Franco and Ciccio (, ) were a comic comedy duo formed by Italian actors

Franco Franchi Francesco Benenato (18 September 1928 – 9 December 1992), known as Franco Franchi, was an Italian actor, comedian and singer. He was born in Palermo, Sicily and began his career in the 1950s, although his career only really took off in the ...

(1928–1992) and

Ciccio Ingrassia Francesco "Ciccio" Ingrassia (5 October 1922 – 28 April 2003) was an Italian actor, comedian and film director. He was born in Palermo, Sicily, and began his career in the 1950s, although his career only really took off in the 1960s. He star ...

(1922–2003), particularly popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Their collaboration began in 1954 in the theatre field, and ended with Franchi's death in 1992. The two made their cinema debuts in 1960 with the film '' Appuntamento a Ischia''. They remained active until 1984 when their last film together, '' Kaos'', was shot, although there were some interruptions in 1973 and from 1975 to 1980. Together, they appeared in 112 films. Considered at the time as protagonists of

B movie A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second ...

s, they were subsequently reevaluated by critics for their comedy and creative abilities, becoming the subject of study. The huge success with the public is evidenced by the box office earnings, which in the 1960s, represented 10% of the annual box office earnings in Italy.

History

Both born in

Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

, their collaboration began in 1954 in the theatre field, and ended with Franchi's death in 1992. The two made their cinema debuts in 1960 with the film '' Appuntamento a Ischia''. They remained active until 1984 when their last film together, '' Kaos'', was shot, although there were some interruptions in 1973 and from 1975 to 1980. Appuntamento a Ischia - Franchi Ingrassia

Appuntamento a Ischia - Franchi Ingrassia

Together, they appeared in 112 films, usually as the main characters, and occasionally as supporting characters in films featuring well-known actors such as

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 risat ...

and

Domenico Modugno Domenico Modugno (; 9 January 1928 – 6 August 1994) was an Italian singer, actor and, later in life, a member of the Italian Parliament. He is known for his 1958 international hit song " Nel blu dipinto di blu", for which he received the fir ...

who wrote "Rinaldo in campo" for the two; the theatre piece launched the comedy team's career. They also appeared in a variety of film genres and appeared opposite

Vittorio Gassman Vittorio Gassman (; born Gassmann; 1 September 1922 – 29 June 2000), popularly known as , was an Italian actor, director, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the greatest Italian actors, whose career includes both important producti ...

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently ...

and

Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor. He was known for his work in the horror film genre, mostly portraying villains. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price ...

. Although their films were labelled as minor works of Italian cinema by

film critics Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium. In general, film criticism can be divided into two categories: Academic criticism by film scholars, who study the composition of film theory and publish their findin ...

of the time, who did not consider their comic films as they were often parodies of films of the period. However, they were rewarded by important audience responses, for example ''

I figli del leopardo ''I figli del leopardo'' (also known as ''Sons of the Leopard'') is a 1965 Italian comedy film directed by Sergio Corbucci starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio that is a parody of ''The Leopard''. Plot Sicily, 1860. The Baron Tulico is a pen ...

'' by

Sergio Corbucci Sergio Corbucci (; 6 December 1926 – 1 December 1990) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and Film producer, producer. He was one of the main exponents of the Spaghetti Western genre during the 1960s and 1970s, with his most notable work ...

(1965), a parody of ''

The Leopard ''The Leopard'' ( ) is a novel by Italian writer Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, which chronicles the changes in Sicilian life and society during the ''Risorgimento''. Published posthumously in 1958 by Feltrinelli, after two rejections by the ...

'' by

Luchino Visconti Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo (; 2 November 1906 – 17 March 1976) was an Italian filmmaker, theatre and opera director, and screenwriter. He was one of the fathers of Italian neorealism, cinematic neorealism, but later ...

(1963). However, there were exceptions to the negative judgments of critics such as those of

Alberto Moravia Alberto Pincherle (; 28 November 1907 – 26 September 1990), known by his pseudonym Alberto Moravia ( , ), was an Italian novelist and journalist. His novels explored matters of modern sexuality, social alienation and existentialism. Moravia i ...

and

Carmelo Bene Carmelo Pompilio Realino Antonio Bene (1 September 1937 – 16 March 2002) was an Italian actor, poet, film director, and screenwriter. He was an important exponent of the Italian avant-garde theatre and cinema. In 1968, his movie Our Lady ...

who admitted to appreciating their work. They acted in films certainly made in a short time and with few means, such as those shot with the director

Marcello Ciorciolini Marcello Ciorciolini (16 January 1922 – 5 September 2011) was an Italian screenwriter, director, playwright, television and radio author and lyricist. Life and career Born in Rome, Ciorciolini began his career in 1950 as a radio writer, oft ...

, sometimes even making a dozen films in a year, often without a real script and where they often improvised on the set. Also are the 13 films directed by

Lucio Fulci Lucio Fulci (; 17 June 1927 – 13 March 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Although he worked in a wide array of genres through a career spanning nearly five decades, including Commedia all'italiana, comedies and spagh ...

