For more than two decades, the Naples-born film star Totò dominated Italy’s post-war comedy scene, building an unrivalled reputation for slapstick and verbal wit that made him one of the country’s most beloved household names.
Now, the heirs of the late “Prince of Laughter”, as he is commonly known, are locked in a dispute with local shop owners about who has the right to use his name and image, with one MP warning the legal showdown risks consigning the city’s most cherished comedian to oblivion.
