The Italian (1915 film)

Last updated
The Italian
TheItalian-moviepamphlet-1915.jpg
Contemporary pamphlet for the film
Directed by Reginald Barker
Written by Thomas H. Ince
C. Gardner Sullivan
Produced byThomas H. Ince
Starring George Beban
Clara Williams
Cinematography Joseph H. August
Music by Victor Schertzinger (uncredited)
Production
company
New York Motion Picture Corp.
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date
  • June 18, 1915 (1915-06-18)
Running time
78 min.
Country United States
Languages Silent
English intertitles
George Beban in The Italian George Beban (The Italian).jpg
George Beban in The Italian

The Italian is a 1915 American silent film feature which tells the story of an Italian gondolier who comes to the United States to make his fortune but instead winds up working as a shoeshiner and experiencing tragedy while living with his wife and child in a tenement on New York's Lower East Side. The film was produced by Thomas H. Ince, directed by Reginald Barker, and co-written by C. Gardner Sullivan and Ince. The film stars stage actor George Beban in the title role as the Italian immigrant, Pietro "Beppo" Donnetti. In 1991, this film was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. [1] [2]

Contents

Plot

The Italian

The film tells the story of Pietro "Beppo" Donnetti. Donnetti is a poor, but happy, gondolier in Venice, Italy. Beppo falls in love with Annette Ancello, but her father, Trudo, wants her to marry another suitor, one who is a successful businessman. If Beppo can prove himself within a year, Trudo agrees to allow him to marry Annette.

Beppo sails for America to make his fortune, making a living working as a shoeshiner on a street corner in New York City. He borrows money from an Irish ward boss, Bill Corrigan, and sends for Annette to join him. In exchange, Beppo agrees to help Corrigan's candidate win the Italian vote in the ward.

When Annette arrives in New York, she and Beppo are married, and the following year they have a son, Tony. Beppo, Annette and Tony live a happy life in their Lower East Side tenement. The happiness is interrupted when the baby contracts a fever during a heatwave. The doctor instructs them to feed pasteurized milk to the baby. Beppo works hard to earn the money to purchase the expensive milk. While walking to the store to buy the milk, Beppo is robbed. He attacks the men who robbed him and is arrested. Beppo asks Corrigan to help his baby while he is in jail: "I must get-a-de-milk or my babee is die." Corrigan rebuffs Beppo, and Beppo's baby dies during Beppo's five days in jail.

When Beppo is released from jail, he learns that Corrigan's young daughter is ill and vows to avenge his son's death by killing Corrigan's daughter. Beppo sneaks into Corrigan's house, but when he sees Corrigan's daughter lying in her crib, he cannot act on his plan, and he leaves the child unharmed.

In the final scene of the narrative, Beppo is shown placing flowers and sobbing over his son's grave.

Prologue and epilogue

The film employs a prologue and epilogue to frame the narrative story. In the prologue, a stage curtain rises and shows the lead actor, George Beban, in an upper class apartment wearing a smoking jacket. He sits on a couch and opens a book titled "The Italian" by Thomas H. Ince and C. Gardner Sullivan. As he begins reading, the film fades into the narrative story. In the epilogue, the film shifts from the image of Beppo kneeling at his son's grave to Beban turning to the last page of the book, closing the book and looking thoughtful. The stage curtain is then drawn closed.

Some critics have suggested the prologue and epilogue were intended to demonstrate the care with which Beban, a noted stage actor, had selected a story worthy of his talents.

Production

Screenwriter C. Gardner Sullivan (pictured) wrote the story with Thomas H. Ince. C. Gardner Sullivan.jpg
Screenwriter C. Gardner Sullivan (pictured) wrote the story with Thomas H. Ince.

