Tag Archives: Francesca Bertini

Coda to Valentine’s Day: silent film postcards

Posted on 21 February 2018 by silentsplease

Flowers and chocolates and clichés, I don’t care, but I really like the idea of reclaiming Valentine’s Day as a time to express your feelings for the important people in your life. I have so many amazing friends, they mean … Continue reading →

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Diva films about diva films

Posted on 21 December 2015 by silentsplease

After spending some quality time with the films of Borelli, Menichelli, and Makowska, now I want to cast my net a little wider. Diva films were a major force of the Italian film industry in the teens—but how did people perceive … Continue reading →

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Emilio Ghione’s Za La Mort: a filmography

Posted on 13 July 2015 by silentsplease

As an adjunct to my post on Anime Buie | Dark Souls, here is a brief filmography of Emilio Ghione’s Za La Mort series (1914-1924). The films are listed chronologically, with survival information/availability indicated.

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Cinema Ritrovato from afar: Bertini’s Assunta Spina (IT 1915)

Posted on 4 July 2015 by silentsplease

Are you at Il Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna right now? The festival features the new restoration of one of my true loves, Rapsodia Satanica; the Keaton project; several other diva films; Gaumont at 120; the Technicolor section; and so much more … Sadly, I am … Continue reading →

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Diana, l’affascinatrice | Diana the Seductress (IT 1915)

Posted on 11 April 2015 by silentsplease

This month I’m blogging on the theme ‘Adventure 1915’ – adventurous films at their 100th birthday. To Francesca Bertini for the first entry! It’s a treasured spy cliché – the agent who falls in love with their mark. In Diana l’affascinatrice, … Continue reading →

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L’Amazzone mascherata | The Masked Amazon [The Woman who Dared] (IT 1914)

Posted on 18 December 2014 by silentsplease

L’Amazzone mascherata sees Francesca Bertini in the role of Franca de Roberti, a woman who vows to clear the name of her husband after he is framed for treason. Here she is, appearing in the opening ‘credit sequence’ as both … Continue reading →

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Sangue Bleu | Blue Blood (IT 1914)

Posted on 15 December 2014 by silentsplease

With the release of Sangue Bleu in 1914, reviews were glowing: “This splendid masterpiece is transfused by all of Ms. Bertini’s soul as an incomparable artist.” Francesca Bertini was already launched as a film star, and as a major production, Sangue … Continue reading →

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Fatal passions: an overview of the Italian divas

Posted on 7 December 2014 by silentsplease

Decadence, outrageous emotion, an extravaganze of costume and gesture … the inimitable screen presence of the Italian divas is one of my favourite facets of the silent era. In the 1910s, actresses like Lyda Borelli, Francesca Bertini, and Pina Menichelli swept … Continue reading →

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