Italian postcard by G.B. Falci, Milano, no. unknown. Photo: Fert. Maria Jacobini as Giovanna Landi and Carlo Benetti as Professor Velati in Il richiamo / The Call from the Past (Gennaro Righelli, 1921), scripted by Fausto Maria Martini. A print of this film is in the Komiya Collection at the National Film Center in Tokyo. A restored version was shown at the festival Cinema Ritrovato in 2012.
Italian postcard. Photo: Ambrosio. Ruggero Ruggeri as/in Amleto (Eleuterio Rodolfi, 1917), based on William Shakespeare's 'Hamlet'. Caption: The pantomime at the Court. Hamlet to the Queen: 'How do you like my drama, oh my Lady?' The king and queen can be seen left, on their back while at the centre Hamlet (Ruggeri) and Ophelia (Helena Makowska) look at them. The Queen was played by Mercedes Brignone, the King by Armand Pouget. We already had 7 of the 8 cards of the series on Amleto, but we now found the missing card at the Bologna film fair.
Italian postcard. Photo: Riccardo Bettini, Rome, no. 151. Salvatore Di Giacomo (1860–1934) was an Italian poet, songwriter, playwright, famous for his play 'Assunta Spina'. It appeared first as novella in 1888 and was first staged in Naples in 1909. 'Assunta Spina' was first adapted to film in 1915 by Francesca Bertini and Gustavo Serena, and in 1948 to TV by Eduardo De Filippo, starring Anna Magnani. Di Giacomo was also famous for his poetry in Neapolitan dialect, of which some verses became famous as songs.
Italian postcard by Ed. Vettori, Bologna, no. 400. André Habay aka Andrea Habay (and as Habaj or Kabaj) (1883-1941) was an actor in Italian silent cinema, mainly in modern dramas and divafilms such as Sangue blu (1914) and Rapsodia satanica (1917), but also in epics such as Quo vadis? (1924).
Italian postcard by La Fotorotografica, no. 39. Photo: Unione Cinematografica Italiana (U.C.I.), Roma. Mario Bonnard aka Mario Bonard (1889-1965) was an Italian actor and director, whose career spanned from 1909 to the early 1960s.
Italian postcard by G. Modiano & Co., Milano, no. 23553. Photo: Varischi, Artico & Co. Arturo Falconi and Napoleon Masi. Arturo Falconi (1867–1934) was the elder brother of Armando Falconi. While mainly a stage actor, he starred in 11 silent films in 1916-1918, most of which were directed by Guido Brignone and produced by Volsca films. In the sound era, Arturo Falconi returned to the sets for 8 more film comedies between 1931 and 1934, either as the male lead (Zaganella e il cavaliere, 1932), or as major supporting actor opposite e.g. Germana Paolieri, Carlo Lombardi, and Eduardo De Filippo.
Italian postcard by Ed. Vettori, Bologna, no. 41. Camillo De Riso (1854-1924) was an Italian actor and director of the Italian stage and screen, most famous for his comic acting and directing at the companies Ambrosio, Gloria, and Caesar.
Italian postcard by Ed. Vettori, Bologna. Photo: Badodi, Milano. Fernanda Fassy aka Fernanda Fassi (1898-?) was an Italian actress who peaked in Italian silent cinema between 1916 and 1921, first at Pasquali and later on at companies such as Medusa Film and Chimera Film.
American postcard by A.G.F. Photo: Photocine. Letizia Quaranta (1892–1977) was an Italian actress, who peaked in the silent era, working for the Turinese companies Itala, Gloria, and Ambrosio, and for the company of her husband, director Carlo Campogalliani.
Italian postcard by G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: La Fotominio, unnumbered. Olga Benetti (?-1958) was an Italian actress who acted in many films of the Roman film companies Cines, Celio and Caesar in the 1910s and early 1920s. She often performed opposite Francesca Bertini, Gustavo Serena and her husband Carlo Benetti (1885-1949).
Italian postcard by Ed. A. Traldi, Milano, 721. Fascinating and enigmatic Pina Menichelli (1890-1984) was the most bizarre Italian diva of the silent era. With her contorted postures and disdainful expression, she impersonated the striking femme fatale at Itala Film. In the early 1920s, she discarded her vamp roles and instead acted in melodramas at Rinascimento Film. She ended her film career as a comédienne.
Italian postcard by La Rotofotografica, no. 79. Photo: Rinascimento Film. We adore Pina!
Italian postcard by ASER (A. Scarmiglia Ed. Roma), no. 256. Clara Calamai in Ettore Fieramosca (Alessandro Blasetti, 1938). Though she acted in many light entertainment films, Clara Calamai's (1909-1998) most famous role will forever be femme fatale Giovanna in Luchino Visconti's steamy (proto-)neorealist film Ossessione (1943).
Italian postcard by Rizzoli, 1942. Photo: Gneme. Oretta Fiume (1919-1994) was an Italian actress who became a star during the Fascist era after winning a competition.
Italian postcard by Scalera Film, printed by Civicchioni. Caricature: Za. Handsome Italian actor and director Rossano Brazzi (1916-1994) personified the Latin Lover and romantic aristocrat in such Hollywood classics as Three Coins in a Fountain (1954), Summertime (1955) and South Pacific (1958), but he also starred in many European productions. In his 55-year career, he did over 100 films, mainly in Italy and France, but also in Germany, Spain, Great Britain, Brazil, Argentina, and the US. In Italy, he was also a hugely popular stage and TV actor, and an accomplished stage director.
Italian postcard by Scalera Film, printed by Civicchioni. Caricature: Za. Dina Sassoli (1920-2008) was an Italian stage and screen actress, who broke through with I promessi sposi (Mario Camerini 1941).
Italian postcard by B.F.F. Edit., no. 2895. Photo: Dear Film. Alida Valli in La mano dello straniero (Mario Soldati, 1954). The card was mailed by post in 1957. Strikingly beautiful actress Alida Valli (1921-2006) was Italy’s Sweetheart of the early 1940s. She fascinated audiences not only with her flawless porcelain face, her dark, voluptuous hair and her green, expressive eyes, but also with her ability to simultaneously hide and reveal a character's thoughts and emotions. In a career that spanned seven decades, she appeared in more than 110 films, including such classics as The Third Man (1949) and Senso (1954).
Italian postcard by Vetta Traldi in the Divi del cinema series, no 92. Photo: Gabriele Ferzetti (1925-2015) in Le avventure di Giacomo Casanova / The Loves of Casanova (Steno, 1955). Italian actor Gabriele Ferzetti had more than 160 credits to his name across film, television and stage. His career was at its peak in the 1950s and 1960s, when he worked with such directors as Michelangelo Antonioni, Sergio Leone and John Huston.
Ivo Blom and Primo Giroldini at the Cinema Ritrovato Festival 2026. Photo: Paul van Yperen.
Next week, the second 'souvenirs from Bologna' post will follow.
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