''The Firemen of Viggiù'' ( it, I pompieri di Viggiù) is a 1949 Italian

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Mario Mattoli Mario Mattoli (; 30 November 1898 – 26 February 1980) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed 86 films between 1934 and 1966. His 1939 film ''Defendant, Stand Up!'' was shown as part of a retrospective on Italian comedy ...

and starring

Nino Taranto Nino Taranto (28 August 1907 – 23 February 1986) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in more than 80 films between 1924 and 1971. Life and career Born in Naples, Taranto started his career as a child actor in 1918 starring in some loca ...

Plot

In the village of Viggiù the men of the local volunteer fire brigade, believing their famous song "The Firemen of Viggiù" a resounding success, organize various skits and performances in their theater, inviting all the celebrities known at that time. Totò in the film plays a playboy who falls for the wife (Barzizza) of a seller of textiles (Castellani). The woman is calling her friend, telling her of his secret admirer, calling it "not exactly an Adonis" but trying some feeling of admiration for him. Totò brazenly enters the store and begins to woo the wife, but soon comes her husband, who is afraid to go bankrupt. Totò pretends to be a store dummy, while the man takes his wife away. Then the husband sits to invoke the soul of the father, hoping that he can give him some advice, but suddenly loses his temper and begins to kick the mannequins, always stopping with the dummy before Totò. At one point, Totò moves once accidentally and the man takes it as a sign from his father and begins to talk to the dummy. Totò then pretends to be the soul of the father, and asks for fabrics, jackets, and finally a kiss to his wife. After the sketch Totò reappears towards the end of the film where he directs the band and then concludes with the number "fanfare of Sharpshooters." This skit was shown in the film ''

Cinema Paradiso ''Cinema Paradiso'' ( it, Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, , literally "New Paradise Cinema") is a 1988 coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. Set in a small Sicilian town, the film centers on the friendship between a young b ...

'' directed by

Giuseppe Tornatore Giuseppe Tornatore (born 27 May 1956) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. He is considered one of the directors who brought critical acclaim back to Italian cinema.Katz, Ephraim, "Italy," ''The Film Encyclopedia'' (New York: HarperRes ...

Cast

as Himself *

Totò 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 ...

as Himself * Wanda Osiris as Herself *

Carlo Dapporto Carlo Dapporto (26 June 1911 – 1 October 1989) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 35 films between 1944 and 1987. He was born in Sanremo, Italy and died in Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC ...

as Himself *

Isa Barzizza Isa Barzizza (born 22 November 1929) is an Italian actress who has appeared in 46 films since 1947. Life and career Early life Born in Sanremo, Barzizza is the daughter of the conductor and composer Pippo Barzizza.Gianfranco Baldazzi. "Isa Barz ...

as actress playing Totò's conquest in the revue *

Mario Castellani Mario Castellani (24 November 190625 April 1978) was an Italian comic actor, best known as the sidekick of famous comic actor Antonio De Curtis (Totò). He appeared with the latter in all his major movies, as well as many of Totò's theatre pro ...

as actor playing the jealous husband in the revue * Ariodante Dalla as Himself *

Carlo Campanini Carlo Campanini (5 October 1906 – 20 November 1984), was an Italian actor, singer and comedian. He appeared in more than 120 films between 1939 and 1969. Life and career Born in Turin, Campanini attended a technical school and a course of ...

as the leader of the firemen *

Ave Ninchi Ave Maria Ninchi (14 December 1914 – 10 November 1997) was an Italian supporting actress who played character roles on stage, television, and in over 98 feature films that included ''Tomorrow Is Too Late'' (1949) and Louis Malle's ''Murmur ...

as Gaetana, his wife *

Silvana Pampanini Silvana Pampanini (25 September 1925 – 6 January 2016) was an Italian film actress, director and singer. She was also the niece of the well-known soprano of the golden era of opera, Dame Rosetta Pampanini. Silvana Pampanini caused a sensation ...

as Fiamma, their daughter, actress in the revue *

Dante Maggio Dante Maggio (2 March 1909 – 3 March 1992) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 115 films between 1940 and 1975. Born in Naples into a family of actors, Maggio had a turbulent adolescence that led his father to send him in an institu ...

as fireman *

Carlo Croccolo Carlo Croccolo (9 April 1927 – 12 October 2019) was an Italian actor, voice actor, director and screenwriter. Biography Born in Naples, Croccolo began his acting career on the radio and he appeared in more than 100 films since 1949. His debut ...

as fireman *

Ughetto Bertucci Ughetto Bertucci (18 October 1907 – 25 June 1966) was an Italian film and stage actor. He appeared in more than 40 films between 1945 and 1960. Life and career He was born and died in Rome, Italy. A fruit vendor in a Roman market square ...

as fireman *

Laura Gore Laura Gore (30 September 1918 – 27 March 1957) was an Italian actress and voice actress. She appeared in 39 films between 1945 and 1955. She was born in Bussoleno, Turin as Laura Emilia Regli. While studying accounting, in 1940 she won th ...

as soubrette playing as Pomponia in the revue

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Firemen of Viggiu, The 1949 films 1940s Italian-language films Italian black-and-white films Films directed by Mario Mattoli 1949 musical comedy films Italian musical comedy films 1940s Italian films