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 Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

, 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 ...

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 ...

. 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 1918

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 Eduardo is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the male given name Edward. Another version is Duarte. It may refer to: Association football * Eduardo Bonvallet, Chilean football player and sports commentator * Eduardo Carvalho, Portuguese foo ...

and

Peppino De Filippo Peppino De Filippo (born Giuseppe De Filippo; 24 August 1903 – 27 January 1980) was an Italian actor. De Filippo was born in Naples, brother of actor and dramatist Eduardo De Filippo and of Titina De Filippo. He made his stage debut at t ...

. He served in the army during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

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 . Charac ...

, 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 Avanspettacolo (literally: "before the show") is an Italian theatrical genre that developed between the 1930s and 1950s. Closely related to revue and variety show, avanspettacolo features a diverse mixture of music, ballet, sketch comedy, and ot ...

'', a

vaudevillian Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic compositio ...

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 A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own du ...

''), 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 ''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 ...

'' (one of the first Italian color movies, 1952, in Ferraniacolor), '' I soliti ignoti'', '' 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 Pier Paolo Pasolini (; 5 March 1922 – 2 November 1975) was an Italian poet, filmmaker, writer and intellectual who also distinguished himself as a journalist, novelist, translator, playwright, visual artist and actor. He is considered one of ...

'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. Antonio De Curtis - Totò

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

. 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 The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

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 ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternativel ...

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 ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...

. 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 repertoire ...

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

—and a few days later, in a third one by the local

Camorra The Camorra (; ) is an Italian Mafia-typeMafia and Mafia-type orga ...

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 The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to an institutional referendum to abandon the monarchy and ...

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, His Imperial Highness, Palatine Count, Knight of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

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 ...

Ravenna Ravenna ( , , also ; rgn, Ravèna) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 408 until its collapse in 476. It then served as the ca ...

, 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 la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth ( Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...

Cilicia Cilicia (); el, Κιλικία, ''Kilikía''; Middle Persian: ''klkyʾy'' (''Klikiyā''); Parthian language, Parthian: ''kylkyʾ'' (''Kilikiyā''); tr, Kilikya). is a geographical region in southern Anatolia in Turkey, extending inland from th ...

Thessaly Thessaly ( el, Θεσσαλία, translit=Thessalía, ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, The ...

, Pontus,

Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centra ...

, Dardania,

Peloponnesus The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic regions of Greece, geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmu ...

, Count of

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ...

and

Epirus sq, Epiri rup, Epiru , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Historical region , image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg , map_alt = , map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinrich ...

, 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'' (1940) as Mastro Agostino Miciacio *'' The Happy Ghost'' (1941) as Nicolino & Gelsomino & Antonino *'' Two Hearts Among the Beasts'' (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'' (1949) as The Suitor - Disguises Himself as Dummy / Band Leader *'' Yvonne of the Night'' (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'' (1949) as Antonio Lumaconi / Totò le Moko *'' Side Street Story'' (1950) as Pasquale Miele *'' Figaro Here, Figaro There'' (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'' (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'' (1953) as Prof. Paolino *''

Neapolitan Turk ''Neapolitan Turk'' ( it, Un turco napoletano) is a 1953 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Totò. Plot The film is based on a play by the famous Neapolitan writer Eduardo Scarpetta, father of Eduardo and Peppino De ...

'' (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'' (1954) as Felice Sciosciammocca *'' The Doctor of the Mad'' (1954) as Felice Sciosciammocca *'' The Three Thieves'' (1954) as Tapioca *'' Toto Seeks Peace'' (1954) as Gennaro Piselli *'' The Gold of Naples'' (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 ''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 a ...

'' (1955) as Antonio Marchi / March' Antonio *'' Carousel of Variety'' (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'' (1956) as Antonio Caponi *'' Toto, Peppino and the Outlaws'' (1956) as Antonio *'' The Lady Doctor'' (1957) as Michele 'Mike' Spillone *'' Toto and Marcellino'' (1958) as Il professore *'' The Law Is the Law'' (1958) as Giuseppe La Paglia *''

Big Deal on Madonna Street ''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 Italia ...

'' (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 lookali ...

'' (1958) as Marchese Gastone de Chemantel / Chateau-Boiron / il vagabondo Totò *'' Toto in the Moon'' (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'' (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'' (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'' (1961) as The So-Called Dr Biagio Tanzarella *'' Totòtruffa 62'' (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'' (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 miserab ...

'' (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 Marcus Antonius (14 January 1 August 30 BC), commonly known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic from a constitutional republic into the ...

/ Totonno *'' Le motorizzate'' (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'' (1965) as Totò *'' Latin Lovers'' (1965) as Antonio Gargiulo (segment "Amore e morte") *''

The Mandrake ''The Mandrake'' (Italian: ''La Mandragola'' ) is a satirical play by Italian Renaissance philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli. Although the five-act comedy was published in 1524 and first performed in the carnival season of 1526, Machiavelli likel ...

'' (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)

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. .

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