Val d'Olivi (1916)

The Italian film studio Ambrosio produced Val d'Olivi/Valley of the Olive Trees (Eleuterio Rodolfi, 1916) to boost the war effort during the First World War. The historical film looked back at the struggles during the liberation and unification of Italy in the 19th century, known as the 'Risorgimento'. The lead actors were Tullio Carminati, Paul Donadio, and Polish singer and actress Helena Makowska, and the film was based on the romantic novel by Anton Giulio Barrili (1873). Ivo Blom acquired the complete original Italian set of 12 postcards made by IPA CP Duplex to promote the film.


Italian postcard by V. Uff. Rev. St., Terni / IPA CT Duplex. no. 1702. Photo: Film Società Anonima Ambrosio Torino. Postcard for the Italian historical propaganda film Val d'Olivi (Eleuterio Rodolfi, 1916). Caption: The duchess d'Andrate (Helena Makowska) and Don Flavio Delaiti (Tullio Carminati).


Italian postcard by V. Uff. Rev. St., Terni / IPA CT Duplex. no. 1703. Photo: Film Società Anonima Ambrosio Torino. Postcard for Val d'Olivi (Eleuterio Rodolfi, 1916). Caption: The duchess of Andrate (Helena Makowska) disembarks, helped by Emanuele Lanfranco (Paul Donadio). The old man helping her too is Lanfranco's father (Umberto Scalpellini).


Italian postcard by V. Uff. Rev. St., Terni / IPA CT Duplex. no. 1704. Photo: Film Società Anonima Ambrosio Torino. Postcard for Val d'Olivi (Eleuterio Rodolfi, 1916). Caption: Don Flaviano Delaiti (Tullio Carminati) informs himself about the duchess.


Italian postcard by V. Uff. Rev. St., Terni / IPA CT Duplex. no. 1705. Photo: Film Società Anonima Ambrosio Torino. Postcard for Val d'Olivi (Eleuterio Rodolfi, 1916). Caption: The aristocrat Don Flaviano Delaiti (Tullio Carminati) follows the duchess of Andrate (Helena Makowska). Carminati stands in the back. Left of Makowska we see Umberto Scalpellini as the old naval captain Lanfranco and right of her Paul Donadio as Emanuele Lanfranco.


Italian postcard by V. Uff. Rev. St., Terni / IPA CT Duplex. no. 1706. Photo: Film Società Anonima Ambrosio Torino. Postcard for Val d'Olivi (Eleuterio Rodolfi, 1916). Caption: Flaviano Delaiti (Tullio Carmminati) delivers the duchess (Helena Makowska) the arrow found by Emanuele Lanfranco (Paul Donadio).


Italian postcard by V. Uff. Rev. St., Terni / IPA CT Duplex. no. 1707. Photo: Film Società Anonima Ambrosio Torino. Postcard for Val d'Olivi (Eleuterio Rodolfi, 1916). Caption: Garibaldi returns from his island, acclaimed by the populace.

A difficult adaptation of a romantic, sentimental novel

The author of 'Val d'Olivi', the Italian novelist and journalist Anton Giulio Barrili (1836-1908), was a volunteer in the campaign of 1859 and served with Garibaldi in 1866 and 1867. From 1865 onwards he published a large number of books of fiction, which had wide popularity.

Some of the best of his later novels are 'Santa Cecilia' (1866), 'Come un Sogno' (1875), and 'L’Olmo e l'Edera' (1877). Barrili also wrote two plays and various volumes of criticism, including 'Il rinnovamento letterario italiano' (1890). He was elected to the Italian chamber of deputies in 1876; and in 1889 became professor of Italian literature at Genoa.

Barrili's 'Val d'Olivi' appeared in 1873. Arrigo Frusta turned the novel into a film script for Ambrosio. Dawn of 28 February 1867, the gentleman Flaviano Delaiti returns from a trip to France to Liguria, but his coach is overthrown. On foot, he arrives at Noli, where he sees a boat landing. Among the people descending is Donna Giulia, whom he courted in vain in Milan in his younger years. She married but her husband, an unworthy man, died.

