Mickey Rooney

American film actor Mickey Rooney (1920-2014) had one of the longest careers in cinematic history. As a child, he first appeared on film in 1926, and he made his last appearance in 2014. As a teenager, Rooney was a superstar playing Andy Hardy in a series of 15 films in the 1930s and 1940s that epitomised American family values. With Judy Garland, he became a successful song-and-dance team. Rooney's breakthrough role as a dramatic actor came in Boys Town (1938) opposite Spencer Tracy as Father Flanagan. The popularity of his films made Rooney the biggest box-office draw in 1939, 1940 and 1941.


British postcard in the Film Partners Series, London, no. PC 279. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.


British postcard in the Picturegoer Series, London, no. 902a. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.


Yugoslav postcard by St. Rugli, Zagreb. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. < b>Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney in Boys Town (Norman Taurog, 1938).


British postcard in the Film Partners Series, London, no. PC 302. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Mickey Rooney and Ann Rutherford in Love Finds Andy Hardy (George B. Seitz, 1938).


British postcard in the Picturegoer Series, London, no. 1281. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Publicity still for Love Finds Andy Hardy (George B. Seitz, 1938) with Ann Rutherford, Judy Garland and Lana Turner.


British postcard in the Colourgraph Series, London, no. C 327. Photo: Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Mickey Rooney in Out West with the Hardys (George B. Seitz, 1938).


Italian postcard by B.F.F. Edit., no 2259. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

The popular all-American teenager

Mickey Rooney was born Joe Yule Jr. in 1920 in Brooklyn, New York. He was the son of Scottish-born vaudevillian/actor Joe Yule and Missouri-born Nell Ruth (née Carter) Pankey. Mickey first took the stage in his parents' vaudeville act at 17 months old, wearing a specially tailored tuxedo. His parents divorced in 1923, when Mickey was three years old.

In 1925, Mickey came to Hollywood to audition as one of Hal Roach's Rascals for the Our Gang series, but Mickey's mother declined over a salary dispute. Mickey then made his first film appearance in the short silent comedy Not to Be Trusted (Tom Buckingham, 1926), when he was four years old. He played the character Mickey McGuire for the first time in the bubbly comedy Orchids and Ermine (Alfred Santell, 1927) with Colleen Moore. The following year, he played the lead in the first Mickey McGuire short film, Mickey's Circus (Albert Herman, 1927). It was in this popular film series that he took the stage name Mickey Rooney.

Rooney reached new heights with A Family Affair (George B. Seitz, 1937) with Lionel Barrymore, the film that introduced the country to Andy Hardy, the popular all-American teenager. This beloved character appeared in nearly 20 films and helped make Rooney the top box-office star in 1939, 1940 and 1941. Rooney also proved himself an excellent dramatic actor as a delinquent in Boys Town (Norman Taurog, 1938), starring Spencer Tracy as Father Edward Flanagan, an advocate of child rights. In 1938, Rooney was awarded a Juvenile Academy Award.

Teaming up with Judy Garland, Rooney also appeared in a string of musicals, including Babes in Arms (Busby Berkeley, 1939) the first teenager to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in a leading role, Strike Up the Band (Busby Berkeley, 1940), Babes on Broadway (Busby Berkeley, 1941), and Girl Crazy (Norman Taurog, Busby Berkeley, 1943). He and Garland immediately became best of friends. He also appeared with Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet (Clarence Brown, 1944).

During World War II, Mickey Rooney served 21 months in the U.S. Army, five of them with the Third Army of Gen. George S. Patton. He attained the rank of sergeant and won a Bronze Star, among other decorations. Rooney helped to entertain the troops and worked on the American Armed Forces Network. He returned to Hollywood and starred in Love Laughs at Andy Hardy (Willis Goldbeck, 1946), did a remake of the James Cagney film The Crowd Roars (Howard Hawks, 1932) called Killer McCoy (Roy Rowland, 1947) and portrayed composer Lorenz Hart in the musical Words and Music (Norman Taurog, 1948).


British postcard in the Picturegoer Series, London, no. 902. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.


British postcard in the Picturegoer Series, London, no. 902c. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.


British postcard in the Picturegoer Series, London, no. 1280. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Publicity still for Love Finds Andy Hardy (George B. Seitz, 1938) with (back row) Cecilia Parker, Ann Rutherford, Judy Garland, Gene Reynolds, Lana Turner and (front row) Mary Howard, Lewis Stone, Fay Holden and Mickey Rooney.


Postcard from the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney in Babes in Arms (Busby Berkeley, 1939). Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Collection: Marlene Pilaete.


