Amleto Novelli

Amleto Novelli (1885-1924) was a famous actor in Italian silent cinema. He appeared in many historical epics and starred with all the divas of Italian film. During the shooting of a film, he suddenly died at only 38.


Italian postcard by Fotocelere, Turin, no. 96.


Spanish postcard by La Novela Semanal Cinematografica, no. 186.


Italian postcard, no. 1069. Photo: publicity still for Madame Tallien / Madame Guillotine (Enrico Guazzoni, Mario Caserini, 1916).


Italian postcard by A. Traldi, Milano, no. 14. Photo: Fontana.


Italian postcard by G.B. Falci, Milano.


Italian postcard. Photo: Civirani, Rome.


Italian postcard by E. Vettori, Bologna, no. 224. Photo: Civirani, Rome.


Italian postcard. Photo: Giulio De Virgiliis, Genova.

Ardent and honest performance

Born in Bologna, Italy, and an orphan at age 12, Amleto Novelli remained home, taking care of his sisters and working as a civil servant until he was 22. Stagestruck Novelli then fled to Rome in 1906 to follow his passion and become a theatre actor. Soon, he was acting amidst young and old stage actors at the Teatro Tiberino. He was soon singled out for his ardent and honest performance, which, despite his lack of classical beauty, hugely attracted audiences. His passion and inflammability would also show when people living from cinema would despise it.

From 1908, he was performing at the Roman company Società Italiana Cines, first in numerous historical shorts such as Marco Visconti (Mario Caserini, 1909) and San Sebastiano / By Order of the Emperor (Enrique Santos, 1911), and contemporary tales such as In pasto ai leoni / The Lion Tamer's Revenge (Enrique Santos, 1912), Il trabocchetto punitore / Fatal Trap Door (1912) with Ermanno Roveri and Emilio Ghione, and La rupe del Malconsiglio / Blow for Blow (1913) with Enna Saredo.

Director Enrico Guazzoni directed him in the short historical films Agrippina (Enrico Guazzoni, 1911) about Agrippina the Younger (Adele Bianchi Azzarili) and Bruto / Brutus (Enrico Guazzoni, 1911). In the latter, he portrayed Marcus Junius Brutus the Younger, one of the assassins of Julius Caesar. Bruto was moderately successful.

When feature films came along, he starred as the virile Italian man in many epics directed by Guazzoni. He played the warm, sincere, and passionate Roman hero Marcus Vinicius in Quo Vadis? (Enrico Guazzoni, 1912-1913) and it became a triumph. The film was based on the 1896 novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz. Wikipedia: "It was arguably the first blockbuster in the history of cinema, with 5,000 extras, lavish sets, and a running time of two hours, setting the standard for 'superspectacles' for decades to come." The Cines production was a major international hit and a personal triumph for Novelli.

So he soon repeated this successful performance as Marc Anthony in Marcantonio e Cleopatra / Antony and Cleopatra (Enrico Guazzoni, 1914) adapted of William Shakespeare's play of the same title, with inspiration also drawn from a poem by Pietro Cossa, and as Julius Caesar in Caio Giulio Cesare / Julius Caesar (Enrico Guazzoni, 1914) with Bruto Castellani and Pina Menichelli. Taking its inspiration from William Shakespeare's 1599 play of the same title, the film portrays the events leading up to the assassination of Julius Caesar. It was produced on an epic scale, including vast sets recreating Ancient Rome and more than 20,000 extras.


Italian postcard by Film Cines, Roma, no. 6572. Photo: Gustavo Serena as Petronius Arbiter and Amleto Novelli as Marcus Vinicius in Quo Vadis? (Enrico Guazzoni, produced 1912, released 1913).


German postcard by BKWI, no. 35. Photo: Marc Anthony (Amleto Novelli), dressed as an Egyptian pharaoh, rejects his wife Octavia (Elsa Lenard) in Marcantonio e Cleopatra (Enrico Guazzoni, 1913).


Italian postcard by IPA CT Duplex, no. 3272. Photo: Films Cines. Lyda Borelli as Terese de Fontenay / Madame Tallien, and Amleto Novelli as Tallien in Madame Tallien (Enrico Guazzoni, 1916).


