Gennaro Righelli
Vintage Italian postcard. 1920s. Ed. A. Traldi, Milano, No. 61.
Gennaro Righelli (12 December 1886 – 6 January 1949) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and actor, who directed over 110 films in Italy and Germany between 1910 and 1947. In 1930, he directed the first Italian sound film, La canzone dell'amore (The Song of Love). He was married to the film star Maria Jacobini, whom he frequently cast in his films.
Salvatore Gennaro Righelli, born in Salerno, was the son of the Neapolitan dialect actor Angelo and the Bolognese Maria Galassi. He took up the theatrical activity in 1902 in a dialect company following the footsteps of his father. His daughter Lea was the mother of directors Luciano and Sergio Martino.
Righelli started to work in cinema in 1910, when he made his acting debut for the Roman company Cines in a handful of short films such as Amore di schiava (Enrique Santos, 1910) and Anore di torero (Santos, 1910), often acting together with his first wife, Maria Righelli, née Maria Mauro. IMDB and Aldo Bernardini give contrasting information about Righelli's film directions. IMDb claims it was for Andreuccio da Perugia, after Boccaccio, in 1910, but Bernardini doesn't list a director for this film. IMDb lists the film Sperduta with Righelli first playing opposite Maria Jacobini but Bernardini indicates the films as 1911 and with Maria Righelli instead. Indeed, it seems that IMDb erroneously conflates Maria Righelli with Maria Jacobini (Gennaro Righelli and Maria Jacobini would only work professionally from the late 1910s onward and would marry eventually in 1925).
In 1911 Gennaro and Maria Righelli continued at Cines, alternating historical and modern dramas. While it seems that Righelli co-directed with Mario Caserini La fidanzata di Messina and Giovanna la pallida, his first independent directing must have been that of La vita di una chanteuse/ Povera Dora!. In May 1911 Righelli and his wife moved to Vesuvio Films in Naples, where he was actor-director of some 9 films until early 1913, and also manager of the studio. He made his first feature films there, including an adaptation of Boccaccio's Decamerone (1912), the Napoleonic Der Tugenbund (1912), and L'eroica fanciulla di Derna (1912), set during the Italo-Turkish war. In 1913 work at Vesuvio halted and Maria Righelli stopped acting for several years, probably due to a marital crisis, Bernardini suggests. In 1914 Gennaro Righelli encountered misfortune with the companies Victoria Film and Parioli Film, so he returned to Cines in 1915, where he shot the short propaganda comedy Il sogno patriottico di Cinessino and launched Diomira Jacobini, Maria Jacobini's younger sister, in the comedy Diomira si diverte (1915). For Milano Films he did the heavy drama La macchia nel blasone (1915).
Yet, more substantial was Righelli's career at the Roman company Tiber Film, between 1916 and 1920. In 1916 Righelli directed Primo e ultimo bacio, Alla capitale, Febbre di gloria, and Nella città eterna, often with the couple André Habay and Matilde Di Marzio in the lead. In 1917 Righelli continued at Tiber Film with the Giacosa adaptation Come le foglie, with Maria Jacobini in the lead - probably their first professional collaboration on the film sets. Until 1920, Righelli turned out several films per year at Tiber Film, again with the couple Habay-Di Marzio but in particular 9 films with Diomira Jacobini: L'ombra che passa (1917), Demonietto (1917), Quando il sole tramonta (1917), Camere separate (1917), Duecento all'ora (1918), L'autunno dell'amore (1918), Il veleno del piacere (1918), Mademoiselle Pas-Chic (1918), and Le avventure di Doloretta (1919). Righelli also directed Polidor (Il nipote di America, 1917, Venti giorni all'ombra, 1918, also with Diomira Jacobini); Vittoria Lepanto, Diana Karenne (La peccatrice casta, 1919), Italia Almirante Manzini (L'innamorata, 1919); and last but not least, Diomira's sister Maria Jacobini (L'articolo IV, 1918, La regina del carbone, 1919, La vergine folle, 1921). In 1918-19 he co-directed with Polidor also shot a long serial, La canaglia di Parigi, which had trouble with the censor.