Historical accounts indicate that Thomas Ince and C. Gardner Sullivan had originally titled their project Dago, but agreed to change the title at the request of the film's star, George Beban. [3] The Italian marked the first motion picture role for Beban, who had gained acclaim as a Broadway actor and vaudevillian specializing in ethnic caricatures. [4] Beban only agreed to join the project for a salary of $7000 and a percentage of the films profits. [5]

Ince and Sullivan are credited with writing the film's story, but film historian Kevin Brownlow has shown that the plot was essentially lifted from the earlier Independent Moving Pictures (Ince's former employer) film The Wop (1913). [5]

Though set on Manhattan's Lower East Side, the New York scenes for The Italian were shot in the immigrant quarter of San Francisco. [6] While most accounts indicate that the scenes of Beppo as a gondolier were shot in the Venice district of Los Angeles, an account published by the Los Angeles Times in November 1914 reported that "Ince sent Beban to Italy to get special canal scenes for the eight-reel play." [7]

One of the vivid scenes in The Italian is the fight scene between Beppo and his muggers. The scene lasts five minutes on the screen, and a newspaper story reported that, for realism, "a number of the biggest men at Inceville were used in the scene." [8]

In a story on the production of The Italian, a newspaper reported that a hundred pounds of rice were bought for the film's wedding scene. An initial order of fifty pounds of rice was left uncovered overnight by a "property man" at the Inceville studio. A "heavy rain caused each grain to swell to enormous proportions," requiring the purchase of another fifty pounds of rice. [9]

Cast

Critical reception

Initial reviews

Clara Williams as Beppo's wife, Annette, with "Little Tony" Clara Williams (The Italian).jpg
Clara Williams as Beppo's wife, Annette, with "Little Tony"

Upon the release of The Italian, the Los Angeles Times gave the film a positive review which included the following comments:

"There are possibilities in the role of Pietro, in 'The Italian' ... that a less clever character artist than George Beban might overlook ... The story is full of human interest, requiring a full understanding of the character, and Beban by look and gesture is at all times in fullest sympathy with the difficult role. ... [A]ll go to make a story that pulsates with human interest. The pathos of the child's death because of the lack of necessities and the imprisonment of the poor Italian furnish the real lesson of the Ghetto." [10]

The Washington Post called it "a fascinating story," [11] and "a simple story of ghetto life, showing that love, faith, and loyalty are not unknown quantities in this dark sphere." [12]

A newspaper in Fort Wayne, Indiana praised the film for its "rare quality of charm and a warmth of appeal that is truly unique" and concluded: "Here is a story beautiful and exquisite in theme ... Its simplicity and utter humanness have an appeal that reaches straight to the heart of the onlooker." [13] Another review in the same paper also commended the "simple beauty of the story itself" and also praised Beban's performance:

"George Beban, who has the difficult role of Pietro Donnetti, gives a piece of character work that is truly marvelous. This artist has developed mimicry to its highest form of expression. His mobile countenance mirrored every emotion so perfectly, each varying mood was portrayed so truly, that it was hard to believe that this man was naught but a pantomimist. The upward glance when the heart was bitten again by the fangs of emotion, the hysterical joy of the Latin nature when in high spirits, all these phrases were delineated by this artist in a way that moved and thrilled." [14]

A newspaper in San Antonio, Texas praised the "vein of innocent humor" that runs through the film at the expense of Beppo and concluded: "'The Italian' is regarded as Thomas H. Ince's masterpiece and is said to be greater than his 'Wrath of the Gods,' 'The Typhoon' and 'The Bargain.'" [15]

Modern assessments

In 2008, The Italian was released on DVD as part of a two-disc compilation titled, "Perils of the New Land: Films of the Immigrant Experience (1910-1915)." At the time of the DVD release, The New York Times praised the film for Reginald Barker's strong direction, including his use of a mobile camera and "liberal use of close-up" which give the film a subjective, personal feel. [6] The Times also praised Beban's "powerful lead performance" which it described as follows:

"The audience is drawn to identify with Beppo, even though he remains in many respects an appalling ethnic caricature: dark, brooding, vengeful. That Barker and Beban are able to create so much sympathy for Beppo, despite their own, occasionally quite obvious condescension to the character, is a mark of emerging maturity in the movie business; no longer are films dealing in one-dimensional 'types.'" [6]

The Los Angeles Times in 2008 described The Italian as "a shameless melodrama that, despite unfortunate stereotypes, musters considerable sympathy for its titular immigrant." [16] The Times also noted that "Beban, the silent-era star known for his ethnic impersonations, hams up a storm as Beppo, a jaunty Venetian." [16]

The film publication Cineaste published a review of The Italian in March 2009, focusing on the film's depiction of the Italian-American immigrant experience as a Darwinian jungle rather than a promised land paved with gold:

"Against Horatio Alger expectations, The Italian is a story of failure suffused with a soft-focused, dappled nostalgia for the old country ... 'From sunny Italy to the New York ghetto,' read the taglines on Paramount's original one-sheet, contrasting scenes of 'carefree Beppo at home' in the serene canals of Old Italy with the mean streets of New York where 'to live your baby must have Pasteurized milk.' America is not a promised land paved with gold but a Darwinian jungle, where dreams meet dead ends." [17]

Cineaste also credited Beban for his intense performance, commenting on the fight sequence in which Beban's character "seethes with murderous determination" as the camera focuses on his face in an extreme close-up: "Beban's sudden transformation from amiability to wrath recalls the first glimpse of Spencer Tracy after nearly being lynched in Fritz Lang's Fury ." [17]

A reviewer for the publication Bright Sights wrote that the film had a powerfully downbeat conclusion with a social message:

"Projecting overwhelming grief, Beban reveals some hefty acting chops, and The Italian certainly gets its liberal point across, a model of how American movies dress social consciousness in the garb of melodrama. Even here, in its infancy, feature film was eager to pick up the call for social reform that sounded out in urban America before the First World War." [18]

In his 2004 historical book on the depiction of Italians in Hollywood movies, Peter Bondanella praised the film:

"A number of elements sets The Italian apart from the other films treating the Italian immigrant experience. ... Its melodramatic plot reflects a serious sense of artistic construction, aimed at milking the last bit of emotion out of the audience. George Beban's outstanding performance shows his roots in the dramatic theater. ... Finally, the depiction of the tragic story of Beppo shows a certain sympathy for the character of the poor Italian bootblack but also includes a callous disregard for depicting Italian immigrants in a stereotypical manner, an attitude that no doubt reflected the opinions of the majority of Americans at the time. Its plot is simple and compelling." [19]

Director Reginald Barker has been credited for his innovations in filming The Italian. Reginald Barker.jpg
Director Reginald Barker has been credited for his innovations in filming The Italian.

Despite its occasional use of patronizing stereotypes, Bondanella concludes that Beppo "is represented with great dignity and even comic twists, making Beppo a far more lovable figure than one might expect." [20] He concludes his chapter on the film with the following comment: "In short, what emerges from The Italian is an unusually complex view of tenement life and multiethnic immigration in America, and the film consequently retains its value not only as social history but also as a work of art." [21]

In his book about the history of film editing, Don Fairservice credits The Italian's director, Reginald Barker, for his early use of editing to maintain story continuity and for his use of multidirectional camera positioning and variable framing to emphasize character development and psychological motivation rather than plot. [22]

A review in DVD Talk concluded that Beban's performance was able to overcome the film's melodramatic premise:

"Beppo is a delightful character ... His rage after being robbed was another standout moment. The camera does a very tight closeup, one of the closest I can recall for a film from 1915, and his anger and fear are almost palatable. ... The ending of the film is also very dramatic and works well, without a false Hollywood happy ending ... It was nice to see the hardships of poverty portrayed without any easy answers, something that doesn't often happen." [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federico Fellini</span> Italian filmmaker (1920–1993)

Federico Fellini was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He is known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time. His films have ranked highly in critical polls such as that of Cahiers du Cinéma and Sight & Sound, which lists his 1963 film 8+1⁄2 as the 10th-greatest film.