, who was the architect of the reversal of their typical roles by making Ciccio the serious one, the sidekick, and Franco the comic one. Considered at the time as protagonists of

, they were subsequently reevaluated by critics for their comedy and creative abilities, becoming the object of study. The huge success with the public is evidenced by the box office earnings, which in the 1960s, represented 10% of the annual earnings in Italy.DVD N.9 ''Lezioni di cinema'', Repubblica-L'espresso

Movie plots

Often their films were without a real

screenplay A screenplay, or script, is a written work produced for a film, television show (also known as a '' teleplay''), or video game by screenwriters (cf. ''stage play''). Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of w ...

and were based on a

canovaccio A ''canovaccio'' is a scenario used by ''commedia dell'arte'' players. It consisted only of a list of acts and scenes; the details were left to the improvisation of the actors. Actors in the ''commedia dell'arte'' thus had to be endowed with an in ...

and the dialogues were entrusted to

improvisation Improvisation, often shortened to improv, is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. The origin of the word itself is in the Latin "improvisus", which literally means un-foreseen. Improvis ...

. The director, more often than not, limited himself to giving indications to those in charge of the

movie camera A movie camera (also known as a film camera and cine-camera) is a type of photographic camera that rapidly takes a sequence of photographs, either onto film stock or an image sensor, in order to produce a moving image to display on a screen. In c ...

, without interfering in the work of the actors. Franco defines it as a "superficial artistic direction, daughter of a passive conception of cinema". Two types of films can be identified in the duo's filmography, parodies and original works, stories entirely invented by them or by the screenwriters. In between these two are original films with parodied titles, and anthology films. Furthermore, the participations in

auteur films An (; , ) is an artist with a distinctive approach, usually a film director whose filmmaking control is so unbounded and personal that the director is likened to the "author" of the film, thus manifesting the director's unique style or thematic ...

such as ''

The Last Judgment The Last Judgment is a concept found across the Abrahamic religions and the ''Frashokereti'' of Zoroastrianism. Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God of all people who have ever lived, resu ...

'' by

Vittorio De Sica Vittorio De Sica ( , ; 7 July 1901 – 13 November 1974) was an Italian film director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement. Widely considered one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, four of the fil ...

(1961) or '' Kaos'' by

Paolo and Vittorio Taviani Paolo Taviani (; 8 November 1931 – 29 February 2024) and Vittorio Taviani (; 20 September 1929 – 15 April 2018), collectively referred to as the Taviani brothers, were Italian film directors and screenwriters who collaborated on numerous fi ...

(1984), ''

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 ...

'' (1968) by six different directors and ''

The Adventures of Pinocchio ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' ( ; , i.e. "The Adventures of Pinocchio. Story of a Puppet"), commonly shortened to ''Pinocchio'', is an 1883 Children's literature, children's fantasy novel by Italian author Carlo Collodi. It is about the mischi ...

'' by

Luigi Comencini Luigi Comencini (; 8 June 1916 – 6 April 2007) was an Italian film director. Together with Dino Risi, Ettore Scola, and Mario Monicelli, he was considered among the masters of the "commedia all'italiana" genre. His daughters Cristina Comencin ...

(1972) are very important. Franchi Ingrassia Doro I due pericoli pubblici

Continuavano a chiamarli - Franchi e Ingrassia

Movies with an original plot represent the majority and are of multiple genres, which usually followed the trend of the fashion and market needs of the period in which they were made. Many films are centered on the theme of the

Sicilian Mafia The Sicilian Mafia or Cosa Nostra (, ; "our thing"), also referred to as simply Mafia, is a secret society, criminal society and criminal organization originating on the island of Sicily and dates back to the mid-19th century. Emerging as a form of ...

, initially playing on the mafioso stereotype such as ''

L'onorata società ''L'onorata società'' is a 1961 Italian comedy film written and directed by Riccardo Pazzaglia. It was shown as part of a retrospective on Italian comedy at the 67th Venice International Film Festival. Cast * Franco Franchi as Salvatore * Cicc ...

'' by

Riccardo Pazzaglia Riccardo Pazzaglia (12 September 1926 – 4 October 2006) was an Italian actor, film director, screenwriter, songwriter (for Domenico Modugno), TV and radio personality. Born in Naples, Pazzaglia graduated in direction from the Centro Speri ...

(1961) and '' I due mafiosi'' by

Giorgio Simonelli Giorgio Simonelli (14 November 1901 Birth name: Giorgio Simonelli. – 3 October 1966), was an Italian film director, editor, screenwriter and journalist. Life and career Born in Rome, Simonelli got a high school diploma in business studies, ...

(1964). Others focus on the humorous satire of society by targeting politics ( by

Giovanni Grimaldi Giovanni Grimaldi (14 November 1917 – 25 February 2001) was an Italian screenwriter, journalist and film director. He was sometimes credited as Gianni Grimaldi. Biography Born in Catania, Sicily, Grimaldi entered the cinema industry in 1952 a ...

, 1968), religion ( by

Marino Girolami Marino Girolami (1 February 1914 – 20 February 1994) was an Italian film director and actor. Biography Marino Giorlami was born on 1 February 1914 in Rome, Italy. Formally a Professional boxing, professional boxer, Girolami ended his boxing c ...

