Trivia

He began with small but funny performances in the streets using the name Ciccio Ferraù. In 1955 he and Ciccio Ingrassia formed a team and acted in low-class stage shows until they were discovered by film director Mario Mattoli, who gave them two bit parts in Appuntamento a Ischia (1960) alongside singer/actor Domenico Modugno. Modugno took them to important stage performances in the musical comedy "Rinaldo in campo". Franchi and Ingrassia's specialty were low-budget, quickly shot films: 12 were made in one year, and one over a span of four Sundays.

Father of Massimo Franchi.

Formed a memorable comedy duo with Ciccio Ingrassia, with whom he starred in more than 100 movies in the 1960s and 1970s.

In the film Due Marines e un Generale (1966), he worked with Buster Keaton and Ciccio Ingrassia.

He 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 Ciccio Ingrassia as the comedy duo Franco and Ciccio, but also in more dramatic material such as Luigi Comencini's Adventures of Pinocchio (1972), in which they paired memorably as the Fox and the Cat.

The specialty of the many films of Franco Franchi 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.

In 1959, Franco Franchi settled a contract with his friend Ciccio Ingrassia which started up a brilliant theater career. From 1961 to Franco's death in 1992, they will be one of Italy's most famous comedy duo. Their success is based on a format similar to that of Totò and Peppino De Filippo, or Laurel and Hardy. They play two Sicilian buffoon characters, charlatans and extremely messy, were Franco Franchi is the funny "Franco", a young man completely out of his mind who expresses himself mainly through bodily and facial expressions.

The popular success of films of Franco Franchi and Ciccio was huge and always has been until now in Italy and also in foreign countries.

Together with Ciccio Ingrassia, the documentary film Come inguaiammo il cinema italiano - The true story of Franco and Ciccio , from 2004, was dedicated to him.

On 2 October 2022, the Ministry of Economic Development issues an ordinary stamp on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the death of Franco Franchi (9 December 1992) and the centenary of the birth of Ciccio Ingrassia (5 October 1922).