Hoping to rekindle the old flame and the gaiety of their old times in Milan, Flaviano starts courting Giulia again, but she prefers another man, the timid Emanuele, nephew of Captain Lanfranco. Emotions are cooked up, and finally, the two men declare each other their love for the same woman. A duel is pending. But Giulia rejects Flaviano and when Emanuele manages to declare her his love, she remains silent.

So both men leave for war when Garibaldi from Caprera raises his call for volunteers to free Italy. The two rivals in love meet again in Garibaldi's army., which crosses the border of the Papal State and heads for Rome. At last, Giulia recognises her love for Emanuele, and with his uncle she searches for him at the battlefield. Severely wounded, Emanuele forgets his pains in the arms of his beloved.

While Garibaldi's army is standing before Rome, Flaviano is shot and dies. His last thoughts are for his beloved Giulia. "Thus Flaviano Delaiti died, eight months after his trip to France and his return to Liguria." Val d'Olivi, directed by Eleuterio Rodolfi, premiered in Rome on 3 May 1916, during the First World War.

The press was mixed about the film. Fandor, in the Roman journal Il Tirso al Cinematografo (7.5.1916) lauded what must have been a difficult adaptation of the romantic, sentimental novel and praised Rodolfi's balanced and restrained direction. Fandor also praised Carminati's acting, and while judging Makowska's acting cold, it was still promising and foretold a future career.

Instead, Pier da Castello in La Vita Cinematografica (7/ 15.5.1916), by the way a journal based in Ambrosio's hometown Turin, judged the adaptation too schematic and missing the finesses of the novel. While mise-en-scene and cinematography were praised, among the actors Carminati stood out, while Makowska, even if physically beautiful, was felt lifeless.


Italian postcard by V. Uff. Rev. St., Terni / IPA CT Duplex. no. 1708. Photo: Film Società Anonima Ambrosio Torino. Postcard for Val d'Olivi (Eleuterio Rodolfi, 1916). Caption: Captain Delaiti (Tullio Carminati) recognises his rival Emanuele Lanfranco (Paul Donadio) among the volunteers.


Italian postcard by V. Uff. Rev. St., Terni / IPA CT Duplex. no. 1709. Photo: Film Società Anonima Ambrosio Torino. Postcard for Val d'Olivi (Eleuterio Rodolfi, 1916). Caption: Garibaldi on his island, guarded by rigorous [enemy] battleships.


Italian postcard by V. Uff. Rev. St., Terni / IPA CT Duplex. no. 1710. Photo: Film Società Anonima Ambrosio Torino. Postcard for Val d'Olivi (Eleuterio Rodolfi, 1916). Caption: The volunteers have a break before passing the border of the Papal State.


Italian postcard by V. Uff. Rev. St., Terni / IPA CT Duplex. no. 1711. Photo: Film Società Anonima Ambrosio Torino. Postcard for Val d'Olivi (Eleuterio Rodolfi, 1916). Caption: Don Flaviano Delaiti (Tullio Carminati) falls at Monterotondo.


Italian postcard by V. Uff. Rev. St., Terni / IPA CT Duplex. no. 1712. Photo: Film Società Anonima Ambrosio Torino. Postcard for Val d'Olivi (Eleuterio Rodolfi, 1916). Caption: The duchess of Andrate (Helena Makowska) and Captain Lanfranco (Umberto Scalpellini) assist the wounded Emmanuele (Paul Donadio).


Italian postcard by V. Uff. Rev. St., Terni / IPA CT Duplex. no. 1713. Photo: Film Società Anonima Ambrosio Torino. Postcard for Val d'Olivi (Eleuterio Rodolfi, 1916). Caption: Caught! The actress in the back is Helena Makowska, the man may be Vittorio Rossi-Pianelli.

Sources: Vittorio Martinelli (Il cinema muto italiano, Vol. 1918), Wikipedia (Italian), and IMDb. The plot description is from the Italian-written brochure of the film, kindly shown to us by the Museo Nazionale del Cinema, Turin.