Che fine ha fatto Totò baby? - Gli onorevoli

Digitmovies continues its journey through music taken from comedy films with Totò, publishing, for the very first time on CD, two complete OSTs by Armando Trovajoli. “Che fine ha fatto Totò baby?” (“What ever happened to Totò Baby?”) and “Gli onorevoli” (“The honorables”). “What Ever Happened to Totò Baby?” was directed in 1964 by Ottavio Alessi and was played by Totò, Mischa Auer, Pietro De Vico, Ivy Holzer, Edy Biagetti, Alicia Brandet, Mario Castellani, Olimpia Cavalli, Clara Bindi, Gina Mascetti, Franco Ressel, Stelvio Rosi, Paolo Giusti, Lina Alberti, Renato Montalbano. Plot: brothers Totò and Pietro eke out a living with a thousand gimmicks. Totò is fit and violent while Peter, stupid and incapable, must suffer his tyranny. While the police pursues the pair without success, Totò and Piero steal a suitcase at the station and inside, they discover a corpse, which they immediately decide to take to the countryside to leave it a field. During the car ride, they pick up two female hitch-hikers with a suitcase the same as theirs; after the obvious switch of suitcases, they end up in the villa where the two girls are staying. In the same place, they meet a few marijuana smokers and Totò fills himself with drugs, coming out crazy. After gruesome and sadistic murders, Totò ends up in a mental hospital. Armando Trovajoli composed a nice comment where, through his unique style, he alternates lively Twist dance music - supported by “I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni”, introduced in the Main Titles (Tr.1, Tr.5) - with transitions of mystery and suspense where a recurring theme for electric bass and celesta emerges, which is particularly hypnotic and fearsome (Tr.4, Tr.7, Tr.11). This is later reused by director Mario Bava in his “Operation fear” (“Kill, Baby, Kill”) of 1966, with its modern sound that seems to anticipate the atmosphere of the films of Dario Argento. “The honorables” was directed in 1963 by Sergio Corbucci and was played by Totò, Gino Cervi, Franca Valeri, Peppino De Filippo, Aroldo Tieri, Walter Chiari, Riccardo Billi. Plot: Antonio la Trippa (Totò), monarchical romantic, tries to get votes for the elections in his birth country. Yet both at home and in the city, no one gives him credit and Antonio is even forced to flee, thereby having to abandon his dream. The Honorable Bianca Sereni, from the moderate centre, falls in love with a reckless young man during the election campaign, who she ends up marrying: she loses the election but found her husband. Senator Rossani-Breschi, right-wing, carries out his election campaign in a mundane fashion, but gets involved in his son's game; being dragged into ridicule, he is forced to withdraw. A young left-wing intellectual waives any political ambition when he is offered a lucrative contract from America. Professor Mollica, far right, hopes to win the election with a televised speech, however, being deceived by a strange director, ends up in a dance group. From this film, the phrase “Vote Antonio!” has remained famous. “Vote Antonio!” said with a large metal funnel by the character of Antonio La Trippa appearing at the window. Armando Trovajoli has composed a nice comment based on a recurring military march of American taste introduced in the Main Titles (Tr.13), shot with funny versions in Tr.16, TR17, Tr.19, Tr.24, alternated with both instrumental and vocal music in various styles (Tr.14 and Tr.22) and with wild dance twists for bass guitar and organ, rhythmic (Tr.15, Tr.21) and in Latin flavour (Tr.20, Tr.23). For those who, like us, love the soundtracks of the legendary composer Armando Trovajoli and the unparalleled films of Totò, this CD lasting 62:47 is an essential part of any collection dedicated to quality Film Music.