to Tuscany because of the Fascist racial laws. After th ...
. During a tour in 1956, he lost most of his eyesight due to an eye infection that he had ignored to avoid cancelling his show and disappointing his fans. The handicap however almost never affected his schedule and acting abilities.
Totò died at the age of 69 on 15 April 1967 in Rome after a series of heart attacks. Due to overwhelming demand, there were no fewer than three funeral services: the first in Rome, a second in his birth city of
Naples—and a few days later, in a third one by the local
boss, an empty
casket was carried along the packed streets of the popular Rione Sanità quarter where he was born.
Noble titles
In 1946, when the
Consulta Araldica—the body that advised the
Kingdom of Italy on matters of nobility—ceased operations, the Tribunal of Naples recognized his numerous titles, so his complete name was changed from Antonio Clemente to Antonio Griffo Focas Flavio Ducas Komnenos Gagliardi de Curtis of
Byzantium
Byzantium () or Byzantion ( grc, Βυζάντιον) was an ancient Greek city in classical antiquity that became known as Constantinople in late antiquity and Istanbul today. The Greek name ''Byzantion'' and its Latinization ''Byzantium'' cont ...
, His Imperial Highness, Palatine Count, Knight of the
Holy Roman Empire,
Exarch
An exarch (;
from Ancient Greek ἔξαρχος ''exarchos'', meaning “leader”) was the holder of any of various historical offices, some of them being political or military and others being ecclesiastical.
In the late Roman Empire and ea ...
of
Ravenna, Duke of
Macedonia
Macedonia most commonly refers to:
* North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia
* Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity
* Macedonia (Greece), a traditional geographic reg ...
and
Illyria
In classical antiquity, Illyria (; grc, Ἰλλυρία, ''Illyría'' or , ''Illyrís''; la, Illyria, ''Illyricum'') was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by numerous tribes of people collectively known as the Illyr ...
, Prince of
Constantinople,
Cilicia
Cilicia (); el, Κιλικία, ''Kilikía''; Middle Persian: ''klkyʾy'' (''Klikiyā''); Parthian: ''kylkyʾ'' (''Kilikiyā''); tr, Kilikya). is a geographical region in southern Anatolia in Turkey, extending inland from the northeastern coas ...
,
Thessaly,
Pontus,
Moldavia,
Dardania,
Peloponnesus, Count of
Cyprus and
Epirus, Count and Duke of
Drivasto and
Durazzo. For someone born and raised in one of the poorest Neapolitan neighbourhoods, this must have been quite an achievement, but in claiming the titles (at the time they had become meaningless) the comedian also mocked them for their intrinsic worthlessness. In fact, when he was not using his stage name Totò, he mostly referred to himself simply as Antonio de Curtis.
Filmography
Actor
Totò starred in 97 films:
*''
Hands Off Me!
''Hands Off Me!'' () is a 1937 Italian " white-telephones" comedy film directed by Gero Zambuto.Moliterno p.179
The film is notable for being the screen début of Totò. Its most famous scenes include one in which he tries to give a haircut to a ...
'' (1937) as Antonio 'Totò' Toretota
*''
Mad Animals'' (1939) as Totò / Barone Tolomeo dei Tolomei
*''
Saint John, the Beheaded
''Saint John, the Beheaded'' (Italian: ''San Giovanni decollato'') is a 1940 Italian comedy film directed by Amleto Palermi and Giorgio Bianchi and starring Totò, Titina De Filippo and Silvana Jachino.Moliterno p.316 It was based on a play by ...
'' (1940) as Mastro Agostino Miciacio
*''
The Happy Ghost'' (1941) as Nicolino & Gelsomino & Antonino
*''
Two Hearts Among the Beasts
''Two Hearts Among the Beasts'' (Italian: ''Due cuori fra le belve'') is a 1943 Italian comedy film directed by Giorgio Simonelli and starring Totò, Vera Carmi and Enrico Glori.Parish p.139 A dancing master takes part in an expedition to Africa fi ...
