Toto vs. Maciste (Italian: Totò contro Maciste) is a 1962 Italian adventure-comedy film directed by Fernando Cerchio. It is a parody of the Sword and Sandal cinema, which was highly successful at the time in Italy.[1][2][3]

Toto vs. Maciste
Directed byFernando Cerchio
Written byBruno Corbucci
Giovanni Grimaldi
Ugo Liberatore
Gastone Da Venezia
Story byOttavio Poggi
StarringTotò
Nino Taranto
CinematographyAngelo Lotti
Music byFrancesco De Masi
Armando Trovajoli
Release date
  • 1962 (1962)
Running time
101 minutes
CountryItaly
LanguageItalian

Plot

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Totokamen is an entertainer and an illusionist who performs in various Egyptian nightclubs assisted by his manager, Tarantenkamen. Taking advantage of cheesy tricks, Totokamen pretends to be the son of the god Amun and to have divine superpowers. The Pharaoh Ramsis is in the meanwhile facing the betrayal by the strongman Maciste, who has inexplicably joined Egypt's historical enemies (the Assyrians) and is guiding them to an unstoppable attack to the country. This is orchestrated by Ramsis' unfaithful wife, who has resorted to witchcraft to charme Maciste and achieve absolute power over the country. On the other hand Ramsis' daughter Nefertite is secretly in love with the strongman. Upon hearing from a minister about Totokamen's spectacle and claims of demigod status, the pharaoh decides that he should guide Egyptian defense against the invaders. Totokamen and Tarantenkamen try to avoid the dangerous assignment and to buy time in all possible ways, but the Assyrians continue their campaign and the invasion eventually reaches the crucial point of a duel between Totokamen and Maciste, in front of the whole royal court. Luckily the effect of Maciste's charming runs out at the last possible moment, and the plans of Ramsis' wife gets exposed. The Pharaoh remains in power, Maciste is pardoned, and Totokamen manages to exploit the confusion in order to escape from palace before being exposed as a fraud.

Cast

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References

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  1. ^ Alberto Anile (1998). I film di Totò (1946-1967): la maschera tradita. Le mani, 1998. ISBN 8880120808.
  2. ^ Roberto Poppi, Mario Pecorari (2007). Dizionario del cinema italiano. I film. Gremese Editore, 2007. ISBN 978-8884405036.
  3. ^ Paolo Mereghetti (2010). Il Mereghetti - Dizionario dei film. B.C. Dalai Editore, 2010. ISBN 978-8860736260.
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