Italian postcard by Ed. Vettori, Bologna. Photo: Lyda Borelli and Amleto Novelli in Madame Tallien (Enrico Guazzoni, 1916).


Italian postcard by IPA CT Duplex. Photo: Film Cines. Lyda Borelli and Amleto Novelli in Malombra (Carmine Gallone, 1917). Caption: I don't know anything, I remember nothing. I never lived, never apart from now. I knew only you would come, this moment. I have the frenzy to enjoy it.


Italian postcard by IPA CT Duplex. Photo: Film Cines. Lyda Borelli and Amleto Novelli in Malombra (Carmine Gallone, 1917). Caption: ...at that moment she felt her waist held by the powerful hands of Silla, who lifted her back up the stairs.


Italian postcard by IPA CT Duplex. Photo: Film Cines. Lyda Borelli and Amleto Novelli in Malombra (Carmine Gallone, 1917). Caption: Here, she said, signing him to sit down on the ground next to her. All your memories...


Spanish postcard for Amatller Marca Luna chocolate, series 8, no. 7. Photo: Palatino Film. Augusto Mastripietri and Amleto Novelli in Fabiola (Enrico Guazzoni, 1918).

Male antagonist of the divas

Amleto Novelli also had a large share in the diva films as the male antagonist of Lyda Borelli in drama Marcia nuziale/The Wedding March (Carmine Gallone, 1915), Madame Tallien / Madame Guillotine (Enrico Guazzoni, Mario Caserini, 1916) and Malombra (Carmine Gallone, 1916), an adaptation of the 1881 novel Malombra by Antonio Fogazzaro.

With Pina Menichelli, he co-starred in Papà (Nino Oxilia, 1915) and Il padrone delle ferriere / The Railway Owner (Eugenio Perego, 1919), and with Francesca Bertini in Spiritismo (Camillo De Riso, 1919), La piovra / The Octopus (Edoardo Bencivenga, 1919) and L'ombra / The Shadow (Roberto Roberti, 1920).

He was the leading man of Soava Gallone in Avatar / The Magician (Carmine Gallone, 1916) and La chiamavano 'Cosetta' (Eugenio Perego, 1917), and of Maria Jacobini in La casa di vetro / The Glass House (Gennaro Righelli, 1920) and La preda / The Prey (Guglielmo Zorzi, 1921). Other divas with whom he worked were Italia Almirante and Diana Karenne.

Novelli continued to act in historical epics as well. These included Christus (Giuseppe Antamoro 1915), Fabiola (Enrico Guazzoni, 1918) featuring Elena Sangro, La Gerusalemme liberata / The Crusaders (Enrico Guazzoni, 1918) with Elena Sangro, Dante nella vita e nei tempi suoi (Domenico Gaido, 1922), and Il fornaretto di Venezia (Mario Almirante, 1923).

During the shooting of La casa dei pulcini in Turin (Mario Camerini, 1924) in Turin, Novelli suddenly died. He was only 38. The cause was encephalitis, a sudden-onset inflammation of the brain. Novelli was married to Adalgisa Orlandini. Post mortem, nine (!) films with him were released, including the historical epics La congiura di San Marco (Domenico Gaido, 1924), a sequel to Il ponte dei sospiri (1921), and Marco Visconti (Aldo De Benedetti, 1925), a remake of his 1909 film. Amleto Novelli had played in over 100 Italian silent films. In his study 'Muscoli e Frac' (Muscles and Tails), Italian film historian Denis Lotti is surprised that there is no monography on Novelli. Even though his name pops up in every film historiography.


Italian postcard by Ed. G. Vettori, Bologna, no. 525. Photo: Francesca Bertini and Amleto Novelli in La piovra / The Octopus (Edoardo Bencivenga, 1919).


Italian postcard by Ed. G. Vettori, Bologna. Publicity still of Amleto Novelli, Pina Menichelli, and Luigi Serventi in Il padrone delle ferriere (Eugenio Perego, 1919), based on 'Le maitre des forges' by Georges Ohnet.