'' (1943) as Totò
*' (1943)
*''
Romulus and the Sabines'' (1945) as Aristide Tromboni
*''
The Two Orphans'' (1947) as Gasparre
*''
Toto Tours Italy'' (1948) as Prof. Toto' Casamandrei
*''
Fear and Sand'' (1948) as Nicolino Capece
*''
The Firemen of Viggiù
''The Firemen of Viggiù'' ( it, I pompieri di Viggiù) is a 1949 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Nino Taranto.
Plot
In the village of Viggiù the men of the local volunteer fire brigade, believing their famous song " ...
'' (1949) as The Suitor - Disguises Himself as Dummy / Band Leader
*''
Yvonne of the Night
''Yvonne of the Night'' (Italian: ''Yvonne la Nuit'') is a 1949 Italian melodrama film directed by Giuseppe Amato and starring Totò, Olga Villi, and Frank Latimore.
It was shot at the Cinecittà Studios in Rome. The film's sets were designed by ...
'' (1949) as Nino, il fantasista
*''
Toto Looks for a House'' (1949) as Beniamino Lomacchio
*''
The Emperor of Capri'' (1949) as Antonio De Fazio
*''
Totò Le Mokò
''Totò Le Mokò'' is a 1949 Italian comedy film. The title alludes to the French film ''Pépé le Moko''.
Synopsis
The mobster Pepé Le Mokò dies during a shootout with the police. His gang decide that his successor will be a relative of his fr ...
'' (1949) as Antonio Lumaconi / Totò le Moko
*''
Side Street Story'' (1950) as Pasquale Miele
*''
Figaro Here, Figaro There
''Figaro Here, Figaro There'' (Italian: ''Figaro qua, Figaro là'') is a 1950 Italian historical comedy film directed by Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia and starring Totò and Isa Barzizza. The title and the plot allude to ''The Barber of Seville''.Bìs ...
'' (1950) as Figaro
*''
Toto Looks for a Wife'' (1950) as Toto
*''
Totò Tarzan'' (1950) as Antonio Della Buffas
*''
Bluebeard's Six Wives'' (1950) as Totò Esposito
*''
Toto the Sheik'' (1950) as Antonio Sapore, il maggiordomo
*''
47 morto che parla
''47 morto che parla'' is a 1950 Italian comedy film directed by Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia. The film stars Totò and Silvana Pampanini.
Plot
The story is set in a small town near Naples in early 1900. Baron Antonio Peletti is a stingy and cruel ...
'' (1950) as Il barone Antonio Peletti
*''
Toto the Third Man'' (1951) as Piero / Paolo / Totò
*''
Seven Hours of Trouble'' (1951) as Totò De Pasquale
*''
Cops and Robbers'' (1951) as Ferdinando Esposito
*''
Toto in Color
''Toto in Color'' (Italian: ''Totò a colori'') is a 1952 Italian comedy film, and was the first Italian color film shot with the Ferraniacolor system. The film was directed by Steno and starred the comic actor Totò.
Plot
Antonio Scannagatti is ...
'' (1952) as Antonio Scannagatti
*''
Toto and the King of Rome'' (1952) as Ercole Pappalardo
*''
Toto and the Women'' (1952) as Antonio Scaparro
*''
One of Those
''One of Those'' ( it, Una di quelle, also known as ''Totò, Peppino e... una di quelle'') is a 1953 Italian comedy-drama film produced, written, directed and starred by Aldo Fabrizi.
Plot
Maria is a widow with a dependent child, in debt with h ...
'' (1953) as Rocco
*''
Man, Beast and Virtue
''L'uomo, la bestia e la virtù'' (), internationally released as ''Man, Beast and Virtue'', is a List of Italian films of 1953, 1953 Cinema of Italy, Italian comedy film directed by Stefano Vanzina, Steno. It starred Italian comedian Totò and fa ...
'' (1953) as Prof. Paolino
*''
Neapolitan Turk'' (1953) as Felice Sciosciammocca
*''
Funniest Show on Earth
''Funniest Show on Earth'' ( it, Il più comico spettacolo del mondo) is a 1953 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring May Britt. It is the first Italian film in 3D.
It was filmed with a three-dimensional shooting system pa ...
'' (1953) as Tottons, il clown / Una signora del pubblico
*''
Of Life and Love'' (1954) as Rosario Chiarchiaro (segment "La patente")
*''
Where Is Freedom?'' (1954) as Salvatore Lojacono
*''
A Slice of Life'' (1954) as Il fotografo
*''
Poverty and Nobility
''Poverty and Nobility'' ( it, Miseria e nobiltà) is a 1954 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli starring Sophia Loren and Totò.
