The silent Italian film La cavalcata ardente/The Fiery Cavalcade (1925) was a highly successful historical melodrama about the conquest of Naples by Garibaldi. The film was a good example of the cooperation of the husband-and-wife team of writer-director Carmine Gallone and Polish-born film diva Soava Gallone between 1916 and 1927.
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Soava Gallone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by G.B. Falci Editori, Milano. Photo: Soava Gallone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Jeanne Brindeau, Soava Gallone and Gabriel de Gravone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Soava Gallone and Gabriel de Gravone in La cavalcata ardente/The Fiery Cavalcade (Carmine Gallone, 1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Jeanne Brindeau, and Soava Gallone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Raimondo Van Riel as the bandit Pasquale Noto in La cavalcata ardente/The Fiery Cavalcade (Carmine Gallone, 1925).
Carmine Gallone had the intelligence to pick films that fully sustained the image of Soava Gallone as a refined, delicate soul, and he limited her performances to no more than two per year.
In La cavalcata ardente/The Fiery Cavalcade (Carmine Gallone, 1925), his wife Soava Gallone plays a beautiful aristocratic girl, who has to hide in a convent.
The photography was by Alfredo Donelli and Emilio Guattari. The costumes were designed by French fashion designer Paul Poiret and the sets by Filippo Folchi.
Director Gallone wrote the script himself. The film had its premiere in the Supercinema (now Teatro Nazionale) in Rome in April 1925. In the audience were many of the old veterans of Giuseppe Garibaldi's volunteer army dressed in their shirts.
The reviewer of the magazine L'epoca praised the combination of the love story and the historical background.
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Westi / S.A.I.C. Publicity still of Raimondo Van Riel as Il Brigante (The Bandit) in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Raimondo Van Riel and Gabriel de Gravone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Raimondo Van Riel and Soava Gallone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Raimondo Van Riel, Soava Gallone and Gabriel de Gravone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Jeanne Brindeau and Soava Gallone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. A. Traldi, Milano. Photo: Westi / SAIC. Gabriel de Gravone and Jeanne Brindeau in La cavalcata ardente/The Fiery Cavalcade (Carmine Gallone, 1925). Caption: The farewell to his mother.
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Jeanne Brindeau and Gabriel de Gravone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Gabriel de Gravone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Soava Gallone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
La cavalcata ardente/The Fiery Cavalcade (Carmine Gallone, 1925) is a melodrama set against the background of the conquest of Naples by Giuseppe Garibaldi's volunteers in 1860.
In the ancient Montechiaro family, linked to the Bourbons, Pietro (Amerigo Di Giorgio), the eldest son, is the leader of the royal forces while his sister Grazia (Soava Gallone) is forced into a marriage with the old prince of Santafè (Emilio Ghione). She is secretly in love with Giovanni Artuni (Gabriel de Gravone), a patriot and revolutionary.
Artuni escapes an ambush and hides with the brigand Pasquale Noto (Raimondo Van Riel). Masked together with his companions, he participates in the 'cavalcata ardente', a horse race with torches in the park of the Montechiaro family's villa, where the party for Grazia's official engagement takes place.
A ruthless manhunt ensues. Grazia hides in a convent, while Giovanni tries to join Garibaldi's army (Ciro Galvani). But, recognised by a traitor, he is arrested by the Bourbon police, immediately tried and sentenced to death.
Grazia intercedes for his life, yielding to old Santafé's blackmail. While the wedding between Grazia and the old Prince is being celebrated, Giovanni and his old mother (Jeanne Brindeau) are escorted to the border.
But Garibaldi is now at the gates, the Bourbon army rebels and, in an attempt to stem the advance, Santafé falls in battle. With the entrance of the Red Shirts army into Naples, Grazia and Giovanni are reunited and realise their dream of love.
Italian postcard by Ed. A. Traldi, Milano. Photo: Westi / SAIC. Soava Gallone in the historical film La cavalcata ardente (Carmine Gallone, 1925).
Italian postcard by Eureka. Sent by mail in 1927. Soava Gallone and Emilio Ghione in La cavalcata ardente/The fiery cavalcade (Carmine Gallone, 1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Westi / S.A.I.C. Emilio Ghione as the Prince of Santafé in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. A Traldi, Milano, no 312. Photo: Soava Gallone and Emilio Ghione in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Westi / S.A.I.C. Publicity still of Soava Gallone and Emilio Ghione in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Westi / S.A.I.C. Publicity still of Soava Gallone and Emilio Ghione in La cavalcata ardente (1925). Caption: The death of Santafé.
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano, no 318. Photo: Soava Gallone and Gabriel de Gravone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Soava Gallone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Raimondo Van Riel,Soava Gallone and Gl de Gravone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Raimondo Van Riel, and Gabriel de Gravone in La cavalcata ardente/The Fiery Cavalcade (1925).
Sources: Sempre in penombra (Italian), Vittorio Martinelli (Le dive del silenzio), Vittorio Martinelli (Il cinema muto italiano), Wikipedia (Italian) and IMDb.
This post was last updated on 1 December 2023.
