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Franco Franchi

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For the Italian cyclist, see Franco Franchi (cyclist).

Franco Franchi
Franchi in Ultimo tango a Zagarol (1973)
Born
Francesco Benenato

(1928-09-19)19 September 1928
Palermo, Kingdom of Italy
Died9 December 1992(1992-12-09) (aged 64)
Rome, Italy
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • singer
Years active1945–1992

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 1960s. He starred in many comedies, mainly appearing together with Ciccio Ingrassia as the comedy duo Franco and Ciccio, but also in more dramatic material such as Luigi Comencini's Adventures of Pinocchio (1972), in which they paired memorably as the Fox and the Cat.

In the film War Italian Style (1966), he worked with Buster Keaton and Ciccio Ingrassia.

The comedy duo Franco and Ciccio

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Franco and Ciccio

In 1959, Franco Franchi settled a contract with his friend Ciccio Ingrassia which started up a brilliant theater career. From 1961 to Franco's death in 1992, they will be one of Italy's most famous comedy duo. Their success is based on a format similar to that of Totò and Peppino De Filippo, or Laurel and Hardy. They play two Sicilian buffoon characters, charlatans and extremely messy, were Franco Franchi is the funny "Franco", a young man completely out of his mind who expresses himself mainly through bodily and facial expressions. Ciccio Ingrassia is the skinny and mustachioed bully who believes to be his best of friend, but is actually during difficult situations proves to be the most stupid of the two. A feature of their commercial success and popularity is the use of the body as a means of communication and simple lines, sharp and not at all vulgar.
With these tricks up its sleeve, as both actors will be challenged in youth theater, Franco and Ciccio thanks to their friend Domenico Modugno began to pursue a film career as extras. Then they are noticed by directors of small comedy and so their film career begins. In all years, the two actors churn out at least ten films, working at a pace unimaginable today. In fact, because these days very fast film products are among the best. And unfortunately the criticism then he cut down every film of Franco and Ciccio coming out to the movies, calling it useless and meaningless pecoreccio comedian. However, the popular success of films of Franco and Ciccio was huge and always has been until now in Italy and also in foreign countries.
The specialty of the many films of Franco and Ciccio is improvisation during the scenes, as did Toto and De Filippo, but also the use of parody. In fact there are many foreign films chosen by the two above you to pluck a fun comedy, as the saga of James Bond and that of the great adventure films.

Filmography (with Ciccio Ingrassia)

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