Plot
The story is taken from the Eduardo Scarpetta's play of the same name.
Naples, second half of th ...
'' (1954) as Felice Sciosciammocca
*''
The Doctor of the Mad
''The Doctor of the Mad'' ( it, Il medico dei pazzi) is a 1954 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Totò, Franca Marzi and Aldo Giuffrè.Bìspuri p.147 It is based on a 1908 Naples-set play of the same name by Eduardo Sc ...
'' (1954) as Felice Sciosciammocca
*''
The Three Thieves'' (1954) as Tapioca
*''
Toto Seeks Peace'' (1954) as Gennaro Piselli
*''
The Gold of Naples
''The Gold of Naples'' ( it, L'oro di Napoli ) is a 1954 Italian anthology film directed by Vittorio De Sica. It was entered into the 1955 Cannes Film Festival.
Plot
The film is a tribute to Naples, where director De Sica spent his first years, ...
'' (1954) as Don Saverio Petrillo (segment "Il guappo")
*''
Totò and Carolina
''Totò and Carolina'' ( it, Totò e Carolina) is a 1955 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Monicelli and starring Totò. The film was banned when it was first released, as it made fun of a policeman.
Plot
During a police raid at Villa Borgh ...
'' (1955) as Antonio Caccavallo
*''
Toto in Hell'' (1955) as Antonio Marchi / March' Antonio
*''
Carousel of Variety
''Carousel of Variety'' ( it, Carosello del varietà) is a 1955 Italian musical film directed by Aldo Bonaldi and Aldo Quinti and featuring a number of performers in a revue-style show.Oscherwitz & Higgins p.295
Partial cast
* Totò
*Anna Magn ...
'' (1955)
*''
Are We Men or Corporals?
''Are We Men or Corporals?'' ( it, Siamo uomini o caporali) is a 1955 Italian comedy film directed by Camillo Mastrocinque.
Plot
Toto is very good at acting, and so he is called in a study to be in a film. However he combines a mess and is offe ...
'' (1955) as Toto Esposito
*''
Destination Piovarolo'' (1955) as Antonio La Quaglia
*''
Roman Tales'' (1955) as Professore Semprini
*''
Il coraggio'' (1955) as Gennaro Vaccariello
*''
The Band of Honest Men'' (1956) as Antonio Buonocore
*''
Totò, lascia o raddoppia?'' (1956) as Duca Gagliardo della Forcoletta
*''
Toto, Peppino, and the Hussy
''Toto, Peppino, and the Hussy'' (originally ''Totò, Peppino e la... malafemmina'') is an Italian comedy film directed by Camillo Mastrocinque in 1956. It stars the comedy duo of Totò and Peppino De Filippo. The film also stars the popular sing ...
'' (1956) as Antonio Caponi
*''
Toto, Peppino and the Outlaws
''Toto, Peppino and the Outlaws'' ( it, Totò, Peppino e i fuorilegge) is a List of Italian films of 1956, 1956 Cinema of Italy, Italian comedy film directed by Camillo Mastrocinque.
For this film Peppino De Filippo was awarded with a Silver Ribbo ...
'' (1956) as Antonio
*''
The Lady Doctor'' (1957) as Michele 'Mike' Spillone
*''
Toto and Marcellino
''Toto and Marcellino'' ( it, Totò e Marcellino, french: Mon gosse) is a 1958 Italian-French comedy film directed by Antonio Musu.
Plot
A little boy, Marcellino, sees his mother die, and follows her to the funeral. A poor street musician, affe ...
'' (1958) as Il professore
*''
The Law Is the Law'' (1958) as Giuseppe La Paglia
*''
Big Deal on Madonna Street'' (1958) as Dante Cruciani
*''
Toto, Peppino and the Fanatics'' (1958) as Ragionier Antonio Vignanelli
*''
Toto in Paris
''Toto in Paris'' ( it, Totò a Parigi, french: Parisien malgré lui, also known as '' Totò innamorato'') is a 1958 Italian-French comedy film directed by Camillo Mastrocinque.