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Soava Gallone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by G.B. Falci Editori, Milano. Photo: Soava Gallone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Jeanne Brindeau, Soava Gallone and Gabriel de Gravone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Soava Gallone and Gabriel de Gravone in La cavalcata ardente/The Fiery Cavalcade (Carmine Gallone, 1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Jeanne Brindeau, and Soava Gallone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Raimondo Van Riel as the bandit Pasquale Noto in La cavalcata ardente/The Fiery Cavalcade (Carmine Gallone, 1925).
A refined, delicate soul
Carmine Gallone had the intelligence to pick films that fully sustained the image of Soava Gallone as a refined, delicate soul, and he limited her performances to no more than two per year.
In La cavalcata ardente/The Fiery Cavalcade (Carmine Gallone, 1925), his wife Soava Gallone plays a beautiful aristocratic girl, who has to hide in a convent.
The photography was by Alfredo Donelli and Emilio Guattari. The costumes were designed by French fashion designer Paul Poiret and the sets by Filippo Folchi.
Director Gallone wrote the script himself. The film had its premiere in the Supercinema (now Teatro Nazionale) in Rome in April 1925. In the audience were many of the old veterans of Giuseppe Garibaldi's volunteer army dressed in their shirts.
The reviewer of the magazine L'epoca praised the combination of the love story and the historical background.
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Westi / S.A.I.C. Publicity still of Raimondo Van Riel as Il Brigante (The Bandit) in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Raimondo Van Riel and Gabriel de Gravone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Raimondo Van Riel and Soava Gallone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Raimondo Van Riel, Soava Gallone and Gabriel de Gravone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Jeanne Brindeau and Soava Gallone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. A. Traldi, Milano. Photo: Westi / SAIC. Gabriel de Gravone and Jeanne Brindeau in La cavalcata ardente/The Fiery Cavalcade (Carmine Gallone, 1925). Caption: The farewell to his mother.
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Jeanne Brindeau and Gabriel de Gravone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Gabriel de Gravone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Soava Gallone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Secretly in love
La cavalcata ardente/The Fiery Cavalcade (Carmine Gallone, 1925) is a melodrama set against the background of the conquest of Naples by Giuseppe Garibaldi's volunteers in 1860.
In the ancient Montechiaro family, linked to the Bourbons, Pietro (Amerigo Di Giorgio), the eldest son, is the leader of the royal forces while his sister Grazia (Soava Gallone) is forced into a marriage with the old prince of Santafè (Emilio Ghione). She is secretly in love with Giovanni Artuni (Gabriel de Gravone), a patriot and revolutionary.
Artuni escapes an ambush and hides with the brigand Pasquale Noto (Raimondo Van Riel). Masked together with his companions, he participates in the 'cavalcata ardente', a horse race with torches in the park of the Montechiaro family's villa, where the party for Grazia's official engagement takes place.
A ruthless manhunt ensues. Grazia hides in a convent, while Giovanni tries to join Garibaldi's army (Ciro Galvani). But, recognised by a traitor, he is arrested by the Bourbon police, immediately tried and sentenced to death.
Grazia intercedes for his life, yielding to old Santafé's blackmail. While the wedding between Grazia and the old Prince is being celebrated, Giovanni and his old mother (Jeanne Brindeau) are escorted to the border.
But Garibaldi is now at the gates, the Bourbon army rebels and, in an attempt to stem the advance, Santafé falls in battle. With the entrance of the Red Shirts army into Naples, Grazia and Giovanni are reunited and realise their dream of love.
Italian postcard by Ed. A. Traldi, Milano. Photo: Westi / SAIC. Soava Gallone in the historical film La cavalcata ardente (Carmine Gallone, 1925).
Italian postcard by Eureka. Sent by mail in 1927. Soava Gallone and Emilio Ghione in La cavalcata ardente/The fiery cavalcade (Carmine Gallone, 1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Westi / S.A.I.C. Emilio Ghione as the Prince of Santafé in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. A Traldi, Milano, no 312. Photo: Soava Gallone and Emilio Ghione in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Westi / S.A.I.C. Publicity still of Soava Gallone and Emilio Ghione in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Westi / S.A.I.C. Publicity still of Soava Gallone and Emilio Ghione in La cavalcata ardente (1925). Caption: The death of Santafé.
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano, no 318. Photo: Soava Gallone and Gabriel de Gravone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Soava Gallone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Raimondo Van Riel,Soava Gallone and Gl de Gravone in La cavalcata ardente (1925).
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Raimondo Van Riel, and Gabriel de Gravone in La cavalcata ardente/The Fiery Cavalcade (1925).
Sources: Sempre in penombra (Italian), Vittorio Martinelli (Le dive del silenzio), Vittorio Martinelli (Il cinema muto italiano), Wikipedia (Italian) and IMDb.
This post was last updated on 1 December 2023.
1 comment:
Hi, found your blog post on Soava Gallone through a google search. Have some photos I need to identify. Found a movie postcard of her along with three other unmarked photos that were hand colored and was wondering if the hand colored photos were of her also or even the same era? Hard for me to be sure, she looks different when she has theatrical makeup and wigs on. Would you be able to help me with identifying the subjects of photos? They look like a young Soava and possibly Carmine Gallone.
Thank you for your time,
Janet
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