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 is commonly referred to as one of the most popular Italian performers of all time. While best known for his funny and sometimes cynical comic characters in theatre and then many successful comedy films made from the 1940s to the 1960s, he also worked with many iconic Italian film directors in dramatic roles.

Early life

Totò was born Antonio Vincenzo Stefano Clemente on 15 February 1898 in the Rione Sanità, a poor district of

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

, the illegitimate son of Anna Clemente (1881–1947), a Sicilian woman, and the Neapolitan

marquis A marquess (; ) 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 with the rank of a marquess or the wife (or wido ...

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 cas ...

. As a consequence, when Marquis de Curtis finally 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'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 name Edward. Another version is Duarte. It may refer to: Association football * Dudu (footballer, born 1992) (Eduardo Pereira Rodrigues), Brazilian footballer * Eduardo (footballer, born 1 ...

and

Peppino De Filippo Giuseppe "Peppino" 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 the age of six. ...

. He served in the

Italian Army The Italian Army ( []) is the Army, land force branch of the Italian Armed Forces. The army's history dates back to the Italian unification in the 1850s and 1860s. The army fought in colonial engagements in China and Italo-Turkish War, Libya. It ...

during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

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 Commedia dell'arte was an early form of professional theatre, originating from Theatre of Italy, Italian theatre, that was popular throughout Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was formerly called Italian comedy in English and is a ...

, 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'' () 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 other forms of entertainm ...

'', a

vaudevillian Vaudeville (; ) is a theatre, theatrical genre of variety show, variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comic ...

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 theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...

''), 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 ''

Fear and Sand ''Fear and Sand'' () is a 1948 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Totò. The title makes reference to the 1941 Hollywood film '' Blood and Sand'' and its 1908 source novel by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, which ''Fear and Sand ...

'', ''

Toto Tours Italy ''Toto Tours Italy'' () is a 1948 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Totò. Location shooting took place around Italy including in Bologna and Milan. The film's sets were designed by the art director Piero Filippone. Th ...

'', ''

Toto the Sheik ''Toto the Sheik'' () is a 1950 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Totò.Curti p.145 It is a parody of desert films such as '' The Son of the Sheik'' and '' Siren of Atlantis''. Plot Antonio is the humble servant of a r ...

'', '' Cops and Robbers'', ''

Toto and the Women ''Toto and the Women'' () is a 1952 Italy, Italian film directed by Mario Monicelli and Stefano Vanzina, Steno. Plot The cloth retailer Philip (Totò) is no longer able to stand his possessive and tyrannical wife (Ave Ninchi) who claims a higher ...

'', ''

Totò Tarzan ''Totò Tarzan'' is a 1950 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Totò, Marilyn Buferd and Alba Arnova. It is a parody of Edgar Rice Burroughs's novel ''Tarzan of the Apes''. It was shot at the Farnesina Studios in Rome. The ...

'', ''

Toto the Third Man ''Toto the Third Man'' () is a 1951 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Totò. Plot In a small village Peter and Paul (both played by Toto), twin brothers of opposite characters, Peter, mayor of the town, is gruff, precis ...

'', ''

Toto in Color ''Toto in Color'' (Italian: ''Totò a colori'') is a 1952 Italian comedy film, the first Italian color film shot with the Ferraniacolor system. It was directed by Steno and starred the comic actor Totò. In 2008, the film was included on the Ita ...

'' (one of the first Italian color movies, 1952, in

Ferrania FILM Ferrania s.r.l. is a photographic film manufacturing company located in Ferrania (Liguria), Italy. Ferrania was founded in 1923 as a maker of photographic film, papers, and photographic equipment, including cameras. The company was purchase ...

color), ''

Big Deal on Madonna Street ''Big Deal on Madonna Street'' (; released as ''Persons Unknown'' in the UK) is a 1958 Italian comedy caper film directed by Mario Monicelli. Regarded as one of the masterpieces of Italian cinema, the film received an Academy Award nomination fo ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

The Law Is the Law ''The Law Is the Law'' (, ) 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, divided into half by the French-Italian border, the Ne ...

''.

Pier Paolo Pasolini Pier Paolo Pasolini (; 5 March 1922 – 2 November 1975) was an Italian poet, film director, writer, actor and playwright. He is considered one of the defining public intellectuals in 20th-century Italian history, influential both as an artist ...