<i>King Kong</i> (1933 film) 1933 film directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack

King Kong is a 1933 American pre-Code adventure romance monster film directed and produced by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, with special effects by Willis H. O'Brien and music by Max Steiner. Produced and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, it is the first film in the King Kong franchise. The film stars Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, and Bruce Cabot. The film follows a giant ape dubbed Kong who is offered a beautiful young woman as a sacrifice.

<i>Saturday Night Fever</i> 1977 American dance drama film by John Badham

Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 American dance drama film directed by John Badham and produced by Robert Stigwood. It stars John Travolta as Tony Manero, a young Italian-American man who spends his weekends dancing and drinking at a local discothèque while dealing with social tensions and disillusionment in his working class ethnic neighborhood in Brooklyn. The story is based on "Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night", a mostly fictional 1976 article by music writer Nik Cohn.

<i>The Cheat</i> (1915 film) 1915 film by Cecil B. DeMille

The Cheat is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Fannie Ward, Sessue Hayakawa, and Jack Dean, Ward's real-life husband.

<i>Civilization</i> (film) 1916 film

Civilization is a 1916 American pacifist drama film produced by Thomas H. Ince, written by C. Gardner Sullivan and Edward Sloman, and directed by Ince, Reginald Barker and Raymond B. West. The story involves a submarine commander who refuses to fire at a civilian ocean liner supposedly carrying ammunition for his country's enemies. The film was a big-budget spectacle that was compared to both The Birth of a Nation and the paintings of Jean-François Millet. The film was a popular success and was credited by the Democratic National Committee with helping to re-elect Woodrow Wilson as the U.S. president in 1916. The film was one of the early movies to depict Jesus Christ as a character, leading some to criticize the depiction as in "poor taste."

<i>The Exploits of Elaine</i> 1914 American film

The Exploits of Elaine is a 1914 American film serial in the damsel in distress genre of The Perils of Pauline (1914).

<i>Amarcord</i> 1973 film by Federico Fellini

Amarcord is a 1973 comedy-drama film directed by Federico Fellini, a semi-autobiographical tale about Titta, an adolescent boy growing up among an eccentric cast of characters in the village of Borgo San Giuliano in 1930s Fascist Italy. The film's title is a univerbation of the Romagnol phrase a m'arcôrd. The title then became a neologism of the Italian language, with the meaning of "nostalgic revocation". The central role of Titta is based on Fellini's childhood friend from Rimini, Luigi Titta Benzi. Benzi became a lawyer and remained in close contact with Fellini throughout his life.

<i>La dolce vita</i> 1960 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Federico Fellini

La dolce vita is a 1960 satirical comedy-drama film directed by Federico Fellini. It was written by Fellini, Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli, and Brunello Rondi. The film stars Marcello Mastroianni as Marcello Rubini, a tabloid journalist who, over seven days and nights, journeys through the "sweet life" of Rome in a fruitless search for love and happiness. The screenplay can be divided into a prologue, seven major episodes interrupted by an intermezzo, and an epilogue, according to the most common interpretation.

<i>The Cats Meow</i> 2001 film by Peter Bogdanovich

The Cat's Meow is a 2001 historical drama film directed by Peter Bogdanovich, and starring Kirsten Dunst, Eddie Izzard, Edward Herrmann, Cary Elwes, Joanna Lumley, Jennifer Tilly, and Ronan Vibert. The screenplay by Steven Peros is based on his 1997 play of the same title, which was inspired by the mysterious death of film mogul Thomas H. Ince that occurred on William Randolph Hearst's yacht during a weekend cruise celebrating Ince's birthday in November 1924. Among those in attendance were Hearst's longtime companion and film actress Marion Davies, fellow actor Charlie Chaplin, writer Elinor Glyn, columnist Louella Parsons, and actress Margaret Livingston. The film provides a speculative assessment on the unclear manner of Ince's death.

