{{Short description|Italian comedy and musical act (1971–1985)}} '''I Gatti di Vicolo Miracoli''' ({{Lit|The Cats of Miracles Alley}}) was an Italian comedy and musical act. Formed in 1971, it originally consisted of Jerry Calà, Umberto Smaila, Nini Salerno, Gianandrea Gazzola and Spray Mallory. Gazzola and Mallory left the group in 1975, and were replaced by Franco Oppini. A trio since Calà's exit in 1981, the group disbanded in 1985.
== History of the group == The group, consisting of some schoolmates, formed in Verona in 1971 as a split from the 24 members ensamble "Studio 24",<ref name="sorr">{{cite news |last1=Casarini |first1=Enrico |title=I Gatti di Vicolo Miracoli festeggiano 50 anni insieme |url=https://www.sorrisi.com/tv/i-gatti-di-vicolo-miracoli-festeggiano-50-anni-insieme/ |access-date=2 August 2023 |work=TV Sorrisi e Canzoni |date=28 January 2021 |language=it-IT}}</ref> and the same year they started successfully performing at the Derby Club in Milan, in some satirical and musical shows directed by mime and Dario Fo's frequent collaborator Arturo Corso.<ref name=curcio>Assante, Ernesto (1990). "Gatti di Vicolo Miracoli, I". Castaldo, Gino (edited by). ''Dizionario della canzone italiana''. Curcio Editore. p. 456.</ref><ref name="bio">{{Cite book |last=Cappa |first=Felice |title=Dizionario dello spettacolo del '900 |last2=Gelli |first2=Piero |last3=Mattarozzi |first3=Marco |date=1998 |publisher=Baldini & Castoldi |isbn=978-88-8089-295-3 |page=158 |language=it |chapter=Gatti di Vicolo Miracoli}}</ref> In 1972, they released their first eponymous album.<ref name="curcio" /> In 1975, Gazzola and Mallory left the group, and were replaced by Franco Oppini, who had already been an affiliate of the group in 1971; with this new line-up, the ensemble started to participate regularly in RAI variety shows, increasing their popularity.<ref name="curcio" /><ref name="bio" /> A major boost to their success came from their participation in 1977–8 in the Rai 1 show ''Non Stop'', which launched the career of numerous comedians, notably Massimo Troisi, Carlo Verdone and Francesco Nuti.<ref name="sorr" /><ref name="curcio" /><ref name="bio" /><ref name="Grasso">Grasso, Aldo; Scaglioni, Massimo (1996 – 2003). ''Enciclopedia della Televisione''. Garzanti. p. 480. {{ISBN|881150466X}}.</ref>
In 1979, the group had a major hit with the song "Capito?", which reached the fourth place on the Italian hit parade.<ref name=hitparade>{{cite book|last=Salvatori, Dario |title=Storia dell'Hit Parade|year=1989|publisher=Gramese|page=145 |isbn=8876054391}}</ref> They then starred in two comedy films directed by Carlo Vanzina, the semi-autobiographical ''Arrivano i gatti'' and ''Una vacanza bestiale'', both released in 1980.<ref name="sorr" /><ref name="bio" /> Following the commercial success of his solo performance in ''I fichissimi'', in 1981 Calà left the group, and became one of the leading stars of the Italian film scene at the time.<ref name="sorr" /><ref name="bio" /> The group continued to perform as a trio for a few years, mainly working for Silvio Berlusconi's Fininvest, before splitting in 1985.<ref name="curcio" /><ref name="bio" /> Starting from Cala's 1997 film ''Gli inaffidabili'', they occasionally reunited in the following years in films, on television and on stage.<ref name="sorr" />
==References== {{Reflist}} == External links == *{{allMusic|artist}} * {{discogs artist}}
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Category:Italian male film actors Category:Italian male stage actors Category:Italian television personalities Category:Italian comedy troupes Category:Italian pop music groups Category:Musical groups established in 1971 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1985