's '' The Hawks and the Sparrows'' and the episode "Che cosa sono le nuvole" from ''

Caprice Italian Style ''Caprice Italian Style'' () 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 film is composed of fiv ...

'' (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 Aldo Fabrizi (; born Aldo Fabbrizi; 1 November 1905 – 2 April 1990) was an Italian actor, director, screenwriter and comedian, best known for the role of the heroic priest in Roberto Rossellini's ''Rome, Open City'' and as partner of Totò in ...

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 ''

'' and '' Toto and Peppino Divided in Berlin''. 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 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

and ruled by the conservative

Democrazia Cristiana Christian Democracy (, DC) was a Christian democratic political party in Italy. The DC was founded on 15 December 1943 in the Italian Social Republic (Nazi-occupied Italy) as the nominal successor of the Italian People's Party (1919), Italian ...

(Christian Democracy) party. For example, Totò's 1964 film '' What Ever Happened to Baby Toto?'' (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 that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...

in an era when drugs were perceived by the Italian audience as something exotic, 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'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...

. One of his lovers, the well known

chanteuse Many words in the English vocabulary are of French origin, most coming from the Anglo-Norman spoken by the upper classes in England for several hundred years after the Norman Conquest, before the language settled into what became Modern Eng ...

and

dancer Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

, 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 Liliana is derived from the Latin word 'lilium' or 'lilion', both mean 'lily' in English. Due to this, the name means "pure" and "innocent". The name is generally found in North America, though it is more common in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese ...

(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. 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. Arguably however, the handicap 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 Casket or caskets may refer to: * Coffin, a box used for the display and interment of corpses * Casket (decorative box), a decorated container, usually larger than about in width and length, but smaller than a chest ** Chasse (casket), a decora ...

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 ''Consulta Araldica'' () was a college instituted by royal decree on 10 October 1869 to advise the Italian government on noble titles, coats of arms and related matters. It was a department of the Ministry of the Interior, combining the roles o ...

—the body that advised the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...

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 () 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'' continued to be used as a n ...

, His Imperial Highness, Palatine Count, Knight of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

Exarch An exarch (; from Ancient Greek ἔξαρχος ''exarchos'') 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 early Byzantine Empire, ...

Ravenna Ravenna ( ; , also ; ) 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 during the 5th century until its Fall of Rome, collapse in 476, after which ...

, 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 former administr ...

and

Illyria In classical and late antiquity, Illyria (; , ''Illyría'' or , ''Illyrís''; , ''Illyricum'') was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by numerous tribes of people collectively known as the Illyrians. The Ancient Gree ...

, Prince of

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

Cilicia Cilicia () is a geographical region in southern Anatolia, extending inland from the northeastern coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. Cilicia has a population ranging over six million, concentrated mostly at the Cilician plain (). The region inclu ...

Thessaly Thessaly ( ; ; ancient Aeolic Greek#Thessalian, Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic regions of Greece, geographic and modern administrative regions of Greece, administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient Thessaly, a ...

Pontus Pontus or Pontos may refer to: * Short Latin name for the Pontus Euxinus, the Greek name for the Black Sea (aka the Euxine sea) * Pontus (mythology), a sea god in Greek mythology * Pontus (region), on the southern coast of the Black Sea, in modern ...

Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially in ...

, Dardania,

Peloponnesus The Peloponnese ( ), Peloponnesus ( ; , ) or Morea (; ) is a peninsula and geographic regions of Greece, geographic region in Southern Greece, and the southernmost region of the Balkans. It is connected to the central part of the country by the ...

, Count of

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

and

Epirus Epirus () is a Region#Geographical regions, geographical and historical region, historical region in southeastern Europe, now shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay ...

, Count and Duke of

Drivast Drisht ( sq-definite, Drishti) is a village, former bishopric and Latin titular see ( Roman Catholic Diocese of Drivasto) with an Ancient and notable medieval history (Latin ''Drivastum,'' Italian ''Drivasto'') in Albania, 6 km from Mesi Bri ...

o 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!'' (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 *''

'' (1948) as Prof. Toto' Casamandrei *''

'' (1948) as Nicolino Capece *''

The Firemen of Viggiù ''The Firemen of 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 "The Firemen of Viggiù" a ...

