There was a time when Italy was growing economically at a pace that today we would call "Chinese". It was at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s, in the midst of what historians have called the Italian economic miracle. Fellini filmed "La Dolce Vita", Rome hosted the Olympics and the Bel Paese was filled with cars, scooters, televisions and washing machines. Alberto Sordi, Sofia Loren, Gassman, Tognazzi were all the rage at the cinema and television was the new home.
It was precisely TV that brought the figure of a tall, athletic young man, with a contagious smile and irrepressible gab, into the homes of Italians. A comedian, or rather a born entertainer, Walter Chiari. In those years, having him in the cast of a film, a theater show or a television program automatically meant success. And Walter was very successful, both on stage and with women. He was King Midas of the show, a true protagonist who we can now fully understand thanks to the beautiful biography written jointly by his son, Simone Annicchiarico (this is Chiari's real surname) and by the journalist Michele Sancisi: " 100% Walter. Chiari Biography of an irregular genius ” (Baldini+Castoldi, 2024, pp. 480, also e-book).
But who was Walter Chiari really? In a few curious words, Michele Sancisi defines it as « the demonstration that you can keep your feet on the ground and your mind on the stellar trajectory of Peter Pan . He was the possibility of the incredible, in which one can, one must believe. It was the back way that you are not taught or advised. He was a very sweet bad teacher, in an era that was becoming populated with horrible bad teachers ." It was, in fact, genius and recklessness, talent and idleness, verve and absent-mindedness.
Dino Risi, who directed him at the cinema and who was not particularly affected by his charm and exuberant personality, described him thus: «A friend of everyone and a sincere friend, in love with love . Capable of leaving a film to reach the woman he loves on the other side of the world. Generous (he died poor), he wanted it to be written on his tomb: "Don't worry, it's just overdue sleep" . He talked, talked, and, unlike those who talk, talk, he also said intelligent things."
