First published at 18:50 UTC on April 16th, 2023.
The classic 1883 novel by Carlo Collodi is brought to life on the big screen for the first time in known history...
Early Italian director Giulio Antamoro tackles this classic tale in a relatively compact 53-minute feature, with a fairly lavish p…
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The classic 1883 novel by Carlo Collodi is brought to life on the big screen for the first time in known history...
Early Italian director Giulio Antamoro tackles this classic tale in a relatively compact 53-minute feature, with a fairly lavish production budget for the time, rather prominent Italian actors ( comic actor Ferdinand Guillaume, Augusto Mastripietri and Lea Giunchi whom all IMHO acquit themselves admirably) pretty great Effects for the time and very well-done scenery. Advances in camera technology permit fast and accurate tracking shots and seamless transfer between studio interiors and outdoor lots. The plot differs in some particulars but is mostly faithful to the Collodi book- our nominal Hero will be judged, hanged, swallowed by a whale, taken prisoner by the Indians, saved by Canadian soldiers and, even, returned home mounted on a cannonball that flies through the sky....
This film was considered to be lost to the ages, with only about 6 minutes remaining in terrible condition- but in 1994 the original negative was found at Cineteca Italiana in Milan, and nearly-perfect copies were made available to the Public once more...Grazie, Italy, Grazie...Silent w/English subtitles, B&W.
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