, 1970), sport (''

I due maghi del pallone ''I due maghi del pallone'' (''The two wizards of the ball'') is a 1970 Italian comedy film directed by Mariano Laurenti starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. Plot summary Ciccio Ingrassetti is the PR of a Milanese pharmaceutical firm which ...

'' by

Mariano Laurenti Mariano Laurenti (15 April 1929 – 6 January 2022) was an Italian film director and actor. Career He started as a script supervisor and later became an assistant director for, among others, Mauro Bolognini and Stefano Vanzina. He directed 50 f ...

, 1970), justice (''Riuscirà l'avvocato Franco Benenato a sconfiggere il suo acerrimo nemico il pretore Ciccio De Ingras?'' by

Mino Guerrini Mino Guerrini (16 December 1927 – 10 January 1990) was an Italian director, screenwriter, journalist, actor, and painter. Biography Born in Rome as Giacomo Guerrini, Guerrini entered the cinema industry in 1954 as screenwriter in Marcello Pagl ...

, 1971). In the western genre include, ''

Two Sergeants of General Custer 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and the only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many ...

'' by

(1965), ''

How We Got into Trouble with the Army ''How We Got into Trouble with the Army '' () is a black-and-white 1965 Italian comedy film directed by Lucio Fulci starring Franco and Ciccio Franco and Ciccio (, ) were a comic comedy duo formed by Italian actors Franco Franchi (1928–1992 ...

'' by

(1965), ''

How We Robbed the Bank of Italy ''How We Robbed the Bank of Italy'' () (a.k.a. ''Due uomini d'oro'') is a 1966 Italian crime-comedy film directed and co-written by Lucio Fulci, and starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. Plot Franco and Ciccio are the brothers of Paolo "The ...

'' by Lucio Fulci (1966), '' How We Stole the Atomic Bomb'' by Lucio Fulci (1967), ''I 2 pompieri'', ''

I due assi del guantone ''I due assi del guantone'' (Italian for "The two aces of boxing") is a 1971 comedy film directed by Mariano Laurenti and starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. Plot Franco and Ciccio are two Sicilians who seek fortune in Rome. They are hir ...

'' by

(1971), and ''Franco, Ciccio e le vedove allegre''. Often, minor film houses, as soon as they had news of the release of a new film, commissioned a parody even based on the title alone, leading to films such as ''

Satiricosissimo ''Satiricosissimo'' is a 1970 Italian comedy film directed by Mariano Laurenti starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. It is a parody of the 1969 Federico Fellini film ''Fellini Satyricon''. Plot summary Ciccio loves very much the novel ''Saty ...

'', ''

I due pericoli pubblici ''I due pericoli pubblici'' (lit. ''The two public enemies'') is a 1964 black-and-white Italian comedy film directed by Lucio Fulci starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. Plot Franco and Ciccio Introlia are two scammers. One day they disguise ...

''; then the parodies of the

Spaghetti Western The spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's filmmaking style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

(''

Per un pugno nell'occhio ''Per un pugno nell'occhio'' is a 1965 Italian film by Michele Lupo starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. It is a Spaghetti Western parody of ''Fistful of Dollars'' and was also known as ''Fistful of Knuckles'' and ''For a Fist in the Eye''. ...

'', '' The Handsome, the Ugly, and the Stupid'', ''Due rrringos nel Texas'') and those of

espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information ( intelligence). A person who commits espionage on a mission-specific contract is called an ...

(''

Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs ''Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs'' (Italian: ''Le spie vengono dal semifreddo'', lit. "The spies who came in from the cool") is a 1966 Eurospy comedy film, made in Technicolor and directed by Mario Bava. Serving as a sequel to two unrelated fil ...

'', ''002 agenti segretissimi'', ''

002 Operazione Luna ''002 operazione Luna'' is a 1965 science fiction comedy film directed by Lucio Fulci. The film stars Franco and Ciccio, Mónica Randall and Linda Sini. The film's Spanish print released in 1968 was titled ''Dos cosmonautas a la fuerza'' () a ...

'') which refer to the

James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

saga. Other parodies were ''

Don Chisciotte and Sancio Panza ''Don Chisciotte and Sancio Panza'' () is an Italian 1968 comedy film written and directed by Giovanni Grimaldi and starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. It is based on the Miguel de Cervantes' novel ''Don Quixote''. Plot In the original n ...

'' and ''

Farfallon ''Farfallon'' is a 1974 Italian comedy film directed by Riccardo Pazzaglia starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. It is a parody of ''Papillon''. Plot Farfallon is a Sicilian pastry chef who finds himself in prison for attempted murder and i ...

''. Halfway between parodies and original works, there are also films with titles that refer to famous titles but with original plots such as ''I due maggiolini più matti del mondo'' (1970). Separately, anthology films, which were made above all because they took much less time to make and because they could stage more leading actors and therefore attract more audiences. The sections ''La giara'' in '' Kaos'' (1984) and ''Che cosa sono le nuvole?'' in ''

'' (1968) are examples.

Cultural impact

The duo also starred in a comic series at the end of the 1960s, ''Ciccio & Franco'', with stories that were original, but featured gags already established in the cinema. On 8 September 2004, during the 61st

Venice International Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...