<i>Golden Door</i> (film) 2006 Italian film

Golden Door is a 2006 drama film based on a family's migration from Italy to New York City, U.S.A. at the beginning of the 20th century. The film, written and directed by Emanuele Crialese, opens on location in Sicily and concludes in the United States. Vincent Schiavelli, whose character was originally planned to play a major part, died during the filming, forcing his role to become a supporting character.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. Gardner Sullivan</span> American screenwriter (1884–1965)

Charles Gardner Sullivan was an American screenwriter and film producer. He was a prolific writer with more than 350 films among his credits. In 1924, the magazine Story World selected him on a list of the ten individuals who had contributed the most to the advancement of the motion picture industry from its inception forward. Four of Sullivan's films, The Italian (1915), Civilization (1916), Hell's Hinges (1916), and All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), have been listed in the National Film Registry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas H. Ince</span> American film producer (1880–1924)

Thomas Harper Ince was an American silent era filmmaker and media proprietor. Ince was known as the "Father of the Western" and was responsible for making over 800 films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Beban</span> American actor

George Beban was an American actor, director, writer and producer. Beban began as a child performer in San Francisco, California, and became a well-known vaudevillian and stage actor in the 1890s and 1900s. He was best known for his portrayal of Italian immigrant characters, including his starring roles in the play The Sign of the Rose and the 1915 silent film classic The Italian. Though strongly associated with his Italian immigrant roles, Beban was born in San Francisco, could not speak a word of Italian [not likely: in Dalmatia Italian was largely spoken, his father's name - Rocco - is in fact Italian, and Telegraph Hill was an Italian area of San Francisco], and was the son of parents from Dalmatia and Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clara Williams</span> American actress

Clara Williams was an American silent film actress. Along with Louise Glaum and Dorothy Dalton, she was one of the principal leading ladies at Inceville, one of the first motion picture studios to make feature films in Los Angeles. Williams appeared in more than one hundred films between 1910 and 1918, including starring roles in The Italian and William S. Hart's western, Hell's Hinges, both of which are included in the National Film Registry. When she married director Reginald Barker at age 31, she retired from acting.

<i>Ella Cinders</i> (film) 1926 film by Alfred E. Green

Ella Cinders is a 1926 American silent comedy film directed by Alfred E. Green, starring Colleen Moore, produced by her husband John McCormick, and featuring Moore's recurring co-star, Lloyd Hughes. The film is based on the syndicated comic strip of the same name by William M. Conselman and Charles Plumb, which in turn was based upon the millennia-old folk tale of Cinderella.

<i>Traffic in Souls</i> 1913 film by George Loane Tucker

Traffic in Souls is a 1913 American silent crime drama film focusing on forced prostitution in the United States. Directed by George Loane Tucker and starring Jane Gail, Ethel Grandin, William H. Turner, and Matt Moore, Traffic in Souls is an early example of the narrative style in American films. The film consists of six reels, which was longer than most American films of the era.

<i>The Wrath of the Gods</i> (1914 film) 1914 American film

The Wrath of the Gods is a 1914 American silent drama film directed by Reginald Barker and starring Sessue Hayakawa, Tsuru Aoki, Frank Borzage, Thomas Kurihara and Henry Kotani. This was the first feature film appearance of Hayakawa and the directorial debut of Barker.

<i>Fishermans Wharf</i> (film) 1939 film directed by Bernard Vorhaus

Fisherman's Wharf is a 1939 American drama film directed by Bernard Vorhaus from a screenplay by Bernard Schubert, Ian McLellan Hunter, and Herbert Clyde Lewis. The film stars Bobby Breen, Leo Carrillo, Lee Patrick, and Slicker, "the silly seal". Produced by Sol Lesser for RKO Radio Pictures, who also distributed the film, it was released on February 3, 1939.

