C a t a n i a C u l t u r a . c o m

Between 1913 and 1916 in Catania not only were shot "kolossals" of the silent film that did much effect at the time, but also arose different film houses, like the Etna Film, the Katana Film, the Sicula Film, and the Jonio Film. Even the playwright Nino Martoglio with his own production house, the Morgana Film, along with the great actor Giovanni Grasso, produced films that became milestones in the history of the cinema. But that short golden season suddenly ended ...

In the time when the Lumiere Brothers in Paris gave the first public performances of their extraordinary invention (the first of which took place on December 28, 1895 at the Salon Indien of the Grand Cafe), the city of Catania was living a prosperous season, both economic, but even more, cultural. The industry of the refined sulphur (large, as testified by many and high chimneys that still remain), the many food industries and the trade of citrus fruit, fed traffic of merchant ships in the near harbour, accomplice also the favourable period of international economic expansion, and the convenient access to the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal.
But those were also the years in which famous writers lived and wrote, like Giovanni Verga, Luigi Capuana, Federico De Roberto and the playwright Nino Martoglio, just to cite the authors better known. Both lounges as theatre of Catania were well patronized by personalities and well-educated gentlemen that keep themselves well informed about every thing of new that happened, not only in the city but even in the rest of the world, and not only to make a good figure in society but even to grasp new opportunities of business.
Do not surprise therefore if already in early 1896, just shortly after the news about the first projections in Paris, one "Salvatore Fichera of Catania" sent in France his request to "purchase the cinema or to be informed about it” (as did even others in Italy). But in the city of Etna should already be several film fans, because in the following year (1897) have already documented not only the first projections of pedlars that in the squares stages that strange entertainment, but also the first true amateur filming of Catania. To the 1897 belong in fact some snippets of "View of Messina and Catania on the move”, by amateurs of which unfortunately we have lost the names, while already on January 24 of that year, Nino Martoglio on the "D'Artagnan”, a satirical newspaper that he had founded in 1891, expressed enthusiastic comments in a style of dialogue, "Li civitoti a lu cinematografu" (The citizens at the cinema). Also in the same year is documented, on the night between March 31 and the April 1, the theft of a projector against a German “tamer of fleas” (the device was then found and returned to the owner), and as says Franco La Magna "by this, the cinema was raised to the honours of the chronicle. " (La Magna, 1995).
The growing interest of Catania for the new technology (to the 1898, for example, belong two other amateur shots: "Walking in the Bellini Park" and "A recreation of children in the Bellini Park") push to the business, and so already after few years the Sangiorgi Theatre, just opened in 1900, hosts the first projections of the Lumiere Brothers, quickly advertised with sincere enthusiasm by Martoglio on his newspaper (“admission with few coins!"). The same theatre in 1905 became the first stable cinema in Catania, followed by the opening of others that today don't longer exist, such as the Mondiale Cinema, the Sala Italia, the Unione Club, and the Moderno Cinema, destroyed by fire in June 1906 (but reopened in short time in September of that year with the name of Moderno Lumiere).