Italian postcard. Photo: Fert Film. Italia Almirante and Amleto Novelli in Zingari (Mario Almirante, 1920). Caption: The first encounter of Vielka (Italia Almirante) and Sindel (Amleto Novelli). The woman Novelli carries is maybe Rosetta Solari, who plays Radscia.


Italian postcard by G.B. Falci, Milano, no. 13. Photo: Maria Jacobini and Amleto Novelli in La casa di vetro / The Glass House (Gennaro Righelli, 1920).


Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Maria Jacobini and Amleto Novelli in La casa di vetro / The Glass House (Gennaro Righelli, 1920).


Italian postcard by G.B. Falci, Milano, no. 367. Photo: Fotominio. Claretta Sabatelli and Amleto Novelli in Il voto (Eugenio Fontana, 1921).


Italian postcard by G.B. Falci, Milano, no. 46. Photo: Fotominio. Maria Jacobini and Amleto Novelli in La preda / The Prey (Guglielmo Zorzi, 1921).


Italian postcard by G.B. Falci, Milano, no. 191. Photo: Amleto Novelli and Maria Moreno in La preda /The Prey (Guglielmo Zorzi, 1921).


Italian postcard by G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Maria Jacobini, Lido Manetti and Amleto Novelli in Amore rosso / Red Love (Gennaro Righelli, 1921).


Italian postcard by G.B. Salci, Milano, no. 256. Photo: publicity still of Amleto Novelli and Nini Dinelli in Il fornaretto di Venezia (Mario Almirante 1923). Caption: The nobleman Lorenzo says farewell to his wife, pretending he is called outside of Venice.


Italian postcard by G.B. Salci, Milano. Photo: Amleto Novelli as the nobleman Lorenzo Barbo in Il fornaretto di Venezia (Mario Almirante, 1923).


Italian postcard. Photo: Amleto Novelli (as Rolando Candiani) and Teresa Pasquali (la dogaressa) in La congiura di San Marco (Domenico Gaido, 1924), a sequel to Il ponte dei sospiri (Domenico Gaido, 1921) with Luciano Albertini. The plot deals with Rolando (Novelli), who has become the new doge and married the beautiful Leonora Dandolo (Ria Bruna). Yet, followers of the former, evil Doge, try to raise the people against Rolando. Rolando is not alone, because his loyal friend, Scalabrino (Celio Bucchi) and a woman from the people, Zanze (Bianca Stagno-Bellinicioni), help him. The film was very popular in Italy. at the time. Amleto Novelli died before the film was finished, so it was posthumously released.


Postcard of the poster of the 36th Pordenone Silent Film Festival (Le Gionate del Cinema Muto), 30 sept - 7 oct 2017: Sulla via dell'oro / The Human Bridge (Baldassarre Negroni, 1913).

Sources: Denis Lotti (Muscoli e Frac - Italian), Sempre in penombra (Italian), Wikipedia (Italian and English) and IMDb.

This post was last updated on 3 January 2026.

La Gerusalemme liberata (1918)

La Gerusalemme liberata/The Crusaders/Jerusalem Liberated (1918) was an Italian silent period piece directed and produced by Enrico Guazzoni. It was an adaptation of an epic poem by Torquato Tasso from 1581 in the late Renaissance. It tells of Christian knights battling Muslims during the First Crusade of 1096 in the Middle Ages, to retake the holy city of Jerusalem. EFSP presents two series of vintage cards made for the film adaptation. Six Spanish cromos in colour were made by Chocolate Imperial when the film was distributed in Spain by José Montañola under the Spanish title 'Jerusalén Libertada'. The other series is a complete set of 12 original Italian postcards by IPA CT Duplex.


Spanish cromo (collector card) by Chocolate Imperial, no. 1 of 6 cards. Photo: Exclusiva José Montañola / Guazzoni Film. Edy Darclea as Armida and Beppo Corradi as Rinaldo in La Gerusalemme liberata/The Crusaders/Jerusalem Liberated (Enrico Guazzoni, 1918).


Spanish cromo (collector card) by Chocolate Imperial, no. 2 of 6. The attack on Jerusalem in La Gerusalemme liberata/The Crusaders (Enrico Guazzoni, 1918).