Daniele Ciprì Daniele Ciprì (born 17 August 1962) is an Italian film director and cinematographer. He is best known for his collaborations with Franco Maresco and for his film '' It Was the Son''. Selected filmography As director * '' The Return of Cagliostr ...

and

Franco Maresco Franco may refer to: Name * Franco (name) * Francisco Franco (1892–1975), Spanish general and dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975 * Franco Luambo (1938–1989), Congolese musician, the "Grand Maître" * Franco of Cologne (mid to late 13th cent ...

presented the documentary film ''Come inguaiammo il cinema italiano - La vera storia di Franco e Ciccio'' (English: "How we messed up Italian cinema - The true story of Franco and Ciccio"), on the life of Franco and Ciccio. Despite the problems encountered, the two directors collected a large amount of material, also reconstructing the sketches of the street debuts of the two comedians from Palermo, collecting testimonies and interviews.

Inspirations

The main model of the duo remains that of

Laurel & Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American comedy duo during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957). Starting their career as a duo in the ...

. As a young man, Ciccio's idol was

. He went to see him during a show in Palermo and was impressed by him, so much so that he took many ideas from his work and recreated them in his characters, especially in the initial period of the theater. He also greatly admired

Danny Kaye Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky; ; January 18, 1911 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, singer, and dancer. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and rapid-fire novelty songs. Kaye starred ...

and

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...

Maciste contro Ercole - Ingrassia Franchi

Franco instead admired

, who he considered even better than Chaplin. His dream was to act alongside him, and did so in 1966. In the early years of theatre, Franco was often compared to

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian, with a career spanning seven decades in film, stage, television and radio. Famously nicknamed as "Th ...

. Franco and Ciccio also admired many of their contemporary colleagues:

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. ...

Erminio Macario Erminio Macario (27 May 1902 – 25 March 1980), best known as Macario, was an Italian film actor and comedian. He appeared in 42 films between 1933 and 1975. Life and career Born in Turin, Macario made his debut at a young age in the amate ...

Raimondo Vianello Raimondo Vianello (7 May 1922 – 15 April 2010) was an Italian film actor, comedian, and television host. He was a well-known Italian television personality. Biography He was born in Rome, but spent his youth in Pula, where his father, an ...

Luigi Pavese Luigi Pavese (25 October 1897 – 13 December 1969) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Biography Born in Asti, Pavese started his career in 1916 working as a silent film actor at 19 years of age. He then began his theatrical debut in 1 ...

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 ...

Akim Tamiroff Akim Mikhailovich Tamiroff (born Hovakim Tamiryants; October 29, 1899 – September 17, 1972) was an Armenian-American actor of film, stage, and television. One of the premier character actors of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tamiroff developed a pr ...

and Misha Auer. Furthermore, Ciccio had been positively impressed by

Jayne Mansfield Jayne Mansfield (born Vera Jayne Palmer; April 19, 1933 – June 29, 1967) was an American actress, ''Playboy'' Playmate, and sex symbol of the 1950s and early 1960s. She was known for her numerous publicity stunts and open personal life. He ...

, an actress who died at the age of 34 in a car accident, with whom he starred in ''

Primitive Love ''Primitive Love'' is the ninth studio album and second English-language record by the Miami Sound Machine, released in August 1985, by Epic Records. The album has sold over 6 million copies worldwide. The album includes the top 10 ''Billboar ...

'' by

Luigi Scattini Luigi Scattini (17 May 1927 – 12 July 2010) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Scattini graduated in law, then he began his career as a journalist and a film critic for several weekly magazines such as ''Gente (magazine), Gente ...

(1964).

Acknowledgments

Telegatti

* Telegatti 1984 for the ''Bene, bravo, bis'' TV show.

Dedications

* Exhibition ''Franco and Ciccio... not only comedians!!!'', organized by the Sicilian branch of the Experimental Cinematography Center dedicated to the duo in Palermo from 4 to 6 June 2012. * The theatre hall of the Piccola Accademia dei Talenti in Palermo was named after the duo on 10 December 2017. * Piazzetta Franco and Ciccio in Palermo and, close to via Venezia, a plaque in memory of the two actors. * Show ''Ciccio the other half of Franco'', organized in Palermo on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of Ingrassia's death.

Music

Franco, while working with Salvatore Polara's "crawlers", as well as acting, played the

bass drum The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter usually greater than its depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. The head ...

and the

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...

and sang in the shows in the square. Ciccio, on the other hand, initially devoted himself to parodies of Canzone Napoletana, including ''Agata'',

Nino Taranto Nino Taranto (28 August 1907 – 23 February 1986) was an Italian 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 local sta ...

's forte. The first show together was dedicated to the Neapolitan song ''Core 'ngrato''. They collaborated with

in the LP recording of the show ''Rinaldo in campo'', which collected all the songs interpreted during the comedy; the song “Tre briganti, tre somari” was then also published in 45 rpm. Singles were also made from their television appearances. The best success fell to Franco who alone released the album ''Sarò Franco'' and various singles (of which “L'ultimo dei belli” ended up in the hit parade). Even during their television conductions in the 1980s they signed several closing theme songs for their respective programs, including the one created for ''Drim'' entitled “E mi pareva strano”. In the same period he covered a 1981 hit entitled “Shaddap your face” and recorded by

Joe Dolce Joseph Dolce (, originally ; born October 13, 1947) is an American-Australian singer, songwriter, poet and essayist. Dolce achieved international recognition with his multi-million-selling novelty song, " Shaddap You Face", released worldwide un ...