From 1920, Righelli worked for the Turinese company Fert, where he was a prolific author varying between literary inspiration (Il viaggio, 1921, after PIrandello) and melodrama with an evocative setting (Cainà, l'isola e il continente, 1922). It was here that he did various acclaimed dramas with Maria Jacobini, who became his girlfriend and finally, in 1925, his wife. Together they did, in addition to Il viaggio and Cainà, also La casa di vetro (1920) with Amleto Novelli, Amore rosso (1921) set in Spain, Il richiamo (1921) with Lido Manetti, and L'incognita (1922). Single collaborations at Fert Righelli had once more with Diomira Jacobini and Italia Almirante Manzini. For the small company EDA, Righelli and Jacobini did the fascinating film La casa sotto la neve (1922), with a thrilling Kammerspiel-like climax when Jacobini's character and her daughter are menaced by the mother's evil suitor (Alberto Capozzi), within a house that is snowed-in.
In 1923, following the crisis that hit Italian cinema, Righelli joined the ranks of Italian directors, from Mario Almirante to Mario Bonnard, from Guido Brignone to Amleto Palermi, who decided to move to Germany. Once in Berlin, the director was hired by producer Jakob Karol and, together with Maria Jacobini, they founded the film company Maria Jacobini-Film GmbH, from which the film entitled Bohème - Künstlerliebe was released. Afterward, they collaborated with several companies such as Trianon and Phoebus. In 1925 Righelli married Jacobini, who starred in his German films Steuerlos (1924), the exotic film Orient - Die Tochter der Wüste (1924) also with the German heartthrob Harry Liedtke, Die Puppenkönigin (1925), and Der Bastard/ Il transatlantico (1925) which includes a spectacular shipwreck scene and of which a nicely tinted & toned version has been found and restored.
In the later 1920s, Righelli maintained his productivity of three to four films a year in Germany, but with other stars in the lead such as Fred Solm (Der Meister der Welt, 1927), Paul Wegener (Svengali, 1927), Mady Christians (Heimweh, 1927), Claire Rommer (Frauenraub in Marokko, 1928), Ivan Mozzhukhin (Der Präsident, 1928; Der geheime Kurier, 1928), Paul Richter (Sensation im Wintergarten, 1928), and Fritz Kortner (Die Nacht des Schreckens, 1929), while Jacobini still starred in Righelli's Fünf bange Tage (1928).
In 1930, when sound film had set in, Righelli returned to Italy to shoot the first Italian sound film, La canzone dell'amore. It starred Dria Paola as young woman who takes care of her mother's baby, causing a break with fiancé (Elio Steiner), a singer who is about to have his breakthrough. Isa Pola is the girlfriend who tries to drive a wedge between the couple. Righelli also directed the French alternative version of the film, La dernière berceuse, with Dolly Davis in the lead. The film, produced by Cines-Pittaluga, was the start of Righelli's new, prolific career in sound film.
During the 1930s, Righelli directed several comedies, some of which starred Sicilian actor Angelo Musco, in titles such as L'aria del continente (1935), Pensaci, Giacomino! (1936), Lo smemorato (1936), and Gatta ci cova (1937). He also directed Jacobini once more opposite Armando Falconi in the comedy Patatrac (1931). Although Righelli directed several Italian sound films in the 1930s and early 1940s, many were average fare comedies and dramas that didn't make history, and none were die-hard propaganda films. They starred the stars of those years, such as Gino Cervi, Germana Paolieri, and Nino Besozzi, although he often directed former stars of the silent era too, in supporting parts. In the immediate post-war period, Righelli directed Anna Magnani in two films that were a great success with the public: Abbasso la miseria! (1945) and Abbasso la ricchezza! (1946), the latter starring the great Roman actress alongside Vittorio De Sica.
Sources: Aldo Bernardini, Cinema muto italiano protagonisti, Aldo Bernardini/ Vittorio Martinelli, il cinema muto italiano, Italian Wikipedia, IMDb.
