Italian postcard, no. 557. Photo: ICSA. Alberto Pasquali in Frate Francesco / Santo Francesco (Giulio Antamoro, 1927), a biopic on the life of St. Francis.
French postcard by J. Mayer, graveur, Paris and Films Primior, Paris. Photo: Cines company of Rome. Alberto Pasquali as Christ, agonising in the gardens of Getsemane in Christus (Giulio Antamoro, Enrico Guazzoni, 1916). Caption: My soul is mortally saddened, so stay here and stay awake with me.
French postcard by Les Films Primior, Paris. Graveur (engraving): J. Meyer, Paris. Photo: Cines. Alberto Pasquali as Jesus and Augusti Mastripietri as Judas in Christus / Christ (Giulio Antamoro, Enrico Guazzoni, Cines 1916). Caption: My friend, you betray the Son of Man by a kiss?
Italian postcard, no. 563. Photo: ICSA. Alberto Pasquali in Frate Francesco / Santo Francesco (Giulio Antamoro, 1927). Caption: Francis renounces all his earthly goods and dedicates himself to God.
Italian postcard by FotoEbany, no. 213. Sent by mail in 1928.
Filming in Egypt amidst the ruins
Alberto Pasquali was born in Turin in 1882. His mother acted in Venetian dialect plays, and Alberto approached the stage at an early age.
Pasquali managed to obtain major parts at the most important stage companies, including those of Ferruccio Garavaglia, Emma Gramatica and Di Lorenzo-Falconi.
He made his film debut in Christus / Christ (1916), directed by Giulio Antamoro but finished by Enrico Guazzoni. Pasquali played the title role. Antamoro went to Egypt to shoot several scenes amidst the ruins, adding even scenes not mentioned in the Bible, in which Christ wanders among the ruins of Luxor, deploring the decay of the world.
Christus / Christ (1916) presents the life of Christ, from the Annunciation to the Transfiguration through a succession of cinematographic tableaux vivants based on famous works, such as the 'Annunciation' by Fra Angelico, 'La Natività' by Correggio, 'The Last Supper' by Leonardo da Vinci, 'The Pieta' by Michelangelo and 'The Transfiguration' by Raphael.
After the success of this film, Pasquali often played Christ and acted in various religious films and plays, like the film Redenzione / Redemption (Carmine Gallone, 1919) starring Diana Karenne as Mary Magdalene. In the USA, he appeared in The Twice Born Woman (Malcolm Strauss, 1921), with Deyha Loti as Mary Magdalene. Moreover, Pasquali played St Frances of Assisi in the biopic Frate Francesco / The Passion of St. Francis (1927), again directed by Giulio Antamoro.
French postcard by Films Primior, Paris / J. Meyer, Paris. Photo: Cines. Alberto Pasquali in Christus/Christ (Giulio Antamoro and, uncredited, Enrico Guazzoni, 1916). Caption: The Flagellation. Bowing to the demands of the people, Pilate flogged Jesus.
French postcard by Les Films Primior, Paris. Graveur (engraving): J. Meyer, Paris. Photo: Cines. Alberto Pasquali in Christus / Christ (Giulio Antamoro, Enrico Guazzoni, 1916). Caption: Let the little children come to me. If you don't resemble these children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Spanish cromo by Chocolat Imperiale, Barcelona, no. 3 of 6 cards. Photo: Dist. Verdaguer / Tiber Film. Diana Karenne and Alberto Pasquali in La peccatrice casta (Diana Karenne, Gennaro Righelli, 1919).
Spanish cromo by Chocolat Imperiale, Barcelona, no. 4 of 6 cards. Photo: Dist. Verdaguer / Tiber Film. Diana Karenne and Alberto Pasquali in La peccatrice casta (Diana Karenne, Gennaro Righelli, 1919).
Spanish cromo by Chocolat Imperiale, Barcelona, no. 5 of 6 cards. Photo: Dist. Verdaguer / Tiber Film. Diana Karenne and Alberto Pasquali in La peccatrice casta (Diana Karenne, Gennaro Righelli, 1919).
Diva films and period pieces
Among Alberto Pasquali's films were many diva films with such stars as Maria Jacobini, Diana Karenne, Helena Makowska, Italia Almirante Manzini, Linda Pini, Elena Sangro and Marcella Albani.
He also appeared in period piece dramas like Leonardo Da Vinci (Giulia Cassini-Rizzotto, Mario Corsi), Il fornaretto di Venezia / The Baker Boy of Venice (Mario Almirante, 1923), an adaptation of the novel 'Il Fornaretto' (1846) by Francesco Dall'Ongaro, and I due Foscari / The Two Foscari (Mario Almirante, 1923).
Pasquali also starred in adventure films like Kiff Tebbi (Mario Camerini, 1928). The film portrayed the Italo-Turkish War and promoted the Italian Fascist regime's imperial policies in Libya and in wider Africa. While privately funded (although the government supported its production), the film foreshadowed future collaborations between the film industry and the Italian state.
Until 1929, Pasquali acted in some 30 films. His last was the German film Anschluß um Mitternacht / Call at Midnight (1929), directed by Mario Bonnard and starring Marcella Albani.
After this role, Alberto Pasquali returned to Italy, where he suddenly died in Milan at the age of 46, on 14 February 1929.
Italian postcard by G.B. Salci, Milano, no. 257. Probably Nini Dinelli as Clemenza Barbo (or Lia Miari as her servant Annella) and Alberto Pasquali as Alvise Guoro, secret lover of the married Clemenza Barbo, in Il fornaretto di Venezia / The Baker Boy of Venice (Mario Almirante, 1923). Caption: Nightly gatherings.
Italian postcard, no. 565. Photo: ICSA. Alberto Pasquali in Frate Francesco / Santo Francesco (Giulio Antamoro, 1927), a biopic on the life of St. Francis. Caption: Frances and a poor man.
Italian postcard, no. 563. Photo: ICSA. Alberto Pasquali and Alfredo Robert in Frate Francesco / Santo Francesco (Giulio Antamoro, 1927), a biopic on the life of St. Francis. Caption: Pietro di Bernardone (Robert) reproaches Frances (Pasquali) for his dissolute life.
Italian postcard, no. 574. Photo: ICSA. Alberto Pasquali in Frate Francesco / Santo Francesco (Giulio Antamoro, 1927). Caption: The Death of God's Little Poor Man.
Sources: Wikipedia (Italian and English) and IMDb.
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