Spanish postcard, series 4021, no. 40. Mickey Rooney in Young Tom Edison (Norman Taurog, 1940). Sent by mail in 1945.


Dutch postcard by J.S.A. Photo: M.G.M. / M.P.E.


Belgian postcard, no. 61. Photo: M.G.M. Mickey Rooney and Esther Williams in Andy Hardy's Double Life (1942).


Belgian collector card by Kwatta, Bois d'Haine, no. C. 172. Photo: MGM. Publicity still for Summer Holiday (Rouben Mamoulian, 1948) with Gloria DeHaven.

One of Hollywood's most enduring stars

Mickey Rooney appeared in Andy Hardy Comes Home (Howard W. Koch, 1958), together with his son Teddy Rooney portraying Andy Hardy Jr. Andy Hardy, now a grown man with a wife and children, returns to his hometown on a business trip and finds himself getting mixed up in local politics. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Rooney did a nightclub comedy act with comic Joey Forman. He also appeared in Breakfast at Tiffany's (Blake Edwards, 1961), starring Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. Rooney played Hepburn's Japanese neighbour, Mr. Yunioshi. A sign of the times, Rooney played the part for comic relief, which he later regretted, feeling the role was offensive. He once again showed his incredible range in the dramatic role of a boxing trainer with Anthony Quinn and Jackie Gleason in Requiem for a Heavyweight (Ralph Nelson, 1962). He followed it up with the comedy It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (Stanley Kramer, 1963), starring Spencer Tracy.

Rooney regularly worked in European productions, such as the Italian comedy L'arcidiavolo (Ettore Scola, 1966) with Vittorio Gassman, British crime comedy Pulp (Mike Hodges, 1972) with Michael Caine, and the Spanish thriller Juego sucio en Panamá/Ace of Hearts (Tulio Demicheli, 1975). In the late 1960s and 1970s, Rooney showed audiences and critics alike why he was one of Hollywood's most enduring stars. He gave an impressive performance in Francis Ford Coppola's The Black Stallion (Carroll Ballard, 1979), which brought him an Academy Award nomination as Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He also turned to the stage in 1979 in Sugar Babies with Ann Miller, and was nominated for a Tony Award. During that time, he also portrayed the Wizard in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz with Eartha Kitt at New York's Madison Square Garden, which also had a successful national run.

Rooney appeared in four television series: The Mickey Rooney Show (1954-1955), a comedy sitcom in 1964 with Sammee Tong called Mickey, One of the Boys (1982) with Dana Carvey and Nathan Lane, and The Adventures of Black Stallion (1990-1993). In 1981, Rooney won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of a mentally challenged man in Bill (Anthony Page, 1981). The critical acclaim continued to flow for the veteran performer, with Rooney receiving an honorary Academy Award.

Later, he also appeared in such films as Erik the Viking (Terry Jones, 1989) with Tim Robbins, Night at the Museum (Shawn Levy, 2006) with Ben Stiller and The Muppets (James Bobin, 2011) with Amy Adams. Rooney's personal life, including his frequent trips to the altar, has proved to be just as epic as his on-screen performances. His first wife was one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood, actress Ava Gardner, but his final marriage to Jan Rooney was longer than those of all his other seven wives combined.

In 2012, when he permanently and legally separated from his eighth wife, Rooney chose to permanently reside with his stepson Mark Rooney and Mark's wife, Charlene Rooney. They moved to the Hollywood Hills for him. After his death, his eight surviving children said in a statement that they were barred from seeing Rooney during his final years. Mickey Rooney passed away in 2014 in North Hollywood, Los Angeles. The 93-year-old had at least three future projects that he was going to perform in. His acting career had lasted for 89 years, and Rooney's 339 film credits span ten consecutive decades: 1920s-2010s. He is interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, CA.


Belgian postcard by Victoria, Brussels, no. 639. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.


Spanish postcard by Sobe, no. 137. Sent by mail in 1946.


American postcard. Photo: MGM (Metro Goldwyn Mayer).


Dutch postcard by 't Sticht, Utrecht, no. 3201. Photo: MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer).


Dutch postcard by Uitgeverij J. Sleeding N.V., Amsterdam, no. S 94. Photo: MGM.


Italian postcard by Rotalfoto, Milano, no. 28. Photo: MGM.


American postcard. Caption: Mickey Rooney, Then and Now.


Dutch postcard by Gebr. Spanjersberg, Rotterdam / Antwerpen, no. C. Photo: Televideo-Holland B.V., Naarden / Lassie Television Inc., 1979. Mike Mazurki, Lassie and Mickey Rooney in The Magic of Lassie (Don Chaffey, 1978).

Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb.

Romain Durys

Handsome and charming French actor Romain Duris (1974) is known for his role in Cédric Klapisch's Spanish Apartment trilogy, which consists of L'Auberge Espagnole (2002), Les Poupées russes / Russian Dolls (2005), and Casse-tête chinois / Chinese Puzzle (2013). He also acted in such acclaimed films as Tony Gatlif's Gadjo dilo / The Crazy Stranger (1997), Patrice Chéreau's Persécution (2009), François Ozon's Une nouvelle amie / The New Girlfriend (2014), and Ridley Scott's All the Money in the World (2017). His accolades include six César nominations.


French postcard by Éditions LMP, no. SH 018. Photo: Studio Harcourt, Paris, 1999.


Dutch poster freecard by John v/d Burg Indoor Media BV. Image: Paradiso. Poster of Romain Durys in L'auberge espagnole / Pot Luck (Cédric Klapisch, 2002).


Dutch poster postcard by Cinéart. Juliette Binoche, Fabrice Luchini and Romain Duris in Paris (Cedric Klapisch, 2008).

The Spanish Apartment Trilogy

Romain Duris was born in Paris in 1974. His father is an engineer-architect and his mother a dancer. His sister, pianist Caroline Duris, played on the soundtrack of the film De battre mon cœur s'est arrêté / The Beat That My Heart Skipped (Jacques Audiard, 2005), in which he acted.

Duris studied applied arts, first at ELMAD Auguste Renoir and then at the Duperré school from 1993 to January 1995, but dropped out to pursue a music career. He formed an acid-jazz band in which he was a drummer. In 1995, he was featured in a pop video for singer Princess Erika, 'Faut qu'j'travaille' (I Need To Work), where he played the role of a young delinquent robbing gas stations.

In 1993, 19-year-old Duris was noticed by a casting director who saw him waiting in a queue. After an open casting call, he made his film debut in Le péril jeune / The Good Old Daze (Cédric Klapisch, 1994). It was a great success, and he became one of director Cédric Klapisch's favourite actors. In the following years, he specialised in playing rebellious or marginalised youths, much like his role in Le Péril jeune. He became known as French exchange student Xavier Rousseau in Klapisch's popular Spanish Apartment Trilogy: L'Auberge Espagnole / Pot Luck (2002), Les Poupées russes / The Russian Dolls (2005) and Casse-tête chinois / Chinese Puzzle (2013). He also appeared in Klapisch's drama Chacun cherche son chat / When the Cat's Away (Cédric Klapisch, 1996), about a young woman living near the Bastille, who has lost her cat.

Romain Duris received his first nomination for a César Award for Most Promising Actor for the French-Romanian film Gadjo dilo / The Crazy Stranger (Tony Gatlif, 1997). He played a Young Romani, Gatjo. Most of the film was shot at the village of Crețulești, some kilometres from Bucharest, and some of the actors are local Romani people. He has since gone on to become a major star in the French film industry, and his roles ranged from gangsters, as in Dobermann (Jan Kounen, 1997), to action heroes as in Arsène Lupin (Jean-Paul Salomé, 2004). In 1998, he reunited with Tony Gatlif for Je suis né d'une cigogne, and then again with Cédric Klapisch for Peut-être / Perhaps, which garnered him a second César nomination for Most Promising Actor.

His first nomination for the César Award for Best Actor was for De battre mon cœur s'est arrêté / The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005), by Jacques Audiard. Duris gained international recognition for this performance and won the Lumière Award for Best Actor. He reunited with Cédric Klapisch for the French comedy-drama Paris (2008), an uneven but often striking multicharacter mosaic which depicts the stories of a diverse group of people living in Paris. He also starred in the romantic drama Persécution (Patrice Chéreau, 2009) with Charlotte Gainsbourg and Jean-Hugues Anglade. It premiered at the 66th Venice International Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Golden Lion.


French postcard by Télérama. Photo: Jérôme Bonnet. Louis Garrel and Romain Duris in Dans Paris / Inside Paris (Christophe Honoré, 2006).


French postcard by Télérama. Photo: Patrick Swirc. Romain Duris, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Patrice Chéreau in Persécution (Patrice Chéreau, 2009).

