Abstract

The so-called "filone napoletano" (Neapolitan Formula), an enduring sub-genre of the Italian melodrama, occupied the 1950s with a series of films dedicated to the city of Naples and its songs. The "filone napoletano" crystalizes a unique urban imaginary through a long series of works, which were very popular in the Neapolitan movietheaters, thanks to the talent of local producers who established, year on year, a formula that could guarantee an adequate income at the box office. This study aims to analyze the features of the spectators of such a unique Italian genre, an audience located in Naples and its outskirts.