, called “Alì Alì Alè”.

Albums

* 1961 – ''Rinaldo in campo'' (

Fonit Cetra Fonit Cetra was an Italian record label, active between 1957 and 2000. History Fonit Cetra was founded in 1957 from merging two already existing labels: Cetra (acronym from Compagnia per edizioni, teatro, registrazioni ed affini), owned by RAI ...

, LP 20016; participation with

Delia Scala Delia Scala (born Odette Bedogni; 25 September 1929 – 15 January 2004) was an Italian ballerina, actress and singer who played a leading role in the nascent ''commedia musicale''. Career Scala was born as Odette Bedogni in Bracciano, Lazio ...

and the rest of the cast of the homonymous theatrical show)

Singles

* 1961 – "Tre somari e tre briganti/La bandiera" (

Carosello Records Carosello Records is an Italian record label. Carosello distributed the United Artists label in Italy. References Italian record labels {{Italy-music-stub ...

) * 1966 – "Bang... bang... kissenè/Il re dello scasso" ( Ester Records, GEE 104) * 1968 – "Ciccio perdona... io no!/Lupara Story" (Carosello Records, Cl-20211) * 1968 – "La gavotta" (Carosello Records) * 1968 – "Tango mizzichero/Scuola di danza" (Carosello Records, Cl-20207) * 1969 – "Non siamo eroi/Non siamo eroi (instrumental)" (Carosello Records, Cl-20223) * 1970 – "Cerentoluzzo parte 1/Cerentoluzzo parte 2" ( Hello Records, HR 9037) * 1970 – "La lampada di Alaciccio parte 1/La lampada di Alaciccio parte 2" ( Hello Records, HR 9038) * 1970 – "Pollifranco e Polliciccio parte 1/Pollifranco e Polliciccio parte 2" ( Hello Records, HR 9039) * 1981 – "E mi pareva strano/Franco, Ciccio e il pappagallo" (

, SP-1749) * 1982 – "Ah, l'amore/Alì Alì Alè" (

RCA Italiana RCA Italiana was an Italian record company founded in 1949 and active until 1987, the date on which, together with the parent company RCA Records, it was bought by BMG Entertainment. History Founded in Rome in 1949 under the Vatican's protec ...

, BB 6559) * 1982 – "Ridiamoci sopra/Calcio matto" (RCA Italiana)

Theater

* ''Core 'ngrato'' (1954) * ''Al Texas Club'' (1957) * ''Due in allegria e cinque in armonia'' (1958) * ''Un giallo più giallo di un giallo'' (1958) * ''Liz Taylor è a Cannes, De Sica a New York, Franchi e Ingrassia a Palermo'' (1959) * ''Rinaldo in campo'' (1961-62) * ''Masaniello'' (1963) * ''Tommaso d'Amalfi'' (1963-64) * ''Il cortile degli Aragonesi'' (1973) * ''La granduchessa e i camerieri'' (1977)

Notable films

00-2 agenti segretissimi - Franco e Ciccio

*'' Appuntamento a Ischia'' 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 comed ...

(1960) *''

'' by

(1961) *''

5 marines per 100 ragazze ''5 marines per 100 ragazze'' is a 1961 Italian '' musicarello'' comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Virna Lisi. Cast * Virna Lisi as Grazia * Mario Carotenuto as Admiral Michigan * Hélène Chanel as Elena * Little Tony as ...

'' by

(1961) *''

Hercules in the Valley of Woe ''Hercules in the Vale of Woe'' (/ ''Maciste vs Hercules in the Valley of Woe''), a.k.a. ''Hercules in the Valley of Woe'', is a 1961 Italian Franco and Ciccio comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Kirk Morris as Maciste and Frank ...

'' by

(1961) *''

'' by

(1961) *''

Il mio amico Benito ''Il mio amico Benito'' is a 1962 ''commedia all'italiana'' film directed by Giorgio Bianchi (director), Giorgio Bianchi. Plot Peppino Di Gennaro is a simple clerk who wants to make a career without success. After a friend gave him a photo take ...

'' by Giorgio Bianchi (1962) *''

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 ...

'' by

(1962) *''

I motorizzati ''I motorizzati'' is a 1962 Italian anthology comedy film directed by Camillo Mastrocinque, consisting of five segments all sharing cars as main theme. Cast *Ugo Tognazzi as Achille Pestani * Nino Manfredi as Nino Borsetti * Franco Franchi ...

'' by

Camillo Mastrocinque Camillo Mastrocinque (11 May 1901 – 23 April 1969) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed more than 60 films between 1937 and 1968, and is known to horror film fans for directing ''Terror in the Crypt'' (1964) starring ...

(1962) *''

Obiettivo ragazze ''Obiettivo ragazze'' is a 1963 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. Plot Four ex-soldiers meet and reminisce about the times they were in the military: a parachutist mistaking his sergean ...