Gennaro Righelli
Vintage Italian postcard. 1920s. Ed. A. Traldi, Milano, No. 61.
Gennaro Righelli (12 December 1886 – 6 January 1949) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and actor, who directed over 110 films in Italy and Germany between 1910 and 1947. In 1930, he directed the first Italian sound film, La canzone dell'amore (The Song of Love). He was married to the film star Maria Jacobini, whom he frequently cast in his films.
Salvatore Gennaro Righelli, born in Salerno, was the son of the Neapolitan dialect actor Angelo and the Bolognese Maria Galassi. He took up the theatrical activity in 1902 in a dialect company following the footsteps of his father. His daughter Lea was the mother of directors Luciano and Sergio Martino.
Righelli started to work in cinema in 1910, when he made his acting debut for the Roman company Cines in a handful of short films such as Amore di schiava (Enrique Santos, 1910) and Anore di torero (Santos, 1910), often acting together with his first wife, Maria Righelli, née Maria Mauro. IMDB and Aldo Bernardini give contrasting information about Righelli's film directions. IMDb claims it was for Andreuccio da Perugia, after Boccaccio, in 1910, but Bernardini doesn't list a director for this film. IMDb lists the film Sperduta with Righelli first playing opposite Maria Jacobini but Bernardini indicates the films as 1911 and with Maria Righelli instead. Indeed, it seems that IMDb erroneously conflates Maria Righelli with Maria Jacobini (Gennaro Righelli and Maria Jacobini would only work professionally from the late 1910s onward and would marry eventually in 1925).
In 1911 Gennaro and Maria Righelli continued at Cines, alternating historical and modern dramas. While it seems that Righelli co-directed with Mario Caserini La fidanzata di Messina and Giovanna la pallida, his first independent directing must have been that of La vita di una chanteuse/ Povera Dora!. In May 1911 Righelli and his wife moved to Vesuvio Films in Naples, where he was actor-director of some 9 films until early 1913, and also manager of the studio. He made his first feature films there, including an adaptation of Boccaccio's Decamerone (1912), the Napoleonic Der Tugenbund (1912), and L'eroica fanciulla di Derna (1912), set during the Italo-Turkish war. In 1913 work at Vesuvio halted and Maria Righelli stopped acting for several years, probably due to a marital crisis, Bernardini suggests. In 1914 Gennaro Righelli encountered misfortune with the companies Victoria Film and Parioli Film, so he returned to Cines in 1915, where he shot the short propaganda comedy Il sogno patriottico di Cinessino and launched Diomira Jacobini, Maria Jacobini's younger sister, in the comedy Diomira si diverte (1915). For Milano Films he did the heavy drama La macchia nel blasone (1915).
Yet, more substantial was Righelli's career at the Roman company Tiber Film, between 1916 and 1920. In 1916 Righelli directed Primo e ultimo bacio, Alla capitale, Febbre di gloria, and Nella città eterna, often with the couple André Habay and Matilde Di Marzio in the lead. In 1917 Righelli continued at Tiber Film with the Giacosa adaptation Come le foglie, with Maria Jacobini in the lead - probably their first professional collaboration on the film sets. Until 1920, Righelli turned out several films per year at Tiber Film, again with the couple Habay-Di Marzio but in particular 9 films with Diomira Jacobini: L'ombra che passa (1917), Demonietto (1917), Quando il sole tramonta (1917), Camere separate (1917), Duecento all'ora (1918), L'autunno dell'amore (1918), Il veleno del piacere (1918), Mademoiselle Pas-Chic (1918), and Le avventure di Doloretta (1919). Righelli also directed Polidor (Il nipote di America, 1917, Venti giorni all'ombra, 1918, also with Diomira Jacobini); Vittoria Lepanto, Diana Karenne (La peccatrice casta, 1919), Italia Almirante Manzini (L'innamorata, 1919); and last but not least, Diomira's sister Maria Jacobini (L'articolo IV, 1918, La regina del carbone, 1919, La vergine folle, 1921). In 1918-19 he co-directed with Polidor also shot a long serial, La canaglia di Parigi, which had trouble with the censor.