Plot
The Marquis Gastone De Chemandel plans to kill his lookalike ...
'' (1958) as Marchese Gastone de Chemantel / Chateau-Boiron / il vagabondo Totò
*''
Toto in the Moon
''Totò nella luna'' (internationally released as ''Toto in the Moon'') is a 1958 Italian comedy science fiction film written and directed by Steno. The script was co-written by Lucio Fulci. The film starred Sylva Koscina, fresh from her appear ...
'' (1958) as Pasquale Belafronte
*''
Legs of Gold'' (1958) as barone Luigi Fontana
*''
Toto in Madrid'' (1959) as Totò Scorceletti
*''
The Overtaxed
''I Tartassati'' is an Italian comedy film from 1959, directed by Stefano Vanzina, written by Aldo Fabrizi, starring Totò and Louis de Funès. The film is known under the titles ''The Overtaxed'' (English) and ''Fripouillard et Compagnie'' (Fren ...
'' (1959) as Torquato Pezzella
*''
The Thieves'' (1959) as Commissario Di Sapio
*''
You're on Your Own
''Arrangiatevi!'', internationally released as ''You're on Your Own'', is a List of Italian films of 1959, 1959 Cinema of Italy, Italian comedy film directed by Mauro Bolognini.
In 2008 the film was selected to enter the list of the 100 film itali ...
'' (1959) as Il nonno illuminato
*''
La cambiale'' (1959) as Cesare Posalaquaglia
*''
Tough Guys'' (1960) as L'Algerino
*''
Gentlemen Are Born'' (1960) as Ottone Degli Ulivi, detto Zazà
*''
Toto, Fabrizi and the Young People Today'' (1960) as Antonio Cocozza
*''
Letto a tre piazze
''Letto a tre piazze'' (translation: ''The King-Sized Bed'') is a 1960 Italian Totò comedy film directed by Steno. The film marked the last collaboration between Totò and Lucio Fulci, author of the script and initially chosen as director.
Cast ...
'' (1960) as Antonio Di Cosimo
*''
The Passionate Thief
''The Passionate Thief'' ( it, Risate di gioia) is a 1960 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Monicelli, starring Anna Magnani and Totò.
Plot
Two friends (Toto and Magnani) live by their wits working as comedians and cabaret at Cinecittà, b ...
'' (1960) as Umberto 'Infortunio' Pennazzuto
*''
Who Hesitates Is Lost'' (1960) as Antonio Guardalavecchia
*''Totò ciak'' (1960) as Toto
*''
Totò, Peppino e... la dolce vita'' (1961) as Antonio Barbacane
*''
Sua Eccellenza si fermò a mangiare
''Sua Eccellenza si fermò a mangiare'' is a 1961 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Ugo Tognazzi.
Plot
In Rome, during the early 30s, a con artist played by Totò impersonates dr. Biagio Tanzarella, Benito Mussolini's p ...
'' (1961) as The So-Called Dr Biagio Tanzarella
*''
Totòtruffa 62
''Totòtruffa '62'' (also known as ''Totó Vigarista'') is a 1961 Italian comedy film directed by Camillo Mastrocinque.
Plot summary
Antonio is a poor man who has to support his daughter and especially he should pay her stay at a prestigious bo ...
'' (1961) as Antonio Peluffo
*''
The Two Marshals'' (1961) as Antonio Capurro
*''
Toto vs. Maciste
''Toto vs. Maciste'' ( it, Totò contro Maciste) is a 1962 Italian adventure-comedy film directed by Fernando Cerchio. It is a parody of the Sword and Sandal cinema, which was highly successful at the time in Italy.
Plot
Totokamen is an entert ...
'' (1962) as Totokamen Sabachi
*''
Totò Diabolicus
Antonio Griffo Focas Flavio Angelo Ducas Comneno Porfirogenito Gagliardi de Curtis di Bisanzio (15 February 1898 – 15 April 1967), best known by his stage name Totò (), or simply as Antonio de Curtis, and nicknamed ''il Principe della risata ...