'' by

(1963) *'' The Swindlers'' by

(1963) *'' I due mafiosi'' by

(1964) *''

'' by

(1964) *''

I due evasi di Sing Sing ''I due evasi di Sing Sing'' (Italian for "The two escapees from Sing Sing") is a 1964 black-and-white Italian film directed by Lucio Fulci starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. The film is the first of three comedies with the duo by the same d ...

'' by

(1964) *''

Oh! Those Most Secret Agents! ''00-2 agenti segretissimi'' (Italian for "00-2 Very Secret Agents"), distributed in English as ''Oh! Those Most Secret Agents!'', is a 1964 Italian film directed by Lucio Fulci starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. The film is the third of thr ...

'' by

(1964) *''

Two Mafiamen in the Far West ''Two Mafiamen in the Far West'' () is a 1964 Italian comedy western film directed by Giorgio Simonelli. Its stars Franco and Ciccio, and Fernando Sancho. Cast * Franco Franchi as Franco Capone * Ciccio Ingrassia as Ciccio Capone * Fernando ...

'' by

(1964) *''

'' by

(1964) *''

Sedotti e bidonati ''Sedotti e bidonati'' (Italian for "Seduced and cheated") is a 1964 comedy film written and directed by Giorgio Bianchi and starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. Plot Cast *Franco Franchi as Franco La Capra *Ciccio Ingrassia as Cicci ...

'' by Giorgio Bianchi (1964) *''

A Monster and a Half ''A Monster and a Half'' () is a 1964 Italian comedy film directed by Steno starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. Cast *Franco Franchi as Franco/Cesarone *Ciccio Ingrassia as The Professor *Alberto Bonucci as Prof. Carogni * Margaret Le ...

'' by Steno (1964) *''

Corpse for the Lady ''Corpse for the Lady'' () is a 1964 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Sylva Koscina. Cast * Sylva Koscina - Laura Guglielmetti * Sergio Fantoni - Commisario * Scilla Gabel - Renata * Sandra Mondaini - Marina * Lando Bu ...

'' by

(1964) *''

I Kill, You Kill ''I Kill, You Kill'' or ''Io uccido, tu uccidi'' is a 1965 Italian comedy film directed by Gianni Puccini starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. Cast *Franco Franchi as Franco (segment "Cavalleria Rusticana, oggi") *Ciccio Ingrassia as Turid ...

'' by

Gianni Puccini Gianni Puccini (9 November 1914 – 3 December 1968) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He wrote for 32 films between 1940 and 1967. He also directed 18 films between 1951 and 1968. Selected filmography * ''Fourth Page'' (1942) ...

(1965) *''

Letti sbagliati ''Letti sbagliati'' is a 1965 Italian comedy film directed by Steno starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. Cast *Franco Franchi ... (segment "La seconda moglie") *Ciccio Ingrassia ... (segment "La seconda moglie") *Lando Buzzanca ... (seg ...

'' by Steno (1965) *''

'' by

Michele Lupo Michele Lupo (4 December 1932 – 27 June 1989) was an Italian film director. He directed 23 films between 1962 and 1982. He was born in Corleone, Italy, and died on 27 June 1989 in a clinic in Rome, Italy at the age of 56. Selected filmogr ...

(1965) *''

'' by

(1965) *''

Latin Lovers (1965 film) ''Latin Lovers'' () is a 1965 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Costa. Plot The film is composed of five episodes in which is shown the love of the Italians in the 60s. Among the low quality of love stories, the episode stands out with Totò ...

'' by Mario Costa (1965) *''

'' by

(1965) *''

Two Mafiosi Against Goldginger ''Two Mafiosi Against Goldginger'' or ''Due mafiosi contro Goldginger'' is a 1965 Eurospy comedy film directed by Giorgio Simonelli starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. It is a spoof of the 1964 James Bond film, '' Goldfinger''. It was picked ...

'' by

(1965) *''

'' by

(1965) *''

The Two Parachutists ''The Two Parachutists'' (Italian: ''I due parà)'' is a black-and-white 1965 Italian war comedy film directed by Lucio Fulci, starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. The film is a French-Spanish-Italian production (title in Spanish: ''Los dos ...

'' by

(1965) *''

'' by

(1965) *''

I due toreri ''I due toreri'' () is a 1965 Italian-Spanish comedy film directed by Giorgio Simonelli starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. Plot In Sicily Franco and Ciccio are empowered by a local mafia man to guard for a wide range of salad. In reality ...

'' by

(1965) *'' Soldati e caporali'' by

Mario Amendola Mario Natalino Concetto Amendola (8 December 1910 – 22 December 1993) was an Italian screenwriter, film director and dramatist. Biography Amendola was born in Recco, which is located in Genova to parents from Rome. He began his career o ...

(1965) *''

Veneri al sole Veneri may refer to: * Giacomo Veneri de Racaneto (died 1460), Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dubrovnik * '' Veneri al sole'', a 1965 Italian comedy film directed by Marino Girolami * Giacomo Veneri (Siena, 1973), Italian author of several books ...