<i>Lost in Transit</i> (1917 film) 1917 American film

Lost in Transit is a lost 1917 American silent drama film directed by Donald Crisp and written by Gardner Hunting and Kathlyn Williams. The film stars George Beban, Helen Jerome Eddy, Pietro Sosso, Vera Lewis, Henry A. Barrows, and Frank Bennett. The film was released on September 3, 1917, by Paramount Pictures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bison Film Company</span>

Bison Film Company, also known as 101 Bison Film Company, is an American film studio established in 1909 and disestablished in 1917.

References

  1. ↑ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
  2. ↑ Kehr, Dave (26 September 1991). "U.S. FILM REGISTRY ADDS 25 'SIGNIFICANT' MOVIES". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
  3. ↑ Peter Bondanella (2004). Hollywood Italians: Dagos, Palookas, Romeos, Wise Guys, and Sopranos, pp. 22-23. Continuum International Publishing.
  4. ↑ "LINDEN PHOTODROME". Suburbanite Economist. 1915-01-29. ("'The Italian,' featuring the celebrated artist, George Beban, extensively known as a performer of superior merit ... Mr. Beban is famed far and wide for his very fine dramatic work in many roles, notably in his repertoire, being, 'The Sign of the Rose.' This is Mr. Beban's first appearance in screen work and from 'The Italian' we may expect unusually fine productions in which he takes the leading part.")
  5. 1 2 Eagan, Daniel. (2010). America's film legacy : the authoritative guide to the landmark movies in the National Film Registry. National Film Preservation Board (U.S.). New York: Continuum. pp. 41–42. ISBN   9781441116475. OCLC   676697377.
  6. 1 2 3 Dave Kehr (2008-08-11). "Critic's Choice: New DVDs: 'Perils of the New Land'". The New York Times.
  7. ↑ Grace Kingsley (1914-11-11). "Film Flams". Los Angeles Times.
  8. ↑ "A THRILLING SCENE IN "THE ITALIAN"". Logansport Journal-Tribune. 1915-04-17.
  9. ↑ "FUNNY INCIDENT IN "THE ITALIAN WEDDING"". Logansport Journal-Tribune. 1915-04-16.
  10. ↑ Grace Kingsley (1915-01-12). "Vaudeville and Films".
  11. ↑ "Potash and Perlntotter" and "Today" Chief Playbills of Week: Garden—'The Italian." Washington Post". 1915-01-10.
  12. ↑ "Heard and Seen at the Theaters: Garden - "The Italian." The Washington Post". 1915-01-02.
  13. ↑ "GEORGE BEBAN, IN "THE ITALIAN": Celebrated Character Actor Appears in Title Role of This Brilliant Paramount Drama". Fort Wayne News. 1915-01-13.
  14. ↑ "BEBAN IN "THE ITALIAN": Famous Character Actor Gives a Marvelous Bit of Acting in Drama". Fort Wayne News. 1915-01-14.
  15. ↑ ""THE ITALIAN" COMING: Thomas Ince's Masterpiece to Be Shown Thursday and Friday". San Antonio Light. 1915-01-31.
  16. 1 2 Dennis Lim (2008-07-13). "A Second Look: 'Perils of the New Land'". Los Angeles Times.
  17. 1 2 "Perils of the New Land: Films of the Immigrant Experience (1910-1915)". Cineaste. 2009-03-22.
  18. ↑ Gordon Thomas. "Recent DVDs". Bright Sights.
  19. ↑ Bondanella, Hollywood Italians, p. 23
  20. ↑ Bondanella, Hollywood Italians, p. 27
  21. ↑ Bondanella, Hollywood Italians, p. 28
  22. ↑ Don Fairservice (2001). Film Editing: History, Theory and Practice: Looking at the Invisible, pp. 123-125. Manchester University Press.
  23. ↑ "Perils Of The New Land: Films of the Immigrant Experience". DVD Talk.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.