Ciccio Ingrassia

Francesco "Ciccio" Ingrassia (5 October 1922 – 28 April 2003) was an Italian actor, comedian and film director.

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 Franco Franchi as the comedy duo Franco and Ciccio. During the 1980s he also did television work. In the 1966 film Due Marines e un Generale (released internationally as War Italian Style), Franco and Ciccio worked with Buster Keaton.

In 1959, Franco Franchi finally settled a contract with his friend Ciccio Ingrassia to start a brilliant career in the theater. From 1961 until the end in 1992, the two friends will be the most famous comedy duo in Italy. In fact, the secret of their success is the creation of two Sicilian buffoons characters, charlatans and extremely messy, very similar to those of Totò and Peppino De Filippo, or Laurel and Hardy. Franco Franchi becomes the funny "Franco", a young man completely out of his mind which expresses itself only with the facial expressions and the movements of the rest of the body. Turns into Ciccio Ingrassia, the skeletal and mustachioed bully which believe him best of friend, but in reality he is much more stupid than him when the two characters have to resolve a difficult situation. Another feature of the commercial success and popular of the two characters 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.

• Ciccio Ingrassia at IMDb
• Biography (in Italian)