'' (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 ''The Emperor of Capri'' (Italian: ''L'imperatore di Capri'') is a 1949 Italian comedy film directed by Luigi Comencini and starring Totò, Yvonne Sanson and Marisa Merlini.Moliterno p.88 The film's sets were designed by the art director Carlo Eg ...

'' (1949) as Antonio De Fazio *''

Totò Le Mokò 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 risat ...

'' (1949) as Antonio Lumaconi / Totò le Moko *''

Side Street Story ''Side Street Story'' ( , meaning "Millionaire Naples") is a 1950 Italian comedy film directed by Eduardo De Filippo, who wrote upon which the film is based. It was entered into the 1951 Cannes Film Festival. Plot Naples, 1942. People are in ...

'' (1950) as Pasquale Miele *'' Figaro Here, Figaro There'' (1950) as Figaro *'' Toto Looks for a Wife'' (1950) as Toto *''

'' (1950) as Antonio Della Buffas *'' Bluebeard's Six Wives'' (1950) as Totò Esposito *''

'' (1950) as Antonio Sapore, il maggiordomo *'' 47 morto che parla'' (1950) as Il barone Antonio Peletti *''

'' (1951) as Piero / Paolo / Totò *'' Seven Hours of Trouble'' (1951) as Totò De Pasquale *'' Cops and Robbers'' (1951) as Ferdinando Esposito *''

'' (1952) as Antonio Scannagatti *'' Toto and the King of Rome'' (1952) as Ercole Pappalardo *''

'' (1952) as Antonio Scaparro *'' One of Those'' (1953) as Rocco *'' Man, Beast and Virtue'' (1953) as Prof. Paolino *'' Neapolitan Turk'' (1953) as Felice Sciosciammocca *'' Funniest Show on Earth'' (1953) as Tottons, il clown / Una signora del pubblico *'' Of Life and Love'' (1954) as Rosario Chiarchiaro (segment "La patente") *''

Where Is Freedom? ''Where Is Freedom?'' () is a 1954 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Roberto Rossellini. The film had a troubled production because, after shooting some scenes, Rossellini lost interest in the film and abandoned the set. The work was complet ...

'' (1954) as Salvatore Lojacono *'' A Slice of Life'' (1954) as Il fotografo *'' Poverty and Nobility'' (1954) as Felice Sciosciammocca *''

The Doctor of the Mad ''The Doctor of the Mad'' () 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 Scarpetta. Plot summa ...

'' (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") *'' Toto and Carolina'' (1955) as Antonio Caccavallo *''

Toto in Hell Toto or TOTO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Toto (''Oz''), a dog in the novel and film ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' * Toto, in Japanese '' The Cat Returns'' * a character in '' Le château à Toto'' (Toto’s cas ...

'' (1955) as Antonio Marchi / March' Antonio *''

Carousel of Variety ''Carousel of Variety'' () 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 Magnani *Aldo Fabrizi * Nino Tara ...

'' (1955) *'' Are We Men or Corporals?'' (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 *''

'' (1956) as Antonio Caponi *''

Toto, Peppino and the Outlaws ''Toto, Peppino and the Outlaws'' () is a 1956 Italian comedy film directed by Camillo Mastrocinque. For this film Peppino De Filippo was awarded with a Silver Ribbon for best supporting actor. Plot Antonio and Peppino live in a small town ...

'' (1956) as Antonio *'' The Lady Doctor'' (1957) as Michele 'Mike' Spillone *'' Toto and Marcellino'' (1958) as Il professore *''

'' (1958) as Giuseppe La Paglia *''

'' (1958) as Dante Cruciani *'' Toto, Peppino and the Fanatics'' (1958) as Ragionier Antonio Vignanelli *'' Toto in Paris'' (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'' (1959) as Torquato Pezzella *'' The Thieves'' (1959) as Commissario Di Sapio *'' You're on Your Own'' (1959) as Il nonno illuminato *''

La cambiale ''La cambiale'' is a 1959 Italian comedy film directed by Camillo Mastrocinque. Plot Commander Bruscatelli, before being imprisoned, leaves the Posalaquaglia cousins a bill of exchange which they give to Temistocle Bisogni in compensation for ...

