Totò

Biography

Born Antonio de Curtis , it adopts the name of scene of Totò and begins its career with numbers from improvisation and imitations in small theaters of Naples. After being party for Rome towards 1922, it gains in notoriety and in 1930, it has its own company of theater and share in round in Italy for various reviews ( rivist ), all cordially accommodated of the public.

It appears for the first time in a film in 1937, Fermo idiot the mani! (Stops with your hands!) of Gero Zambuto which will be followed in 1939 of Animali pazzi (Animal insane) of Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia and in 1940 of Totò, apostle and martyr (San Giovanni decollato) of Amleto Palermi.
These films without much success, pushes it to continue with the theater where it obtains receptions triumphing in spectacles put in scene by Antonio Galdieri and where, sometimes, it gives the counterpart to Anna Magnani.
In 1947, Mario Mattoli opens to him to the way of success on film with the Two orphans (I Due orfanelli) . It, consequently, will work more and more for the cinema, which will lead it to leave the boards gradually.

During its prolific career, he played in more than one hundred films. Its many comic roles ensured a great notoriety to him. He will play sides of Italian great names of the cinema such as Paolo Stoppa, Titina de Filippo, Peppino de Filippo, Aldo Fabrizi, Giovanna Ralli, Gino Cervi, Vittorio de Sica, Silvana Pampanini, Erminio Macario (another large burlesque actor of the time), Anna Magnani, Marisa Merlini, Sandra Milo, Nino Manfredi, Ugo Tognazzi, Vittorio Gassman, Renato Salvatori, Carla Gravina, Claudia Cardinale, Marcello Mastroianni, Silvana Mangano as well as famous international actors such as Joséphine Baker, Mistinguett, Fernandel, Jean-Claude Brialy, Jean Rochefort, Claudine Auger, Viviane Lovesong, Orson Welles or Ben Gazzara. Large Italian realizers one makes work like Mario Monicelli, Steno, Luigi Comencini, Mario Costa, Dino Risi, Alessandro Blasetti, Vittorio de Sica, Roberto Rossellini and Pier Paolo Pasolini.

Author also of songs to the success, most famous being surely Malafemmena in 1951, as well as the Neapolitan poetries published in the collection 'A livella (the level) in 1964, Totò died of an heart attack, the April 15th 1967, with Rome, the 69 years age.

One can consult the book: " Totò, the laughter of Naples" writing by Rene Marx and published into 1996 with the Editions Henri Shepherd. It is the only French biography of the Neapolitan actor.