'' by

(1965) *'' War Italian Style'' by

(1966) *''

Two Sons of Ringo ''Two Sons of Ringo'' () is a 1966 Italian western-parody film starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. It was the last film directed by Giorgio Simonelli who, for health reasons, left the production just before the end of filming and was replaced ...

'' by

(1966) *''

I due sanculotti ''I due sanculotti'' (Italian for "The two sans-culottes") is a 1966 comedy film written and directed by Giorgio Simonelli starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. Plot The brothers Franco and Ciccio La Capra moves to France in the days of the ...

'' by

(1966) *''

'' by

(1966) *''

Due mafiosi contro Al Capone ''Due mafiosi contro Al Capone'' (, literally "Two Mafiamen against Al Capone") is a 1966 Italian-Spanish gangster-comedy film directed by Giorgio Simonelli starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. Cast * Franco Franchi as Franco * Ciccio Ing ...

'' by

(1966) *''

'' by

Mario Bava Mario Bava (; 31 July 1914 – 27 April 1980) was an Italian filmmaker who worked variously as a director, cinematographer, special effects artist and screenwriter. His low-budget genre films, known for their distinctive visual flair and stylish ...

(1966) *''

Come rubammo la bomba atomica Come may refer to: Places *Come, village of a Greek polis *Comè, a city and commune in Benin *Come (Tenos), an ancient town on Tenos island, Greece Music *Come (American band), an American indie rock band formed in 1990 *Come (UK band), a Britis ...

'' by

(1967) *'' Nel sole'' by

Aldo Grimaldi Aldo Grimaldi (1942 – 5 August 1990) was an Italian director and screenwriter. Born in Catania, the son of the director and screenwriter Giovanni Grimaldi, he started his career as an assistant director in the films of his father. He made h ...

(1967) *''

The Long, the Short, the Cat ''The Long, the Short, the Cat'' (), also known as ''The Tall, the Short, the Cat'', is a 1967 Italian comedy film directed by Lucio Fulci and starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. Plot Franco and Ciccio, alongside Gina, are servants to ...

'' by

(1967) *'' I barbieri di Sicilia'' by

(1967) *'' The Handsome, the Ugly, and the Stupid'' by

(1967) *''

The Two Crusaders ''The Two Crusaders'' () is a 1968 comedy film directed by Giuseppe Orlandini, co-written by horror icon Lucio Fulci and starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. Plot Viscount Ciccio is on the bill, so the people who live in his lands begin t ...

'' by

Giuseppe Orlandini Giuseppe Orlandini (born 1922) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed ten films between 1940 and 1967. Filmography * ''Continuavano a chiamarli... er più e er meno'' (1972) * '' I clan dei due borsalini'' (1971) * '' I due m ...

(1968) *''

'', directed by six different directors (1968) *''

'' by

(1968) *''

The Nephews of Zorro ''The Nephews of Zorro'' (, also known as ''The Cousins of Zorro'') is a 1968 Italian comedy film directed by Marcello Ciorciolini starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. Plot Franco and Ciccio are two Sicilian cousins who arrive in California ...

'' by

(1968) *''

Brutti di notte ''Brutti di notte'' (literally "Ugly by night") is a 1968 Italian comedy film written and directed by Giovanni Grimaldi and starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. It is a parody of Luis Buñuel's film '' Belle de Jour''. Plot Tormented by str ...

'' by

(1968) *''

Ciccio Forgives, I Don't ''Ciccio perdona... Io no!'' (internationally known as ''Ciccio Forgives, I Don't'') is a 1968 Italian comedy film directed by Marcello Ciorciolini starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. It is a Spaghetti Western parody of '' God Forgives... ...

'' by

(1968) *''

L'oro del mondo ''L'oro del mondo'' (Italian for ''The gold of the world'') is a 1968 Italian '' musicarello'' comedy film directed by Aldo Grimaldi and starring Al Bano and Romina Power.Daniele Magni, ''Cuori matti - Dizionario dei musicarelli anni '60'', Bloodbu ...

'' by

(1968) * by

(1968) *''

Franco, Ciccio e il pirata Barbanera ''Franco, Ciccio e il pirata Barbanera'' (''Franco, Ciccio and Blackbeard the Pirate'') is a 1969 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Amendola starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. It is a parody of the 1883 adventure novel '' Treasure Isla ...

'' by

(1969) * by

(1969) *''

Paths of War ''Paths of War'' () is a 1970 Italian western-comedy film directed by Aldo Grimaldi starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. Plot summary In 1858 in Italy, in Sicily, Franco and Ciccio defend the Bourbon army to prevent the unification of Ita ...

'' by

(1970) *''

'' by

(1970) *''

W le donne ''W le donne'' (i.e. "Hurrah for the women") is a 1970 Italian " musicarello" film directed by Aldo Grimaldi and starring Little Tony.Daniele Magni, ''Cuori matti - Dizionario dei musicarelli anni '60'', Bloodbuster Edizioni, 2012. . Plot Cast ...

'' by

(1970) *''

'' by

(1970) * by

(1970) *'' Ma chi t'ha dato la patente?'' by

Nando Cicero Fernando Cicero, better known as Nando Cicero (22 January 1931 – 30 July 1995), was an Italian film director, screenwriter and actor. Born in Asmara, Cicero debuted as an actor, working with directors such as Luchino Visconti (''Senso (film), ...