Spanish cromo (collector card) by Chocolate Imperial, no. 3 of 6 cards. The Crusaders' camp in La Gerusalemme liberata/The Crusaders (Enrico Guazzoni, 1918).


Spanish cromo (collector card) by Chocolate Imperial, no. 4 of 6 cards. Amleto Novelli as Tancredi and Olga Benetti as Clorinda in La Gerusalemme liberata/The Crusaders (Enrico Guazzoni, 1918).


Spanish cromo (collector card) by Chocolate Imperial, no. 5 of 6 cards. Amleto Novelli as Tancredi in La Gerusalemme liberata/The Crusaders (Enrico Guazzoni, 1918).


Spanish cromo (collector card) by Chocolate Imperial, no. 6 of 6 cards. Amleto Novelli as Tancredi and Olga Benetti as Clorinda in La Gerusalemme liberata/The Crusaders (Enrico Guazzoni, 1918).

The master of the revocation of famous historical events

In 1096 Godfrey of Bouillon (Eduardo Monteneve) heads a crusade against the Turks and Aladdin (Ljubomir Stanojevick), the cruel king of Jerusalem. His captains are Tancredi (Amleto Novelli) from Taranto and Rinaldo from Este. Aladin appoints Clorinda (Olga Benetti), an intrepid Persian, to head the troupes defending the city, together with the valiant Argante (Aristide Garbini).

After having saved the lives of Olindo (Rinaldo Rinaldi) and Sofronia, two young Christians condemned to death by the ruthless Aladdin for stealing a sacred image from the mosque, Clorinda fights a duel with Tancredi (Amleto Novelli), one of Godfrey's captains. He has fallen in love with her but doesn't want to fight her on the battlefield. Because of her armour and the darkness, he is ignorant of who he is his adversary. So, he kills his beloved, who converts to Christianity while dying.

Meanwhile, the beautiful magician Armida (Edy Darclea) has enchanted Rinaldo (Beppo Corradi), another crusader, who has fallen in love with her, in her magical garden. Once he re-awakes from the spell, despite the pleas of Armida, he returns to the Christian camp to participate in the assault of Jerusalem, which is conquered after a long and strenuous battle.

The British film journal The Bioscope wrote in 1919 that Gerusalemme liberata confirmed director Enrico Guazzoni's talent after his Quo vadis?. The Bioscope considered Guazzoni the master of the revocation of such famous historical events, even more than D.W. Griffith. While most attention went to the mass scenes, individual praise was for Novelli and Benetti. The triumphant entry into Jerusalem was equaled to the victorious entry of the Allies, 800 years after.

In 1911 Enrico Guazzoni already made an earlier version, again with Amleto Novelli in the lead as Tancredi, but this time also with Gianna Terribili Gonzales as Clorinda, instead of Olga Benetti. In this version, Emilio Ghione played Rinaldo, and Fernanda Negri-Pouget was Armida. Wikipedia mixes up these two versions and mistakes its production year. The 1911 version was well received, nationally and internationally, and considered the second Italian 'feat' after La caduta di Troia/The Fall Of Troy (Giovanni Pastrone, 1911), the first two-reeler epic film. In 1934, Guazzoni re-issued his 1918 version in a 'spoken' and re-cut version with scenes added. The dialogues were written by Fausto Salvadori and an introductory commentary was done by Adolfo Geri who played Torquato Tasso. The version lasted about twenty minutes longer than the silent version and the music was by Luigi Avitabile.


Italian postcard by IPA CT Duplex, card 1 of a series of 12. Photo: Guazzoni Film, Roma. Scene from La Gerusalemme liberata/The Crusaders/Jerusalem Liberated (Enrico Guazzoni, 1918). Caption: The archangel Gabriel incites Godfrey to go on a crusade. Eduardo Monteneve plays Godfrey of Bouillon, while Gabriel might have been played by the actress Fernanda Negri Pouget.


