Toto plays a professional corpse while fascism crumbles. Italian comedy hits different.
A combination of a satire on war and a comedy with war as the background. It tells of the ordinary people living on a Naples sidestreet, from 1940 to 1950 under the dominance of the Fascists, the Nazis and then the Allies occupation forces. Primary among the citizens is Gennaro Iovine (Eduard De Filippo)who has a penchant for innocently getting into trouble, and his friend Pasquale (Toto.) The latter is a rail-sweeper who becomes a professional stand-in...a corpse used to conceal contraband...serving jail time for those who don't care to spend the time to do the time...a substitute at a political rally when violence threatens the scheduled speaker
Acting
Totò's deadpan corpse work is legendary
Writing
De Filippo weaponizes irony against fascism
Direction
Balances farce and genuine human tragedy
Director
Eduardo De Filippo
Eduardo De Filippo
Gennaro Iovine
Delia Scala
Maria Rosaria Iovine
Leda Gloria
Amalia
Titina De Filippo
Adelaide
Carlo Ninchi
Il brigadiere di Ps
Totò
Pasquale Miele
Dante Maggio
Il rosticciere
Gianni Musy
Amedeo
Laura Gore
La moglie del ragionier Spasiani
Mario Soldati
Il ragioner Spasiani
Giacomo Rondinella
Il cantante di concertino
Rosita Pisano
Assunta
Aldo Giuffrè
Federico
Mario Frera
Peppe "'o Cricco"
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shot in bombed-out Naples locations, the ruins aren't sets—they're the actual city De Filippo grew up in.
Totò and De Filippo were legendary rivals who barely tolerated each other; their onscreen chemistry is pure professional spite.
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