Catalog of films

1935 : Fermo idiot the mani! (Stops with your hands!) of Gero Zambuto, role of the count Totò di Torretora
1937: Animali pazzi (Animal insane) of Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia, role of the baron Tolomeo dei Tolomei
1940: Totò, apostle and martyr (San Giovanni decollato) of Amleto Palermi and Giorgio Bianchi with Titina de Filippo, role of main Agostino Miciacio
1941: the Allegro fantasma of Amleto Palermi
1943: Due cuori FRA the belve of Giorgio Simonelli, Arcobaleno of Giorgio Ferroni
1945: It Ratto delle Sabine of Mario Bonnard
1947: the Two orphans (I Due orfanelli) of Mario Mattoli with Luigi Almirante, role of Gasparre
1948: FIFA E arena of Mario Mattoli, Totò Al giro of Italia of Mario Mattoli
1949: Yvonne the night of Giuseppe Amato, Imperatore di Capri of Luigi Comencini, I Pompieri di Viggiù of Mario Mattoli, Totò cerca put Mario Monicelli and Steno, Totò Moko of Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia
1950: Naples millionaire (Napoli milionaria) of Eduardo De Filippo with Titina De Filippo, Carlo Ninchi, Mario Soldati, role of Pasquale Miele
1950: Totò sceicco of Mario Mattoli, 47 morto che spoke about Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia, Figaro qua, Figaro there of Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia, Sei mogli di Barbablù of Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia, Totò cerca moglie of Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia, Totò Tarzan of Mario Mattoli
1951: Gendarmes and robbers (Guardie E ladri) of Mario Monicelli and Shorthand writing with Aldo Fabrizi, role of Ferdinando Esposito
1951: Sette ore di guai of Marcello Marchesi and Vittorio Metz, Totò E I Re di Roma of Mario Monicelli and Shorthand writing, Totò terzo uomo of Mario Mattoli
1952: Totò E gives it Mario Monicelli and Steno, Totò has colori Steno
1953: It più comico spettacolo LED mondo of Mario Mattoli, Turco napoletano of Mario Mattoli, Una di which (Totò, Peppino E una di which) of Aldo Fabrizi
1953: Uomo, the bestia E the virtù of Shorthand writing with Orson Welles and Viviane Lovesong, role of the professor Paolino
1954: the Gold of Naples (Oro di Napoli) of Vittorio de Sica, segment Gouape (It Guappo), role of Gift Saverio Petrillo
1954: Where is freedom (Dov' E the libertà…?) of Roberto Rossellini, role of Salvatore Lojacono
1954: Totò misery and nobility (Miseria E nobiltà) of Mario Mattoli, Some steps in the life (Tempi nostri) of Alessandro Blasetti and Paul Paviot, It Medico dei pazzi of Mario Mattoli, Questa E the vita segment the License of Luigi Zampa, Totò ale inferno of Camillo Mastrocinque, Totò cerca pace of Mario Mattoli, I tre ladri of Lionello De Felice
1955: Roman Stories (Racconti romani) of Gianni Franciolini, Carosello LED varietà of Aldo Bonaldi and Aldo Quinti, It Coraggio of Domenico Paolella, Destinazione Piovarolo of Domenico Paolella, Siamo uomini O caporali of Camillo Mastrocinque, Totò E Carolina of Mario Monicelli
1956: Bandaged It degli onesti Camillo Mastrocinque, Totò, lascia O raddoppia? of Camillo Mastrocinque, Totò, Peppino E I… fuorilegge of Camillo Mastrocinque, Totò, Peppino E… the malafemmina of Camillo Mastrocinque
1957: Known as 33 (Totò, Vittorio E the dottoressa) of Camillo Mastrocinque
1958: the Law, it is the law (Legge E legge) of Christian-Jaque with Fernandel, No5el Roquevert, Henri Crémieux, role of Giuseppe Paglia
1958: the Pigeon (I Soliti ignoti) of Mario Monicelli with Vittorio Gassman, Renato Salvatori, Carla Gravina, Claudia Cardinale, Marcello Mastroianni, role of Dante Cruciani
1958: Totò nella luna of Shorthand writing, My kid (Totò E Marcellino) of Antonio Musu, Gamba of oro of Turi Vasile and Antonio Margheriti, Parisian in spite of him (Totò has Parigi) Camillo Mastrocinque, Totò, Peppino E the fanatiche of Mario Mattoli
1959: Fripouillard and Co (I Tartassati) of Shorthand writing, I Ladri of Lucio Fulci, Arrangiatevi! of Mauro Bolognini, Cambial the of Camillo Mastrocinque, a master stroke (Totò, Eva E it pennello proibito) of Shorthand writing
1960: Totò, Fabrizi E I giovani of oggi of Mario Mattoli, Chi if E perduto Sergio Corbucci closed, Letto has tre piazze Steno, Noi duri of Camillo Mastrocinque, Risate di gioia of Mario Monicelli, Signori if nasce of Mario Mattoli, Totò ciak of Daniele d' Anza
1961: Totò, Peppino E the dolce vita of Sergio Corbucci, I Due marescialli of Sergio Corbucci, Sweated Eccellenza if fermò has mangiare Mario Mattoli, Tototruffa “62 of Camillo Mastrocinque
1962: I Due colonnelli of Shorthand writing, the shortest day (It Giorno più corto) of Sergio Corbucci, Lo Smemorato di Collegno of Sergio Corbucci, Totò contro Maciste of Fernando Cerchio, Totò diabolicus of Shorthand writing, Totò di notte N. 1 of Mario Amendola, Totò E Peppino divisi has Berlino Giorgio Bianchi
1963: It Ordering Paolo Heusch, It Monaco di Monza of Sergio Corbucci, Motorizzate of Marino Girolami, Gli onorevoli of Sergio Corbucci, Totò contro I 4 of Shorthand writing, Totò E Cleopatra of Fernando Cerchio, sexy Totò of Mario Amendola
1964: Ah! Beautiful families (Beautiful the famiglie) of Ugo Gregoretti, Che fine ha fatto Totò baby? of Ottavio Alessi, Totò contro it pirated nero Fernando Cerchio, Totò d' Arabia of Jose Antonio of Loma
1965: Gli amanti latini of Mario Costa, the Mandrake (Mandragola) of Alberto Lattuada, Rita, the figlia americana of Piero Vivarelli
1966: Of the birds, small and large (Uccellacci E uccellini) of Pier Paolo Pasolini, role of Innocenti Totò / brother Cicillo
1967: the Witches (Streghe) , segment Earth seen of the moon (Terra Vista paved luna) Pier Paolo Pasolini, with Silvana Mangano, role of Ciancocato Miao
1967: Operation San Gennaro (Operazione San Gennaro) of Dino Risi, It Latitante (TV) of Daniele d' Anza, Gift Giovannini (TV) of Bruno Corbucci, It Large maestro of Daniele d' Anza, Scommessa (TV) of Daniele d' Anza, Totò has Napoli (TV) of Daniele d' Anza, Totò Ye Ye (TV) of Daniele d' Anza, It Tuttofare (TV) of Daniele d' Anza
1968: Whim with Italian the (Capriccio ale italiana) is , segment the Monster of Sunday (It Mostro beyond domenica) of Shorthand writing, role of Anziano father , segment Which the news? (Che cosa sound system the nuvole?) of Pier Paolo Pasolini, role of Iago

