San Giovanni Decollato (1940) -

The film is based on a 1908 play by the Sicilian playwright , which had previously been adapted during the silent era starring Angelo Musco. The 1940 version shifts the setting to a Neapolitan tenement, following Mastro Agostino Miciacio (Totò), a cobbler and caretaker. The story is driven by two central conflicts:

: The screenplay was co-written by Cesare Zavattini , a future architect of Italian Neorealism, alongside Aldo Vergano and Palermi. San Giovanni decollato (1940)

: This film is often cited for showcasing Totò's transition from theater to film, utilizing his unique brand of "noisy" physical comedy and wordplay. A famous scene features Totò as a "shoe technician" (rather than a simple cobbler) and includes one of the earliest recorded depictions of Neapolitan pizza in cinema. The film is based on a 1908 play