Italian postcard by IPA CT Duplex, card 2 of a series of 12. Photo: Guazzoni Film, Roma. Scene from La Gerusalemme liberata/The Crusaders (Enrico Guazzoni, 1918). Caption: In the presence of Peter the Hermite, Godfrey incites the Christian knights to join the Crusade. Godfrey of Bouillon was performed by Eduardo Monteneve.


Italian postcard by IPA CT Duplex, card 3 of a series of 12. Photo: Guazzoni Film, Roma. Scene from La Gerusalemme liberata/The Crusaders (Enrico Guazzoni, 1918). Caption: Episode of Olindo and Sofronia. The virgin Sofronia before the tyrant Aladin. Ljubomir Stanojevic played Aladin, and Rinaldo Rinaldi played Olindo, but it isn't clear who played Sofronia.


Italian postcard by IPA CT Duplex, card 4 of a series of 12. Photo: Guazzoni Film, Roma. Scene from La Gerusalemme liberata/The Crusaders (Enrico Guazzoni, 1918). Caption: The King of Tripoli sends gifts and supplies to Goffredo.


Italian postcard by IPA CT Duplex, card 5 of a series of 12. Photo: Guazzoni Film, Roma. Scene from La Gerusalemme liberata/The Crusaders (Enrico Guazzoni, 1918). Caption: Tancredi reveals his love for Clorinda. Tancredi was played by Amleto Novelli and Clorinda by Olga Benetti.


Italian postcard by IPA CT Duplex, card 6 of a series of 12. Photo: Guazzoni Film, Roma. Scene from La Gerusalemme liberata/The Crusaders (Enrico Guazzoni, 1918). Caption: The mortally wounded Clorinda is baptised by Tancredi. Olga Benetti played Clorinda and Amleto Novelli Tancredi.


Italian postcard by IPA CT Duplex, card 7 of a series of 12. Photo: Guazzoni Film, Roma. Scene from La Gerusalemme liberata/ The Crusaders (Enrico Guazzoni, 1918). Caption: Erminia wears the armour of Clorinda before going to the wounded Tancredi. Elena Sangro played Erminia.


Italian postcard by IPA CT Duplex, card 8 of a series of 12. Photo: Guazzoni Film, Roma. Scene from La Gerusalemme liberata/ The Crusaders (Enrico Guazzoni, 1918). Caption: The loves of Rinaldo and Armida. Beppo Corradi plays Rinaldo, Edy Darclea Armida.


Italian postcard by IPA CT Duplex, card 9 of a series of 12. Photo: Guazzoni Film, Roma. Scene from La Gerusalemme liberata/The Crusaders (Enrico Guazzoni, 1918). Caption: Ubaldo liberates Rinaldo from the spells of Armida. Of the stairs, Edy Darclea as Armida and Beppo Corradi as Rinaldo. The man gesticulating in the middle is Amleto Novelli, who plays Tancredi.


Italian postcard by IPA CT Duplex, card 10 of a series of 12. Photo: Guazzoni Film, Roma. Scene from La Gerusalemme liberata/The Crusaders (Enrico Guazzoni, 1918). Caption: The Christians attack Jerusalem with their siege machinery.


Italian postcard by IPA CT Duplex, card 11 of a series of 12. Photo: Guazzoni Film, Roma. Scene from the Italian silent film La Gerusalemme liberata/The Crusaders (Enrico Guazzoni, 1918). Caption: Thus Godfrey wins. Goffredo di Buglione/Godfrey of Bouillon was performed by Eduardo Monteneve.


Italian postcard by IPA CT Duplex, no. 12 of a series of 12. Photo: Guazzoni Film, Roma. Scene from the Italian silent film La Gerusalemme liberata/Jerusalem liberated/The Crusaders (Enrico Guazzoni, 1918). Caption: The Allied armies enter Jerusalem (during WW I).

Sources: Vittorio Martinelli (Il cinema muto italiano, Vol. 1918 (1991), and Vol. 1911, I (1995)), Wikipedia (English and Italian) and IMDb.

La casa di vetro (1920)

Maria Jacobini and Amleto Novelli star in the Italian silent melodrama La casa di vetro/The Glass House (Gennaro Righelli, 1920). G.B. Falci in Milan published the postcards.