Ever-charming heartbreaker

Romain Duris became a major star in French cinema with his romantic lead in the successful and critically acclaimed romantic comedy L'Arnacoeur / Heartbreaker (Patrick Chaumeil, 2010). Rotten Tomatoes: " While definitely on the fluffier side of French comedy, Heartbreaker benefits from never taking itself too seriously – and from the performance of the ever-charming Romain Duris." Another critical success was his leading role in the psychological thriller L'Homme qui voulait vivre sa vie / The Big Picture (Éric Lartigau, 2010), also with Niels Arestrup and Catherine Deneuve. The story is adapted from the 1997 novel 'The Big Picture' by Douglas Kennedy.

Also interesting was L'écume des jours / Mood Indigo (Michel Gondry, 2013) with Audrey Tautou and Omar Sy. It is an adaptation of Boris Vian's surrealistic romantic novel. He had a supporting role as a kidnapper in the international crime thriller All the Money in the World (Ridley Scott, 2017), based on John Pearson's 1995 book 'Painfully Rich: The Outrageous Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Heirs of J. Paul Getty'. The film depicts the events surrounding the 1973 kidnapping of John Paul Getty III and the refusal of his grandfather, the multi-billionaire oil tycoon J. Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer), to cooperate with the kidnappers' extortion demands.

Duris was again nominated for the César for Best Actor for his role in the French erotic drama Une nouvelle amie / The New Girlfriend (2014), written and directed by François Ozon, based on the short story of the same name by Ruth Rendell. Alan Zilberman at Roger Ebert.com: "The New Girlfriend is told from the perspective of a woman who observes the transition in someone else. Anaïs Demoustier stars as Claire, a woman who has deep concern for David (Romain Duris) after his wife—and Claire’s best friend—dies suddenly. Visiting his home one afternoon, Claire sees David in women’s clothing. Soon, David starts living as Virginia, her secret known only to Claire, and their relationship grows more intense and more sexual. (...) As David/Virginia, Duris is compelling because defiance ultimately defines his role. It also requires more depth, since Virginia has a child and must reconcile her new gender identity with parenthood. Demoustier and Duris have surprising chemistry—we want them together long before they do." His next César nomination was for the Belgian-French comedy-drama Nos batailles / Our Struggles (Guillaume Senez, 2018).

The 2020s marked a new beginning in Romain Duris's career. The actor made a strong comeback at the box office. He played inventor Gustave Eiffel in the semi-biographical romance Eiffel (Martin Bourboulon, 2020), which focuses on the construction of the Eiffel Tower. H The film was controversial due to the romance between Duris's historical character and Emma Mackey's, the age difference between the two actors, and internal discussions between screenwriter Caroline Bongrand and the director. Upon its theatrical release, Eiffel received mixed reviews but reached number one at the French box office. Another blockbuster was Les Trois Mousquetaires: D'Artagnan / The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan (Martin Bourboulon, 2023) based on Alexandre Dumas's 1844 novel. He played Aramis opposite François Civil, Vincent Cassel, Eva Green and Louis Garrel.

Next year, he can be seen in the upcoming French period thriller Fantômas – Le nouveau monde (Frédéric Tellier, 2027). He plays Inspector Juve who investigates a series of brutal crimes committed by an enigmatic master criminal known as Fantômas... Romain Duris was in a relationship with Élodie Bouchez for approximately five years, following the filming of Le Péril Jeune. Since 2008, he has lived with his actress girlfriend, Olivia Bonamy, near the Bastille in Paris. They have two sons, Luigi (2009) and another son (20213) whose name has not been revealed.


French poster freecard by Cart'Com. Image: Ce qui me meut / Studio Canal. Affiche for L'auberge espagnole / Pot Luck (Cédric Klapisch, 2002), with Romain Duris. Caption: Step into the shoes of Xavier, Wendy, Lars... And you too, experience the Inn!


Swiss postcard by Frenetic.ch. Photo: Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou and Omar Sy in L'écume des jours / Mood Indigo (Michel Gondry, 2013).


Swiss postcard by Frenetic.ch. Photo: Audrey Tautou and Romain Duris in L'écume des jours / Mood Indigo (Michel Gondry, 2013).

Sources: Alan Zilberman (Roger Ebert.com), Rotten Tomatoes, Wikipedia (French and English) and IMDb.

Films Selectos (Part 2)

Last year, on 9 April, EFSP did a post on a collection of leaflets, published between ca. 1930 and 1934 as an appendix by the Spanish weekly Films Selectos. Ivo Blom found some more issues. We love the photographs and the subtle colouring of the stencil coloured leaflets of stars and film scenes, called 'artistic supplements'. Most deal with Hollywood in the early sound era. The picture quality is very good. Here's the second part of our selection of the Suplemento Artistico leaflets by Films selectos.


Spanish leaflet by Films Selectos, Suplemento Artistico, no. 55, 31.10.1931. Photo: Paramount. Rosita Moreno (left) in Gente alegre (Edward Venturini, 1931).