'' (1959) as Cesare Posalaquaglia *''

Tough Guys ''Tough Guys'' is a 1986 American action comedy film directed by Jeff Kanew and starring Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Eli Wallach, Charles Durning, Dana Carvey, and Darlanne Fluegel. It is the eighth film of Touchstone Pictures, and the fina ...

'' (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'' (1960) as Umberto 'Infortunio' Pennazzuto *''

Who Hesitates Is Lost The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has 6 regional offices and 150 ...

'' (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 ''The Two Marshals'' () is a 1961 Italian comedy film written and directed by Sergio Corbucci. The film was a hit at the Italian box office, with 2.765.531 spectators and a total gross of 536.513.000 lire.Matilde Amorosi, Alessandro Ferraù. ''T ...

'' (1961) as Antonio Capurro *'' Toto vs. Maciste'' (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 ''Lo smemorato di Collegno'' (Italian for "The Collegno amnesiac") is a 1962 commedia all'italiana film directed by Sergio Corbucci. It is loosely based on the Bruneri-Canella case. Plot A man is hospitalized in a neurological clinic, due to a ...

'' (1962) as Lo smemorato *'' Toto and Peppino Divided in Berlin'' (1962) as Antonio La Puzza / Canarinis *''

Toto's First Night ''Toto's First Night'' () is a 1962 Italian musical comedy film directed by Mario Amendola and starring Totò and Erminio Macario.Bìspuri p.264 Plot Ninì and Mimi are two friends, itinerant players, who can not make a penny. It is performed a ...

'' (1962) as Nini *''

The Two Colonels ''The Two Colonels'' ( Italian: ''I due colonnelli'') is a 1963 Italian comedy film directed by Steno and starring Totò and Walter Pidgeon. The character of Totò took inspiration from a similar character he played in '' Totò Diabolicus''. P ...

'' (1962) as Colonnello Di Maggio *''

The Shortest Day ''The Shortest Day'' () is a 1963 Italian comedy film. It is a parody of the war movie '' The Longest Day'' and stars the popular duo Franco and Ciccio in the leading roles. Dozens of other well-known actors, from both European and American cinem ...

'' (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 ''Toto and Cleopatra'' () is a 1963 Italian adventure-comedy film written and directed by Fernando Cerchio. Plot Mark Antony has a brother-lookalike, Totonno, a sinister slave trader. Totonno secretly replaces Mark Antony in the most delicate ...

'' (1963) as

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

/ 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 Antonio Griffo Focas Flavio Angelo Ducas Comneno Porfirogenito Gagliardi De Curtis di Bisanzio (15 February 1898 – 15 April ...

'' (1963) as Nini Cantachiaro *''

Gli onorevoli ''Gli onorevoli'' is a 1963 Italian anthology comedy film directed by Sergio Corbucci. Simple plot The film is composed of several small stories that have to do with the votes of politicians in Italy in the sixties. A senior sharpshooter decides ...

'' (1963) as Antonio La Trippa *'' The Commandant'' (1963) as Col. Antonio Cavalli *'' Toto vs. the Black Pirate'' (1964) as José *''

Beautiful Families ''Beautiful Families'' () is a 1964 Italian comedy film directed by Ugo Gregoretti and starring Annie Girardot. The film's theme comprises four episodes, offering the public a glimpse into the lives of both rich and poor families in Italy during ...

'' (1964) as Filiberto Comanducci (segment "Amare è un po' morire") *'' What Ever Happened to Baby Toto?'' (1964) as Totò Baby / il Padre *''

Toto of Arabia ''Toto of 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 servant at the British Intelligence ...

'' (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 ''Treasure of San Gennaro'' () is a 1966 Italian comedy film starring Nino Manfredi, Senta Berger, Totò and Claudine Auger. Directed by Dino Risi, it is the story of a heist gone wrong. It won a Silver Prize at the 5th Moscow International Film ...

'' (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) *''

'' (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'' * '' Totò all'inferno'' * '' Siamo uomini o caporali'' * '' Il coraggio'' * '' I due marescialli''

TV

* '' TuttoTotò'' (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 Orio Caldiron (24 September 1938 – 28 March 2025) was an Italian film critic, film historian and academic. Life and career Caldiron graduated in philosophy from the University of Padua. He is best known for the book ''Il cinema italiano negl ...

. ''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

Early life

Career

Writing

Personal life

Noble titles

Filmography

Actor

Screenwriter

TV

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links