Rewards

1952 : Ribbon of money of the best actor for Gendarmes and robbers (Guardie E ladri)
1966: Special mention with the Cannes festival for its performance of actor
1967: Ribbon of money of the best main actor for Of the birds, small and large (Uccellacci E uccellini)

Anecdotes

In 1933, Totò, then 35 years old, is adopted by the marquis Francesco Maria Gagliardi Focas, which transmits its titles to him.
In 1937, whereas it is almost 40 years old, his/her father, the marquis Giuseppe de Curtis legally recognizes it by giving him the possibility of using its name and of enorgueillir titles which had with its ascent and its adoption: the name that Totò will raise proudly will be:

Antonio Griffo Focas Flavio Dicas Commeno Porfirogenito Gagliardi De Curtis di Bisanzio, altezza imperial, tale palatino, cavaliere LED sacro Romano Impero, esarca di Ravenna, duca di Macedonia E di Illiria, principle di Costantinopoli, di Cicilia, di Tessaglia, di Ponte, di Moldavia, di Dardania, del Peloponneso, tale di Cipro E di Epiro, tale E duca di Drivasto E Durazzo.

(Antonio Griffo Focas Flavio Dicas Commeno Porfirogenito Gagliardi De Curtis de Byzance, imperial highness, Count Palatine, knight of the Holy roman Empire Romain, exarque of Ravenne, duke of Macedonia and Illyrie, prince de Costantinople, of Sicily, of Tessalie, the Bridge, Moldavie, Dardanie, of the Peloponnese, count de Chypre and of Épire, count and duke of Drivasto and Durazzo.

NdR : The towns of Drivasto and Durazzo are strong cities located in Albania.

Some sentences

Signora sound system has sweated supplemented disposizione, corpo, animated E frattaglie. (Madam, I am fully at your disposal, body, heart and entrails.)
Caporali if nasce, not if diventa. (One is born corporal, one does not become it.)
Elena di Troia… Troia… Troia: questo names nonsemi E nuovo. (Helen of Troy… Troy… Troy: I already heard this name some share.)
Non semi guardi idiot quegli occhiacci… Lei idiot quegli occhi semi spoglia… Spogliatoio! (Do not look at me with these small eyes… With these eyes, you strip me… Cloakroom!)
limiting Ogni ha una pazienza. (Very limit has a patience.)

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