(1970) *''

Armiamoci e partite! ''Armiamoci e partite!'' (Italian for "Let sarm ourselves and ougo!") is a 1971 war comedy film directed by Nando Cicero and starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. Plot Cast * Franco Franchi as Franco * Ciccio Ingrassia as Ciccio * Ma ...

'' by

(1971) *''

Ma che musica maestro ''Ma che musica maestro'' is a 1971 Italian " musicarello" film directed by Mariano Laurenti. It is loosely based on the William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo an ...

'' by

(1971) *''

'' by

(1971) *''

Il clan dei due Borsalini ''Il clan dei due Borsalini'' (Italian for "The clan of the two Borsalinos") is a 1971 comedy film directed by Giuseppe Orlandini and starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. Plot Cast * Franco Franchi as Franco Franchetti, aka 'The Profe ...

'' by

(1971) *''

'' by

(1972) *'' I due gattoni a nove code... e mezza ad Amsterdam'' by

Osvaldo Civirani Osvaldo Civirani (19 May 1917 — 20 February 2008) was an Italian still photographer, producer, director, cinematographer, screenwriter and author. Until 1963, Civirani worked mainly as still photographer on over two hundred films. From 1963 ...

(1972) *''

Two Sons of Trinity ''Two Sons of Trinity'' () is a 1972 Italian western-comedy film written and directed by Osvaldo Civirani and starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. The film features Anna Degli Uberti as Calamity Jane, Claudio Ruffini as Sabata, and Pietro Tor ...

'' by

(1972) *''

Il sergente Rompiglioni ''Il sergente Rompiglioni'' ("Sergeant Rompiglioni") is a 1973 Italian comedy film directed by Giuliano Biagetti (here credited Pier Giorgio Ferretti). The film got a great commercial success, grossing over one billion lire.Franco e Ciccio Supers ...

'' by Pier Giorgio Ferretti (1973) *''

'' by

(1974) *'' Paolo il freddo'' by

(1974) *'' Kaos'' by

(1984)

Television

Presenters

* ''Comiche di un anno n.1'' ( Programma Nazionale, 1965) * ''I due nel sacco'' (Programma Nazionale, 1966) * ''Due ragazzi incorreggibili'' ( Rete 1, 1976-1977) * ''Drim'' ( Rete 2, 1980) * ''Patatrac'' (Rete 2, 1981) * ''Ridiamoci sopra'' (

Canale 5 Canale 5 () is an Italian free-to-air television channel of Mediaset, owned by MFE - MediaForEurope. It was the first private television network to have national coverage in Italy in 1980. On 4 December 2012, Mediaset launched Canale 5 HD, a ...

, 1982) * ''3,2,1... ed è '82'' (Rete 2, 1981-1982) * ''Beauty Center Show'' (

Italia 1 Italia 1 (Italian pronunciation ) is an Italian free-to-air television channel on the Mediaset network, owned by MFE - MediaForEurope. It is aimed at both a young adult and adult audience. Italia 1 was launched on 3 January 1982 and, was or ...

, 1983) * ''Bene, bravi, bis'' (Italia 1, 1984) * ''Grand Hotel'' (Canale 5, 1985-1986) * ''Gran galà per Hanna & Barbera'' (

Rai 1 Rai 1 () is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It is the company's Flagship (broadcasting), flagship television channel and is known for broadcasting ...

, 1989) * ''Zecchino d'Oro'' (Rai 1, 1990) * ''La festa della mamma'' (Rai 1, 1991) * ''Avanspettacolo'' (

Rai 3 Rai 3 (formerly Rai Tre) is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It was launched on 15 December 1979 and its programming is centred towards cultural a ...

, 1992)

Regular guests

* ''Cantatutto'' (Programma Nazionale, 1963-1964) * ''Partitissima'' (Programma Nazionale, 1967) * ''

Un disco per l'estate Un disco per l'estate (translation "A Record for the Summer") was an Italian Summer festival held from 1964 to 2003. It was organized and sponsored by the Italian record industry association, AFI, and by RAI, except for the editions between 1995 ...

'' (Programma Nazionale, 1972) * ''Calciomatto'' (Rete 1, 1982; Rai 1, 1983) * ''Grand Hotel'' (Canale 5, 1985-1986) * ''Buona Domenica'' (Canale 5, 1986-1987) * ''Il gioco dei 9'' (Canale 5, 1990, guests from 5 to 10 September) * ''La Banda dello Zecchino'' (Rai 1, 1991)

Television series

* ''La fiaba incantata'' (1980) * '' Farsa'' (1986) * ''Io Jane, tu Tarzan'' (1989)

Radio

* ''Il gamberetto'' (1970–71) * ''Gran varietà'' (1971–72) * ''Permette cavallo'' (1981) * ''Il baraccone'' (1981)

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

* {{Italian film genres Italian comedy duos Italian comedians Italian stage actors

History

Movie plots

Cultural impact

Inspirations

Acknowledgments

Telegatti

Dedications

Music

Albums

Singles

Theater

Notable films

Television

Presenters

Regular guests

Television series

Radio

See also

References

Bibliography

External links