'' (1962) as Marquis Galeazzo di Torrealta / Gen. Scipione di Torrealta / Prof. Carlo di Torrealta / Baroness Laudomia di Torrealta / Mons. Antonino di Torrealta / Pasquale Bonocore
*''
Lo smemorato di Collegno'' (1962) as Lo smemorato
*''
Toto and Peppino Divided in Berlin
''Totò e Peppino divisi a Berlino'', internationally released as ''Toto and Peppino Divided in Berlin'', is a 1962 Italian comedy film directed by Giorgio Bianchi.
Plot
Antonio leaves Italy for Berlin to reach Peppino, who works the miserable ...
'' (1962) as Antonio La Puzza / Canarinis
*''
Toto's First Night'' (1962) as Nini
*''
The Two Colonels'' (1962) as Colonnello Di Maggio
*''
The Shortest Day'' (1962) as Frate bersagliere
*''
Toto vs. the Four'' (1963) as Antonio Saracino
*''
The Monk of Monza'' (1963) as Pasquale Cicciacalda / Don Manuel
*''
Toto and Cleopatra'' (1963) as
Mark Antony / Totonno
*''
Le motorizzate
''Le motorizzate'' ("The motorized women") is a 1963 Italian anthology comedy film written and directed by Marino Girolami.
Plot
Five segments. The collision between a van of religious, supporters of the Christian Democrats, and a Fiat 600 wit ...
'' (1963) as Urbano Cacace (segment "Il Vigile Ignoto")
*''
Sexy Toto
''Sexy Toto'' (Italian: ''Totòsexy'') is a 1963 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Amendola and starring Totò and Erminio Macario. It consisted of a mere montage of scenes discarded from ''Toto's First Night
''Toto's First Night'' (Italian: ' ...
'' (1963) as Nini Cantachiaro
*''
Gli onorevoli'' (1963) as Antonio La Trippa
*''
The Commandant
Robin Beauclerk Smith (February 28, 1955) is a South African actor whose professional career began in theater whilst still in high school in 1970. He attended the University of Cape Town Drama School after school and worked at The Space Theater ...
'' (1963) as Col. Antonio Cavalli
*''
Toto vs. the Black Pirate
''Totò vs. the Black Pirate'' ( it, Totò contro il pirata nero) is a 1964 Italian adventure-comedy film written and directed by Fernando Cerchio.
Plot
José is a Neapolitan petty thief who escaping from the guards for a small theft hides him ...
'' (1964) as José
*''
Beautiful Families'' (1964) as Filiberto Comanducci (segment "Amare è un po' morire")
*''
What Ever Happened to Baby Toto?
''What Ever Happened to Baby Toto?'' ( it, Che fine ha fatto Totò Baby?) is a 1964 Italian black comedy film written and directed by Ottavio Alessi, starring Totò. It is a parody of Robert Aldrich's '' What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?''.
Plot ...
'' (1964) as Totò Baby / il Padre
*''
Toto of Arabia
''Toto of Arabia'' ( it, Totò d'Arabia, es, Toto de Arabia) is a 1965 Italian-Spanish adventure-comedy film directed by . It is a parody of ''Lawrence of Arabia'' and of spy films.
Plot
Toto, a former Italian military service who works as a ...
'' (1965) as Totò
*''
Latin Lovers'' (1965) as Antonio Gargiulo (segment "Amore e morte")
*''
The Mandrake'' (1965) as Il Frate
*''
Rita the American Girl'' (1965) as Serafino Benvenuti
*''
The Hawks and the Sparrows'' (1966) as Innocenti Totò / Brother Ciccillo
*''
Treasure of San Gennaro'' (1966) as Don Vincenzo
*''
The Witches'' (1967) as Ciancicato Miao (segment "La terra vista dalla luna")
*''
The Head of the Family'' (1968) as Man at Funeral (uncredited, released posthumously)
*''
Caprice Italian Style'' (1968) as Anziano signore (segment "Mostro della domenica, Il") / Iago (segment "Che cosa sono le nuvole?") (final film role, released posthumously)
Screenwriter
* ''
Il medico dei pazzi
''The Doctor of the Mad'' ( it, Il medico dei pazzi) is a 1954 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Totò, Franca Marzi and Aldo Giuffrè.Bìspuri p.147 It is based on a 1908 Naples-set play of the same name by Eduardo Scar ...
