The Spanish chocolaterie Amatller Marca Luna chocolate published this series of postcards of the Italian film Il processo Clémenceau/The Clemenceau Affair (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917), starring Francesca Bertini. In Spain the film was released as El proceso Clemenceau. The young Vittorio De Sica made his film debut in the production.
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 1. Photo: Caesar Film. A young Vittorio De Sica in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917). In the film, this scene is mirrored. Young Pierre Clemenceau tells his mother he has won the first prize and may start working at the sculptor studio of the father of his friend Costantino.
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 6. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini and Gustavo Serena in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 7. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 8. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini and Gustavo Serena in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 9. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
In Il processo Clémenceau/The Clemenceau Affair (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917), the sculptor Pierre Clemenceau (Gustavo Serena), imprisoned and waiting for his trial, writes why he killed his wife, played by diva Francesca Bertini.
As a young man of poor descent (Vittorio De Sica), he is fortunate to start training with the acclaimed sculptor Ritz, father of his school friend Costantino.
Years after, he has become a sculptor himself and meets the young impoverished Polish countess Iza Dobronowska (Francesca Bertini), who models for him for a bust. They fall in love and are betrothed, but Iza's scheming and gold-digging aunt Mathilde (Nella Montagna) has also awakened Iza's lust for money and luxury.
The aunt takes Iza away from Pierre to Poland, in order to get hold of their family patrimony. In Poland, Mathilde connects Iza with a young prince, Sergio (Lido Manetti a.k.a. Arnold Kent), who indebts himself for the two women. His father finds out and takes action: he exiles his son to the Caucasus and denounces the two women, who lose everything.
Iza writes a letter of pardon to Pierre and asks him to take her away, which he does. He takes her to Paris and marries her. They also get a child. Mathilde hasn't given up and comes to Paris with Sergio, who has fled from the Caucasus. Iza is once more dazzled and cheated by their highlife and abandons Pierre a second time.
An additional complication is the middle-class morality of Pierre's mother which disgusts Iza. The mother dies of an attack before she can tell Pierre about his wife's adultery and behaviour. But when he finds Iza's bust at Sergio's place, he destroys the bust representing her and defies Sergio to a duel, killing him.
Pierre's best friend Costantino (played by director Alfredo De Antoni himself) meets Iza in a restaurant and is abhorred by her behaviour, but in the end, she knows she can seduce any man. Pierre stops working and retreats to Rome. When Pierre meets her time after, Iza is repenting and longs for her lost child. They have one last night of love, after which he kills her in a blind rage, unable to cope with her behaviour and not believing in her moral contrition. So the artist creates but also destroys both his artwork and the model.
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 10. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini, Nella Montagna and Gustavo Serena in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 11. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini and Gustavo Serena in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 13. Photo: Caesar Film. Lido Manetti and Francesca Bertini in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 14. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 16. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Il processo Clémenceau/The Clemenceau Affair (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917) was based on a play by Alexandre Dumas fils, L'affaire Clémenceau (1866), and scripted by director Alfredo De Antoni and Giuseppe Paolo Pacchierotti.
The cinematography was by Alberto Carta, and the sets were created by Alfredo Manzi. The film was produced by Caesar Film.
While the Roman press was extremely positive about the story and Bertini's interpretation, the Turinese press was more critical about the complicated storyline and the actors' performances but had to admit that the audience was so massive that on a Sunday, two weeks after the premiere, the armed forces had to assist when thousands could not get a place anymore.
A positive nitrate print of the film was found at the Filmoteca de la Generalitat de Valencia and restored by the Cineteca del Comune di Bologna. Clips from the film were used in the Dutch film Diva dolorosa (1999) by Peter Delpeut.
In 1993, Il processo Clémenceau/The Clemenceau Affair (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917) was restaurated by the Cineteca di Bologna. You can see the full film at YouTube.
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 17. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 18. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 19. Photo: Caesar Film. Alfredo de Antoni and Francesca Bertini in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 20. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 21. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 22. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini and Gustavo Serena in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 23. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini and Gustavo Serena in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 24. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini and Gustavo Serena in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Sources: Vittorio Martinelli (Il cinema muto italiano 1917 - Italian), Ivo Blom (Film and Media Studies 7, 2013), Wikipedia and IMDb.