From 1920, Righelli worked for the Turinese company Fert, where he was a prolific author varying between literary inspiration (Il viaggio, 1921, after PIrandello) and melodrama with an evocative setting (Cainà, l'isola e il continente, 1922). It was here that he did various acclaimed dramas with Maria Jacobini, who became his girlfriend and finally, in 1925, his wife. Together they did, in addition to Il viaggio and Cainà, also La casa di vetro (1920) with Amleto Novelli, Amore rosso (1921) set in Spain, Il richiamo (1921) with Lido Manetti, and L'incognita (1922). Single collaborations at Fert Righelli had once more with Diomira Jacobini and Italia Almirante Manzini. For the small company EDA, Righelli and Jacobini did the fascinating film La casa sotto la neve (1922), with a thrilling Kammerspiel-like climax when Jacobini's character and her daughter are menaced by the mother's evil suitor (Alberto Capozzi), within a house that is snowed-in.
In 1923, following the crisis that hit Italian cinema, Righelli joined the ranks of Italian directors, from Mario Almirante to Mario Bonnard, from Guido Brignone to Amleto Palermi, who decided to move to Germany. Once in Berlin, the director was hired by producer Jakob Karol and, together with Maria Jacobini, they founded the film company Maria Jacobini-Film GmbH, from which the film entitled Bohème - Künstlerliebe was released. Afterward, they collaborated with several companies such as Trianon and Phoebus. In 1925 Righelli married Jacobini, who starred in his German films Steuerlos (1924), the exotic film Orient - Die Tochter der Wüste (1924) also with the German heartthrob Harry Liedtke, Die Puppenkönigin (1925), and Der Bastard/ Il transatlantico (1925) which includes a spectacular shipwreck scene and of which a nicely tinted & toned version has been found and restored.
In the later 1920s, Righelli maintained his productivity of three to four films a year in Germany, but with other stars in the lead such as Fred Solm (Der Meister der Welt, 1927), Paul Wegener (Svengali, 1927), Mady Christians (Heimweh, 1927), Claire Rommer (Frauenraub in Marokko, 1928), Ivan Mozzhukhin (Der Präsident, 1928; Der geheime Kurier, 1928), Paul Richter (Sensation im Wintergarten, 1928), and Fritz Kortner (Die Nacht des Schreckens, 1929), while Jacobini still starred in Righelli's Fünf bange Tage (1928).
In 1930, when sound film had set in, Righelli returned to Italy to shoot the first Italian sound film, La canzone dell'amore. It starred Dria Paola as young woman who takes care of her mother's baby, causing a break with fiancé (Elio Steiner), a singer who is about to have his breakthrough. Isa Pola is the girlfriend who tries to drive a wedge between the couple. Righelli also directed the French alternative version of the film, La dernière berceuse, with Dolly Davis in the lead. The film, produced by Cines-Pittaluga, was the start of Righelli's new, prolific career in sound film.
During the 1930s, Righelli directed several comedies, some of which starred Sicilian actor Angelo Musco, in titles such as L'aria del continente (1935), Pensaci, Giacomino! (1936), Lo smemorato (1936), and Gatta ci cova (1937). He also directed Jacobini once more opposite Armando Falconi in the comedy Patatrac (1931). Although Righelli directed several Italian sound films in the 1930s and early 1940s, many were average fare comedies and dramas that didn't make history, and none were die-hard propaganda films. They starred the stars of those years, such as Gino Cervi, Germana Paolieri, and Nino Besozzi, although he often directed former stars of the silent era too, in supporting parts. In the immediate post-war period, Righelli directed Anna Magnani in two films that were a great success with the public: Abbasso la miseria! (1945) and Abbasso la ricchezza! (1946), the latter starring the great Roman actress alongside Vittorio De Sica.
Sources: Aldo Bernardini, Cinema muto italiano protagonisti, Aldo Bernardini/ Vittorio Martinelli, il cinema muto italiano, Italian Wikipedia, IMDb.