Vittorio Marsiglia: «I’ve been a caricature for 50 years. I was Corrado’s most faithful friend”

Maestro, how did you celebrate?

«In a simple way, working in the theatre, in Rome, and then having dinner with my wife and a couple of friends».

Let’s unroll the film of memories: what boy was it?

“Very shy, I had incredible acne, it didn’t help me in interpersonal relationships”.

But is it true that he dreamed of being a night singer?

«I’ll explain, one day I saw that on the beach a boy like me, with the same oily skin problems, was picking up a guitar and had many girls around. And then I learned to play the guitar too».

And how did it go?

«The others combined and I didn’t».

But he entered the circle of orchestras and groups in vogue at the time.

«From 1962 until the early 70s I dedicated myself to night clubs: in Benevento I was singer-guitarist in the Hula Hula orchestra directed by maestro Raffaele Russo, then in the group I Bravi and as bass player I played with I Sanniti».

Did you already dream of doing this when you grew up?

“At the time it was just an amateurish passion. He became a profession when in 1961 I moved to Naples and joined Gufi Verdi as a bass player, the group that later changed its name to Albatros ».

What do you remember about that period?

“Youth. It was the boom period, I spent a good part of the activity on Ischia, in clubs such as La Cambusa, La Lampara, Scotch Club and Rangio Fellone. We were the basic orchestra waiting for the attractions: Bruno Martino, Fred Bongusto, Peppino Di Capri, my teachers and models. How many spaghetti and how many penne all’arrabbiata at the end of the evening, in the middle of the night, fortified with chilli pepper and salt to make customers drink lots of champagne».

When does the speck come into play?

«At the end of the 60s I realized that while before when we strolled on Ischia they asked us for our autographs, now in the clubs there was confusion between servants and orchestral players and so I began to be an author with Aurelio and Marisa Fierro: I wrote some songs including Casanova ’70 which I presented at the Naples Festival in 1968 paired with Oreste Lionello. Between one song and another I discover the cabaret that was exploding in Milan with the Gufi and in 1973 I made my debut with Isso, essa e ‘o malamente».

Just half a century ago, another anniversary in round numbers.

“True, you know I hadn’t thought of that? However, I characterized my cabaret with humorous songs and then moved on to caricatures. I was lucky enough to personalize the great classics of Maldacea, Pisano-Cioffi, I never wanted to imitate those who came before me, I consider myself a leader in this».

Marseille heir to Nino Taranto?

«We can say it loud, without any problem. Taranto was great, he taught me how to manage the word on the rhythm. Combining acting with music is a way of offering that few know how to do. And then I worked with Nino Taranto».

Oh yes? Tell us about it.

«In 1971 I participated in the 19th and last Neapolitan Song Festival with a humorous song, Sasà’s sister. Two years later, for the review of new songs from Naples organized by Rai as a sop, I presented a song, Karatè ’73, a parody of kung-fu films of the time. The editor Bideri liked it and said that he let me pass. But he also asked for a song for Commendatore Taranto, I proposed ‘A school and ll’ammore’, which Taranto recorded together with Sasà’s sister. The song was appreciated and entered the TV program. The other however excluded. I made my own shoes.”

Other great Neapolitans with whom he worked in the theater: Aldo and Carlo Giuffrè.

«We made Francesca da Rimini together, Giacomo Rizzo was also there. They had already quarreled, reconciled and then quarreled again. I never wanted to see them split, I was sorry they didn’t find an artistic agreement”.

However, no one in his career has been as important as Corrado. So much so that today the audience of boomers remembers her above all as the butler of “Lunch is served”.

«I was lucky enough to meet Corrado in the last 20 years of his life and I have been the most faithful friend. Beyond the broadcasts, we also went on vacation together, with our respective families. When he died, I lost a brother.’

A private anecdote of the great Corrado?

«He was loved throughout Italy, people considered him one of the family, they saw in him their father, brother, lover… Once we stopped in a restaurant near Fano where we ate good fish. Only that the owner apologized that there was no room … we were leaving when another patron, sitting at his table, called the restaurateur and offered to give us his place, he would have arranged otherwise. We finish lunch, the bill arrives and we discover that he had already been paid by the guy who had left us the table. This was Conrad”.

And Gino Bramieri with whom you worked in the musical Pardon, monsieur Moliere, how was it?

«Bad experience, Bramieri was very jealous of his comedy and having another on stage who made you laugh bothered him a lot».

Renzo Arbore, on the other hand, is one of his greatest admirers.

«Arbore has always wanted me in his programmes, he considers me heir to the Neapolitan tradition».

Just Arbore once said of her that she has a flaw: she’s not trasetic.

«It’s a matter of character, I can’t do it. I’m a stay-at-home, I’m not a viveur at night. And then I don’t elbow, I don’t even try. I’ve never been a hard worker, dedicated to sacrifice, I do things but calmly».

A fact of laziness?

«Yes, I recognize myself in what Alberto Sordi once said on TV, that he was so lazy that he even got bored of arguing».

Is it due to laziness that you have done so little cinema?

«Well, perhaps there weren’t the right occasions … but among the films in which I took part, I like to remember the latest by Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia, Farfallon, directed by Riccardo Pazzaglia, Nanni Loy’s Cafè Express with Nino Manfredi and Thus spoke Bellavista, in the role of the photographic director. The last time at the cinema was in 2013 directed by Ettore Scola, Che strange being called Federico, a tribute to Fellini. I was a vaudeville entertainer».

«At the time when I worked on Canale 5 in the Grand Hotel, my contract was about to expire and like an idiot I refused to renew it. Yet it was a time when a huge market was opening up for comedians… that’s the mistake I made»

. Do young people come to see you at the theatre?

«No, because they don’t know the specks. I always give the example of the child who doesn’t like pasta and peas and then as he grows up he goes to a restaurant with friends and eats it and finds it good. Young people don’t come to the theater on their own, they have to find out for themselves, by word of mouth. I do shows for schools and I have seen students who are so enthusiastic that they then bought tickets for their parents».

Have you ever thought that a school of caricatures could help spread it?

«They’ve offered it to me several times but I don’t have the patience… then these are things you can’t teach, either you have it or you don’t».

Who is Vittorio Marseille’s heir today?

«I’ve seen interesting things, even on TV, there’s someone good, who continues the tradition. But I won’t mention names, I would be doing the others an injustice».

The dream in the drawer?

“Peace. But world peace, not mine, personal. That’s already there. I’m retired, I no longer have the determination to do so many shows. Now let’s give space to young people. Who had had had, who gave gave gave…».

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