La Sinistra
By Marco Ravern
December 27, 2025
TEN YEARS TOGETHER
Franco Franchi's son tells the story of the most prolific
comic couple in the history of cinema
To conquer audiences in theater, television and cinema
for decades. Thanks to a spontaneous comedy, an overwhelming rhythm and an
extraordinary ability to play on the contrasts between their characters. From
the big screen to television variety, they have left an indelible mark on the
history of Italian entertainment, becoming a timeless symbol of laughter and
lightness. At the registry office they were Francesco Benenato (Palermo, 18
September 1928 - Rome, 9 December 1992) and Francesco Ingrassia (Palermo, 5
October 1922 - Rome, 28 April 2003), then simply Franco and Ciccio.
[Franco and Ciccio seen by Davide Sacco]
It is therefore a great pleasure, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of this column, to remember these two extraordinary artists thanks to the testimony and precious memories of Massimo Benenato, Franco's son, who with great willingness, at Christmas, dedicated some of his time to me.
Franco and Ciccio are the most prolific film couple in the world, more than Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, more than Abbott and Costello: over a hundred films together. What made their collaboration so prolific and lasting?
I think their career was so prolific because their films, never vulgar in language and images, were appreciated by both adults and children, so much so that they were considered two family people. Franco and Ciccio's comedy is simple and direct, based above all on the different physicality, mimicry, misunderstandings and improvisation, factors that make them always current.
They were born in Sicily in the twenties, in difficult conditions. How much has this experience characterized their artistic career?
Their humble origins and poverty have greatly influenced their artistic career, giving them the spontaneity and recognition that the public immediately perceived. The road and the hunger suffered in their youth have always kept them with their feet on the ground, respectful and grateful for a job they never took for granted. On the set they were very professional and helpful, ready to help the other artists, technicians and workers.
Returning to the cinema, is there a title you are
particularly attached to and why?
[“Kaos” (1984) by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani]
The film I am most attached to is Kaos by the Taviani brothers, in the episode of the Giara. I think that on that occasion they reached the peak of their acting, proving to be complete actors, capable of trying their hand at dramatic and demanding parts. Every time I see them in the film, I can't help but admire their skill in immersing themselves in the characters of Uncle Dima and Don
One of their strengths were parodies: endless and iconic titles, both as a couple (Ciccio perdona... I don't!, Satirical... my first VHS) and individually (Last Tango in Zagarol, which Bertolucci did not want to see because he feared it would be better than the original or The Exorcist, which entered the collective language). Why is that kind of film no longer made today?
Probably with the advent of the web, a parody film would already be old by the time it was released. Today it is enough to open the phone and visit social networks to immediately find thousands of memes that ironize on any film, and this makes it risky to invest in parody even on an economic level.
[“Ciccio Forgives... I don't!” (1968) by Marcello Ciorciolini]
They made many films a year, often at the expense of quality. Loved by the public for their simple and direct comedy, less so by critics, although they were extraordinary actors, as also demonstrated by the dramatic rehearsals with De Sica and Zavattini, Comencini (for those of my generation they are and will remain "the Cat and the Fox"), Pasolini, the Taviani brothers and, for Ciccio also Fellini and Petri. Do you think their artistic value is still underestimated?
From the point of view of critics, the turning point came in 2004 with the documentary film How we troubled the Italian cinema by Ciprì and Maresco, where the same critics of the time completely overturned their judgment on the couple. Today Franco and Ciccio are considered myths of Italian cinema, two masks of the commedia dell'arte. Dad is seen as a genius of mime and surreal comedy, Ciccio as an actor of great dramatic depth. There are many books that talk about them and sing their praises, many broadcasts that remember and celebrate them. Not to mention that people have never forgotten them and continue to see their films.
What relationship did they have with directors, I am thinking for example of Lucio Fulci?
[“I due para” (1965), one of the many films by Franco and Ciccio directed by Lucio Fulci]
With Lucio, dad and Ciccio they had one of the most prolific partnerships, with 12 films to their credit. I don't know much about their personal relationships, at that time I was very young and I didn't follow his work. But I remember that Dad spoke of him with great esteem, calling him one of the most prepared and capable directors with whom he had shot.
They have done shows, theater, television and, indeed, a lot of cinema. Is there a film or sketch that you would have liked to play with your father or with them together?
I was actually supposed to play the part of daddy's boy in the film The Godfather's Godson. Unfortunately, the day I went to shoot the scene, it was postponed due to technical problems and, in the end, another child did it. Too bad. Today, if I could choose my participation, I would definitely opt for Comencini's Pinocchio: it would have been wonderful to be part of it, even as a simple extra.
They were discovered by (Domenico) Modugno, but in turn they helped launch artists such as Lino Banfi, Oreste Lionello, Umberto D'Orsi. They even worked with Buster Keaton and Vincent Price. Is there an anecdote in particular that your father told you or that you remember?
Dad told me an anecdote about meeting Modugno. Back in the dressing rooms after singing, in a show in which they also participated, Modugno heard laughter and thunderous applause coming from the stage, much louder than those received by him. Intrigued, he returned to the room to see who was receiving all that acclaim, being struck by the skill of the two. From that moment he signed them and launched them in the theater in "Rinaldo in Campo", and then in the cinema in the film Appuntamento a Ischia.
[“Appuntamento a Ischia” (1960) directed by Mario Mattoli. The couple's first film]
Today their memory lives on in the memory of those who laughed with them, I think of me and my father, and you children also carry it forward with passion and great availability. But, in addition to talking about Franco and Ciccio, I would also like to tell you about what you are working on at the moment. Your plans for the future?
Right now I am working on several fronts with great enthusiasm. The first in the theater with two comedies written and directed by me, entitled "Battibecchi d'amore" and "Sorry for the delay" which will tread the Italian stages from February 2026. The second on Franco Franchi Edizioni, a newly founded publishing and production house, which I will inaugurate at the end of January 2026 on the occasion of the release of "Toto and the legacy of Amos" my new Fantasy. The third on the musical show "Travel Notes" together with the singer-songwriter Max Spurio. Of course, among all these things, I don't forget to follow the film "Under the stars of Rome", based on my novel of the same name and still in cinemas, and to present around Italy, "Ali d'Angelo" my latest work published by Spazio Cultura edizioni, which fortunately is collecting very positive acclaim from both critics and readers[Massimo Benenato]
[Massimo Benenato]
By resuming Ciprì and Maresco's film, did Franco and Ciccio really trouble Italian cinema?
No comments:
Post a Comment