From 1930 on, Spanish actress Rosita Moreno (1907-1993) starred in Spanish-language versions of Hollywood films. That year, she appeared in the Spanish-language version of Paramount on Parade. Among her best-known films are Piernas de seda / Silk Legs (1935), El día que me quieras / The Day You Love Me (1935) and Tango Bar (1935). In the latter two, her co-star was Carlos Gardel, the legendary songbird of Buenos Aires. She also played supporting parts in English language films such as Her Wedding Night (1930) starring Clara Bow, and Ladies Should Listen (1934) opposite Cary Grant. In Great Britain, she made Stamboul (1931) with Warwick Ward. Moreno appeared in more than 30 films in a career that spanned more than 20 years, often travelling through several countries in quick succession. She played her final role in 1949 in an episode of the TV series The Clock, in which she shared leading roles with George Reeves. Little is known about her after that point.


Spanish leaflet by Films Selectos, Suplemento Artistico, no. 60, 5.12.1931. Photo: Inspirational Pictures / United Artists. Set design for Hell's Harbor (Henry King, 1930), starring Lupe Velez and Jean Hersholt. The Spanish film title was El puerto infernal.

Spanish leaflet by Films Selectos, Suplemento Artistico, no. 70, 13.2.1932. Photo: United Artists. John Holland and Una Merkel in The Eyes of the World (Henry King, 1930).

American actor John Holland (1899-1971) began acting in Hollywood films in 1926, billed as Clifford Holland in his earliest appearances. He was known for such films as Summer Bachelors (1926), She Goes to War (1929), Hell Harbor (1930), and Morals for Women (1931).


Spanish leaflet by Films Selectos, Suplemento Artistico, no. N.N., undated. Photo: United Artists. Una Merkel in The Eyes of the World (Henry King, 1930).

Una Merkel (1903–1986) was an American stage, film, radio, and television actress. She often played the wisecracking best friend of the heroine. She had one of her most famous appearances in the Western comedy Destry Rides Again (1939), in which she delivered a 'catfight' with Marlene Dietrich.


Spanish leaflet by Films Selectos, Suplemento Artistico, no. 153, 16.9.33. Photo: United Artists. Mary Pickford in her last film, Secrets (Frank Borzage, 1933).

Mary Pickford (1892-1979) was a legendary silent film actress and was known as 'America’s sweetheart.' She was a founder of United Artists and helped establish the Academy.


Spanish leaflet by Films Selectos, Suplemento Artistico, no. 158, 21.10.33. Photo: MGM. Fredric March and Norma Shearer in Smilin' Through (Sidney Franklin, 1932). The Spanish title was La llama eterna (The Eternal Flame), which refers to a film with another Norma, The Eternal Flame (1922) with Norma Talmadge.

American actress Norma Shearer (1902-1983) was the 'First Lady of MGM'. She often played spunky, sexually liberated ingenues and was the first person to be nominated five times for an Academy Award for acting. Shearer won the Best Actress Oscar for The Divorcee (1930).

Fredric March (1897-1975) played for a few years in stock, and, when talkies came in 1928, he was offered a part in The Dummy (Robert Milton, 1929). His performances grew steadily in dramatic appeal, and with his send-up of John Barrymore in The Royal Family of Broadway (George Cukor, Cyril Gardner, 1930), he became a star. He won the Oscar for Best Actor twice: for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Rouben Mamoulian, 1931) and The Best Years of Our Lives (William Wyler, 1946).


Spanish leaflet by Films Selectos, Suplemento Artistico, no. 170, 13.1.34. Photo: Fox Pictures.

American actress Sally Eilers (1908–1978) was a popular Hollywood star in the early 1930s. She was tagged 'the most beautiful girl in movies'.


Spanish leaflet by Films Selectos, Suplemento Artistico, no. 174, 10.2.1934. Photo: Paramount.

Sylvia Sidney (1910-1999) was an American stage, screen and film actress whose career spanned over 70 years. She rose to prominence in the 1930s in such films as An American Tragedy (1931), Jennie Gerhardt (1933), Alfred Hitchcock's Sabotage (1936), Fritz Lang's Fury (1936), and You Only Live Once (1937). Decades later, she was acclaimed for her role as Juno, a case worker in the afterlife, in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice (1988). She was also Oscar-nominated for Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams (1973).

Check out our earlier Films Selectos post of 9 April 2025.

Alberto Pasquali

Alberto Pasquali (1882–1929) was an Italian stage and screen actor, famous for his religious characters.


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.