Toto on the Giro d'Italia A fun film, a must-see for all fans of cycling and especially - the legendary multi-day race Giro d'Italia.
Bearded professor Toto Casamandrei falls in love with the beautiful Dorian (Isa Barzizza). In response to the courtship, she puts an impossible condition: “I will marry you if you win the Giro d’Italia.” The professor, who has never ridden a bicycle before, decides to sell his soul to the master of the underworld in exchange for winning a bicycle race. Toto is approached by the Second Class Devil who wants to move up the career ladder. The professor smokes cigars, eats lunch during the stages, catches fish, but still wins again and again. But Doriana still doesn't pay attention to Toto. But as soon as our hero shaves off his beard, the girl sprinkles romantic feelings. But what about the diabolical agreement signed in blood? After all, as you know, with the devil, even the second class, do not joke.
In the film, there are several successful jokes about cyclists with their strictest mode during the race. But the most amusing is over football fans of Napoli, who are ready to forgive a person everything, except for the health of their competitors – Roma, Juventus and Milan.
Curiously, the mother of the main character is played by actress Guditta Rissone, who is only three years older than Toto. The film plays the music of Nino Rota, and several fragments from the opera “The Barber of Seville” by Rossini, converted into a song about the pink jersey of the winner of the Giro.
But most importantly - the film starred real cycling stars of that era: Fiorenzo Magny, Fausto Coppi, Gino Bartali, Giancarlo Astrua, Louison Bobet, Ferdy Kubler, Vito Ortelli and the current world champion Alberic Schotte.
By the way, the real Giro d’Italia of 1948 was scandalous, as if its course was influenced by devilish intrigues. Rider Fiorenzo Magna at one of the sprint stages so pushed his opponent and current holder of the title Fausto Copi that the opponent’s team demanded to punish the offender. The organizers added two minutes to Magna’s time, but he still stayed in a pink jersey. Kopi’s Bianchi team withdrew from the race in protest. In the end, Fiorenzo Magny won the Giro, but was booed by the audience at the finish of the last stage.
7 out of 10