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 1. Photo: Caesar Film. A young Vittorio De Sica in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917). In the film, this scene is mirrored. Young Pierre Clemenceau tells his mother he has won the first prize and may start working at the sculptor studio of the father of his friend Costantino.
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 6. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini and Gustavo Serena in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 7. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 8. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini and Gustavo Serena in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 9. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Why he killed his wife
In Il processo Clémenceau/The Clemenceau Affair (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917), the sculptor Pierre Clemenceau (Gustavo Serena), imprisoned and waiting for his trial, writes why he killed his wife, played by diva Francesca Bertini.
As a young man of poor descent (Vittorio De Sica), he is fortunate to start training with the acclaimed sculptor Ritz, father of his school friend Costantino.
Years after, he has become a sculptor himself and meets the young impoverished Polish countess Iza Dobronowska (Francesca Bertini), who models for him for a bust. They fall in love and are betrothed, but Iza's scheming and gold-digging aunt Mathilde (Nella Montagna) has also awakened Iza's lust for money and luxury.
The aunt takes Iza away from Pierre to Poland, in order to get hold of their family patrimony. In Poland, Mathilde connects Iza with a young prince, Sergio (Lido Manetti a.k.a. Arnold Kent), who indebts himself for the two women. His father finds out and takes action: he exiles his son to the Caucasus and denounces the two women, who lose everything.
Iza writes a letter of pardon to Pierre and asks him to take her away, which he does. He takes her to Paris and marries her. They also get a child. Mathilde hasn't given up and comes to Paris with Sergio, who has fled from the Caucasus. Iza is once more dazzled and cheated by their highlife and abandons Pierre a second time.
An additional complication is the middle-class morality of Pierre's mother which disgusts Iza. The mother dies of an attack before she can tell Pierre about his wife's adultery and behaviour. But when he finds Iza's bust at Sergio's place, he destroys the bust representing her and defies Sergio to a duel, killing him.
Pierre's best friend Costantino (played by director Alfredo De Antoni himself) meets Iza in a restaurant and is abhorred by her behaviour, but in the end, she knows she can seduce any man. Pierre stops working and retreats to Rome. When Pierre meets her time after, Iza is repenting and longs for her lost child. They have one last night of love, after which he kills her in a blind rage, unable to cope with her behaviour and not believing in her moral contrition. So the artist creates but also destroys both his artwork and the model.
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 10. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini, Nella Montagna and Gustavo Serena in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 11. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini and Gustavo Serena in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 13. Photo: Caesar Film. Lido Manetti and Francesca Bertini in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 14. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 16. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
A massive audience
Il processo Clémenceau/The Clemenceau Affair (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917) was based on a play by Alexandre Dumas fils, L'affaire Clémenceau (1866), and scripted by director Alfredo De Antoni and Giuseppe Paolo Pacchierotti.
The cinematography was by Alberto Carta, and the sets were created by Alfredo Manzi. The film was produced by Caesar Film.
While the Roman press was extremely positive about the story and Bertini's interpretation, the Turinese press was more critical about the complicated storyline and the actors' performances but had to admit that the audience was so massive that on a Sunday, two weeks after the premiere, the armed forces had to assist when thousands could not get a place anymore.
A positive nitrate print of the film was found at the Filmoteca de la Generalitat de Valencia and restored by the Cineteca del Comune di Bologna. Clips from the film were used in the Dutch film Diva dolorosa (1999) by Peter Delpeut.
In 1993, Il processo Clémenceau/The Clemenceau Affair (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917) was restaurated by the Cineteca di Bologna. You can see the full film at YouTube.
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 17. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 18. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 19. Photo: Caesar Film. Alfredo de Antoni and Francesca Bertini in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 20. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 21. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 22. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini and Gustavo Serena in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 23. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini and Gustavo Serena in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Spanish postcard by Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, Series 2a, no. 24. Photo: Caesar Film. Francesca Bertini and Gustavo Serena in Il processo Clémenceau (Alfredo De Antoni, 1917).
Sources: Vittorio Martinelli (Il cinema muto italiano 1917 - Italian), Ivo Blom (Film and Media Studies 7, 2013), Wikipedia and IMDb.
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