Fifty years of Italian cinema (1955)

27 But this was by no means all. There were Petroashka, a three-part opus consisting of La notte tragica (Tragic Night) , Senza tregua (Without Truce) and Verso la luce (Towards the Light) . This one had ((grandiose scenes in Siberia ». There was Avvenire in agguato (Guarding the Future), by Bracco ; La cieca di Sorrento (The Blind Woman of Sorrento) and Amor di ladro (A Thief's Love), both with Gustavo Serena (the latter continuing the series begun with Otto milioni di dollari (Eight Million Dollars) ; Za la Mort (« a mediocre film but a tribute to the temperament of the acting of Ghione » said the critics) ; Susanna e il Vecchione (Susannah and the Elders) (« a delicious comedy ») ; Passione Tzigana (Gypsy Passion) with Diana Karenne ; Lyda Borelli, with the successes of Vergine Voile (Foolish Virgin), Donna nuda (The Naked Woman) and Marcia nuziale (The Wedding March — also to presage another famous film years later) behind her, now starred in La falena (The Moth) and then in Lauda delta vita (Hymn of Life) and Lauda delta morte (Hymn of Death) — note the prevalence of the word « morte » (death) in the early Italian film titles. There was also Tigrama, Amor che tace (Unspoken Love) (« scenes from modern life symbolized by Pierrot ») ; Odio che ride (The Hate that Laughs) ; Fedora, Colpe altrui (Guilt of Others), Anima allegra (Blithe Spirit) and, finally, in April of that crowded year, Ermete Zacconi "brings a bit of art to the films » in L'Emigrante (The Immigrant) described as being « suffused with a soft melancholy ». Although Mario Caserini's L'amor tuo mi redime (Your Love Will Redeem Me) had been described as « inconsistent and superficial », the same critic proclaimed the director's « genius », going on to add, « Leda Gys and Mario Bonnard are sublime under the master's guidance ». Even the photography was « excellent ». May (still 1916) brought Fosco's II Fuoco (The Flame) (a D'Annunzian title), supervised by Piero. There followed : II vetturale del Moncenisio (The Cab Driver of Moncenisio) ; La signorina ciclone (Miss Cyclone) by Augusto Genina (who was to become one of Italy's foremost directors after World War II), « f ull of ingenious inventions and healthy humor » ; Tigre Reale (Royal Tiger), after a story by Giovanni Verga, Italy's great naturalist writer ; Anime buie (Dark Souls) ; and then « an important artistic and social event » — Countess Giorgina Dentice di Frasso, herself, appeared in 77 re, le torri c gli alfieri (The King, The Castles and the Bishops), a comedy by Lucio d'Ambra, who was beginning to develop a style which was always recognizable in his work. Amleto Palermi directed La bella Salamandra (The Beatiful Salamander) and Madre (Mother — again to presage a very famous subsequent film) ; Carmine Gallone (who was subsequently to become another of Italy's foremost directors) made Fogazzaro's Malombra, with the always welcome Lyda Borelli. There was Febbre di gloria (Glorious Fever) by Righelli, and Gloria (Glory) ; II malefico anello (The Accursed Ring) ; Notte di tempesta (Stormy Night) ; L'ombra (The Shadow), also by Caserini, from a comedy by Niccodemi ; La menzogna (The Lie) and II presagio (The Omen), both with Tullio Carminati (who certainly has spanned many years in the Italian cinema !) ; II figlio dell' amor e (The Love Child) with Lyda Borelli, and La rosa di granata (The Rose of Granada) with the one and only Lina Cavalieri. The voluminous chronicles of the time especially praised Rapsodia satanica (Satanic Rhapsody), with music by Mascagni, starring Lyda Borelli, from Zuccoli's Amore di Loredana (Loredana's Love).