''
* ''
Totò all'inferno
''Toto in Hell'' ( it, Totò all'inferno) is a 1955 Italian fantasy-comedy film directed by Camillo Mastrocinque. Italian cult horror film director Lucio Fulci co-wrote the screenplay.
Plot
Antonio Marchi, a depressed thief, after several att ...
''
* ''
Siamo uomini o caporali
''Are We Men or Corporals?'' ( it, Siamo uomini o caporali) is a 1955 Italian comedy film directed by Camillo Mastrocinque.
Plot
Toto is very good at acting, and so he is called in a study to be in a film. However he combines a mess and is of ...
''
* ''
Il coraggio''
* ''
I due marescialli''
TV
*''
TuttoTotò
''TuttoTotò'' is an Italian television series in 9 episodes Totò produced in 1967, during the last few months of his life. His intention was to recycle for the small screen all those theatre sketches he had interpreted in his golden years. The ...
'' (1967, aired posthumously)
See also
* ''
Malafemmena'', a 1951 song written by Totò
Notes
References
Bibliography
* Giancarlo Governi. ''Il pianeta Totò''. Gremese, 1992. .
* Liliana De Curtis, Matilde Amorosi. ''Totò a prescindere''. Mondadori, 1992. .
* Ennio Bìspuri. ''Totò: principe clown''. Guida Editori, 1997. .
* Alberto Anile. ''Il cinema di Totò: (1930-1945) : l'estro funambolo e l'ameno spettro''. Le mani, 1997. .
* Associazione Antonio De Curtis. ''Totò, partenopeo e parte napoletano: il teatro, la poesia, la musica''. Marsilio, 1998. .
* Alberto Anile. ''I film di Totò (1946-1967): la maschera tradita''. Le mani, 1998.
* Costanzo Ioni, Ruggero Guarini. ''Tutto Totò''. Gremese Editore, 1999. .
* Ennio Bìspuri. ''Vita di Totò''. Gremese Editore, 2000. .
* Franca Faldini, Goffredo Fofi. ''Totò: l'uomo e la maschera''. L'Ancora del Mediterraneo, 2000. .
* Paolo Pistolese. ''Totò, stars and stripes''. Cinecittà, 2000.
* Orio Caldiron. ''Totò''. Gremese Editore, 2001. .
* Antonio Napolitano. ''Totò, uno e centomila''. Tempo Lungo Ed., 2001. .
* Fabio Rossi. ''La lingua in gioco: da Totò a lezione di retorica''. Bulzoni, 2002. .
* Orio Caldiron. ''Il principe Totò''. Gremese Editore, 2002. .
* Liliana De Curtis. ''Totò, mio padre''. Rizzoli, 2002. .
* Daniela Aronica, Gino Frezza, Raffaele Pinto. ''Totò. Linguaggi e maschere del comico''. Carocci, 2003. .
* Patricia Bianchi, Nicola De Blasi. ''Totò parole di attore e di poeta''. Dante & Descartes, 2007. .
* Sonia Pedalino. ''Totò e la maschera''. Firenze Atheneum, 2007. .
* Edmondo Capecelatro, Daniele Gallo. ''Totò: vita e arte di un genio''. Viator, 2008. .
* Liliana De Curtis, Matilde Amorosi. ''Malafemmena: il romanzo dell'unico, vero, grande amore di Totò''. Mondadori, 2009. .
* Ornella Di Russo. ''Cogito ergo De Curtis''. Fermenti, 2013. .
External links
Site of Totò, Antonio De CurtisOmaggio a Antonio De Curtis in arte TotòAntonio De Curtis e Totò, vita e opereTribute to Totò (in Italian)*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Totò
1898 births
1967 deaths
20th-century Italian comedians
20th-century Italian composers
20th-century Italian dramatists and playwrights
20th-century Italian male actors
20th-century Italian male singers
20th-century Italian male writers
20th-century Italian poets
20th-century Italian screenwriters
Italian lyricists
Italian male comedians
Italian male composers
Italian male dramatists and playwrights
Italian male film actors
Italian male poets
Italian male screenwriters
Italian male stage actors
Italian male television actors
Italian military personnel of World War I
Male actors from Naples
Musicians from Naples
Nastro d'Argento winners
People of Sicilian descent
Writers from Naples