Italy’s ragioniere? The national and international relevance of Ugo Fantozzi

Abstract

Ugo Fantozzi was given life by author and actor Paolo Villaggio in the late 1960s. Inarguably a staple figure within Italian comedy and society, this character remains relevant in modern-day society despite the last film being released in 1999. The Italianità of the Fantozzi series, partially based on people from Villaggio’s life, is unmistakeable. In this article, the Fantozzi films are analysed to show how Fantozzi can be considered so uniquely Italian through many of the themes, dialogue and references to society and culture, yet, at the same time, a universal comedic figure who shares many traits with very well-known and well-regarded British and American television comedy series. Fantozzi, however, never made it to English-speaking shores. While it is likely we will never know the success the franchise could have had, this article shows that it had every possibility of being a success.