Italian postcard by G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: publicity still for La casa di vetro/The Glass House (Gennaro Righelli, 1920), starring Maria Jacobini and Amleto Novelli.


Italian postcard by G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Fert. Maria Jacobini and Amleto Novelli in La casa di vetro/The Glass House (Gennaro Righelli, 1920).


Vintage Italian postcard. FERT. Maria Jacobini and Amleto Novelli in La casa di vetro/ The Glass House (Gennaro Righelli, 1920). Caption: Sogno nella luna (Dreaming by Moonlight).


Italian postcard by G.B. Falci, Milano, 317. Photo: Maria Jacobini and Orietta Claudi in La casa di vetro/The Glass House (Gennaro Righelli, 1920).


Italian postcard. Caption on the back: 'Triste Natale' (Sad Christmas). Photo: Fert. Publicity still for La casa di vetro/The Glass House (Gennaro Righelli, 1920), starring Maria Jacobini and Amleto Novelli.


Italian postcard by G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Fert. Maria Jacobini, Amleto Novelli and Oreste Bilancia in La casa di vetro/The Glass House (Gennaro Righelli, 1920).

Breaking glass

Italian diva Maria Jacobini plays in La casa di vetro/The Glass House (Gennaro Righelli 1920) the mundane city girl Gaby Printemps. During a trip, accompanied by her good friend Max (Oreste Bilancia), Gaby is struck by the quiet life in a mountain village and decides to remain there. She meets Roberto Landi (Amleto Novelli), a simple and honest young man, and the two fall in love, creating endless suffering for Roberto's fiancee Grazia (Orietta Claudi) and his parents. They move to the city, but their different lifestyles soon become evident.

Moreover, jealous Max tries to split them. Roberto's father (Alfonso Cassini) decides to find his son and confronts him with the words that Gaby belongs to the species which one loves but not marries. In the end, Roberto admits his failure. On Christmas Eve he returns to the mountain village and reconciles with his old love Grazia and his parents. Gaby annihilates her memory by breaking a glass of champagne, as she says, "just like all glass houses do" (the title of the film).

In the Italian journal La vita cinematografica, Dioniso thought that 'The Glass House' was a misleading title, pretending transparency while several secrets are going on at Gaby's. And in the end, no home is destroyed as both lovers were not really planning to build one. The broken glass only refers to Gaby's broken heart. Instead, Dioniso praised the shots on location in the Italian countryside, at the foot of the Majella mountains.

Orietta Claudi had a relatively short career in Italian silent cinema of the early 1920s, mostly playing the young family girl opposite mundane divas such as Pina Menichelli, Italia Almirante Manzini and Maria Jacobini.

Scripted by Luciano Doria and future film director Nunzio Malasomma, La casa di vetro/The Glass House was produced by the Fert company of Turin and distributed by Pittaluga. Cinematography was by Tullio Chiarini. La casa di vetro had its Roman premiere on 21 February 1921.


Italian postcard. Photo: Fert. Maria Jacobini and Oreste Bilancia in La casa di vetro/The Glass House (Gennaro Righelli, 1920). Caption: Tentazioni del passato (Temptations of the Past).


Italian postcard. Publicity still for La casa di vetro/The Glass House (Gennaro Righelli, 1920), starring Maria Jacobini and Amleto Novelli.


Italian postcard by G.B. Falci, Milano. Publicity still for La casa di vetro/The Glass House (Gennaro Righelli, 1920), starring Maria Jacobini and Amleto Novelli.


Italian postcard. Photo: FERT. Maria Jacobini and Amleto Novelli in La casa di vetro/The Glass House (Gennaro Righelli, 1920). Caption: Il primo ritorno alla vita d'un tempo (The First Return to the Former Life).


Italian postcard by G.B. Falci, Milano, no. 13. Publicity still for La casa di vetro/The Glass House (Gennaro Righelli, 1920), starring Maria Jacobini and Amleto Novelli.

Source: Vittorio Martinelli and Aldo Bernardini (Il Cinema Muto Italiano, Vol. 1920 - Italian), Wikipedia (Italian) and IMDb.