Totò

Take a good look at this face.

(And what a face!)

You'll be seeing him all over Naples.

Unless you're an Italian cinema buff, this could be your first encounter with the Neapolitan actor/comedian Totò (Antonio De Curtis, 1898-1967). Chances are, if you are in Naples and take the time to flip through the local TV channels, one of his 107 films is on. Perhaps you spot a collection of his poems in one of the bookstores off Piazza Dante. Lighters, statues, magnets all with that very, very...very distinctive face. Totò is everywhere in Naples.

I won't delude you. His films might not strike you as terribly funny, much lost in translation and cultural context unfortunately. However, for true lovers of Italian culture, you can't miss Totò.
For Totò beginners, check out the classic film "I Soliti Ignoti" or "Big Deal on Madonna Street" (1958). It's probably the easiest of his films to find, and probably offers the best translation as well. A rag-tag group of small-time criminals (including Marcello Mastroianni) get together to make a heist where nothing goes quite as planned. Hilarity ensues.
For Totò intermediates, experts or those who speak Italian, you have many, many possibilities. One hundred and seven, to be exact! One of my personal favorites is "Gli Onorevoli" (1963).

When you're in Naples, don't forget to pick up a Totò souvenir. And, next time you're searching for a movie, perhaps feeling a bit nostalgic about that trip to Italy, you know where to turn. Totò!