Totò, Peppino e la... malafemmina

Nothing to add: This film is one of the masterpiece of Totò, better: one of the masterpiece of Italian comic cinema. Antonio de Curtis and Peppino's dialogues are the top of entertainment: the writing of the letter to Marisa is the most famous sketch of Italian cinema. The plot is simple, but no one care. This movie will make you laugh for two hours but also reflect about social problems of Italy after the World War II especially what concern the restrict mentality of the country people.

Well-nigh impossible not to be enchanted by this delightful comedy starring Toto and Peppino de Filippo as two country bumpkins who travel to Milan to rescue their nephew played by Teddy Reno from the clutches of the 'malafemmina' of Dorian Gray.

Suffice to say this is essentially a vehicle for Toto and Peppino who give a masterclass in comedy timing and although there are three credited dialogue writers this dynamic duo were frequently known to deviate. By all accounts the justifiably famous 'letter' scene is improvised.

Teddy Reno is personable and possesses a pleasant singing voice whilst the Oestrogen of voluptuous Dorian Gray practically leaps off the screen.

Well directed by Camillo Mastrocinque with a lovely score by Lelio Luttazi this film is an absolute joy from start to finish although predictably drubbed by the critics.

Comedy does not always travel well but the artistry of Toto and Peppino is truly universal.

Totò and Peppino De Filippo are farmers in the south of Italy who's nephew (popular Italian singer Teddy Reno) is studying to be a doctor in Naples. Reno meets singer Dorian Gray (not the Oscar Wilde character) and they fall in love. He follows her tour to Milan, but word gets back to his family and they come to Milan to try and bribe Gray into leaving him. When everything goes haywire, Reno gets to woo Gray back with his big hit song ... "Malafemmina".

I've had really bad experiences with movies starring Italian comedy duos, so I expected to hate this film, but I really liked it. Totò and Peppino's comedy is all verbal, sort of like Abbott and Costello without Costello's annoying slapstick. The films feels like a Martin and Lewis film ... a plot that's there mostly to drive the film along and give open up spaces for comedy routines and songs.

I really enjoyed this and would watch more of their films.

Funny. That's it. But if you say this to a Totò fan, they will kill you. Truth is that this film is as thin as thin as a wafer and the plot is just built around a famous song by Totò, 'Malafemmina'.

The film has its moments, but when Totò and Peppino leave the screen with their hilarious gags, the film is just not interesting. But what the hell, if you want fun with no strings attached, watch it. You should enjoy it.

WATCH FOR THE MOMENT - When Totò and Peppino write the letter to the 'Malafemmina', the nephew's girlfriend, telling her to leave him alone and let him study.

This is my favorite all time black and movie. To understand the humor, you need to know enough Italian (and sometimes Naples accent too) to understand it, and to understand the jokes.. they don't translate to other languages.

Toto' aka Antonio de Curtis for me is what Chaplin was to many - except that he is funny with the movies with audio, unlike Chaplin. There are many of his movies I like a lot and enjoy seing after having been a long time abroad (out of Italy), but this is far the greatest. Toto' and Peppino are two poor men from the Southern Italy countryside, and hear that their nephew is dating a 'bad woman' (the title means that, but not necessarily in bad sense) in Milan, and they go there to rescue him.. thinking they are abroad.. this movie is so full of timeless jokes, it is impossible to watch this and be on a bad mood.