The films projected in those early years in the cinema of Catania were or foreigners (as the short films of George Mèliès, the first inventor of cinematographic tricks), or produced by the cinematographic companies arisen in the meantime in the major cities of the peninsula, such as the Cines of Rome, or the Ambrosio of Turin, which began to produce the first films with historical or literary subject: for example, La Presa di Roma" (The sack of Rome) (1905), "The last days of Pompei" (1908) or the two versions of the “Promessi Sposi” (The Betrothed) that came out in the same 1908, one of which was directed by Giuseppe De Liguoro. The city of Catania, however, could already offer itself to its fellow spectators in documentaries such as "Catania and the Circumetnea" of the Manifatture Cinematografiche Riunite, Naples (1907), "His Majesty the King at the Exhibition", 1907, and the first filmed documentation - at least at the professional level – of a "Mount Etna eruption", 1909 (both of the Ambrosio Film).
In the same period, however, began to be produced - always by companies of the peninsula - the first films from subject of authors of Catania: for example, a first version of "Cavalleria rusticana" (Rural Chivalry) of Verga directed by Mario Gallo, interpreted by the great actor of Catania, Giovanni Grasso (1908), a short comic version of the “Sleepwalker” by Bellini (entitled "The sleepwalker of the village", of the F.lli Pineschi of Rome, always of the 1908), and two versions of “Norma” of the same Bellini in 1911 (one of the Vesuvio Film of Naples, and the other of the Film d'Arte Italiana). Even Luigi Capuana was put on celluloid in 1912 with the film "Malìa", taken from his theatrical work and performed by the actors of Catania Attilio Rapisarda and Mariano Bottino. The same two performed always in the same year another film entirely shot in Catania, "Feudalism or Terra Baixa" (one of the most represented dramatic texts of the Spanish Angel Guimerà) produced by the Roma Film and directed by Alfredo Robert.
For some researchers, already in 1909, in a film shot in Catania by a Roman company, entitled "Il divo" (The Star), made his first appearance the popular actor of Catania, Angelo Musco, who was author of a curious episode (but very significant, according to some critics, of the new communicative potentials of the cinema). The scene, set in the central market of Carlo Alberto Square (which it seems when filming was not transformed into a stage setting, but it was normally open to the public), provided a false dispute with an itinerant merchant, that must be immediately calmed by other interpreters. But the young Musco mistreat so the unlucky performer that faced him to cause even a real general brawl throughout the market, which forced him to a flight so disastrous to damage a large quantity of goods displayed on the street. The Roman company almost ended in bankruptcy because of the damages that was forced to pay for all the crockery, pottery and food destroyed during the escape. But what disconcerted the managers of the company was the justification that gave them the young Angelo Musco: he wanted to make more realistic the scene beyond the usual theatrical acting, requiring himself and the other performer "to live" the part instead to act like on the stage (thus anticipating for several years the theorists of difference between "film acting" and "theatrical acting" – see Saitta, U., 1981, p. 53 et seq.).

Around 1912-13, in short, the time seemed ripe because even in Catania - as already happened, for example, in the same period in Palermo – could arise the first local film companies, even because one of the biggest companies in Rome, already cited Cines, housed among its directors a significant number of Sicilians: the vice-director Carlo Amato, Pietro Moncada , Count of Caltanissetta, and the Prince of Paternò, which obviously did not abstain to guide the production house to select screenplay and environments of the Sicily and Catania. The turning point occurred in 1913 for several reasons. First, the same Cines turned his attention to Nino Martoglio, introduced in the "Siculo-Roman" Company by the actor of Catania Attilio Rapisarda (at least as stated by him). In that truly golden year for the playwright of Belpasso (near Catania), were produced a good number of films from some of his dramatic subjects. The first, entitled "The Novel", whose director - according to someone - was the same Martoglio, was interpreted in the role of protagonist by Pina Menichelli, a beautiful actress born in the province of Messina, that for his kind of acting too "passionate" in this and other films get often into the first forms of censure by the Giolitti's government (in addition to the Church that already the precedent year - at least in Catania - had begun to make his voice heard). After this first film, always in the same year 1913, followed others, always drawn from subjects of Martoglio, such as "The black ball", "The treasure of Fonteasciutta", "The leap of the wolf or the lady of the Ninfa's manor."
But while the Cines of Rome increasingly involved authors, actors, environments and of course also the growing enthusiastic spectators of that Catania "belle epoque", another cinematographic company of the Northern Italy, the Itala Film of Turin, began in 1913 the filming of what remains in the history as the greatest kolossal of the silent cinema, that is “Cabiria”, whose external were also shot in Catania. Directed by Giovanni Pastrone and adapted by the great Gabriele D'Annunzio (which took care the captions for the considerable figure, for those times, of fifty thousand liras), was completed in the following year, reaching (originally) the length of more than 4000 meters of film! (the average length of the films of those times did not exceed the 750 meters), for a total duration of more than 4 hours.
Set between the Catania of the Greek age and the ancient Carthage, narrate the epic story of a girl of Catania - Cabiria precisely – that in the confusion after a night eruption of the Etna (whose frames were coloured red), suffers, in the order, the abduction, the sale as a slave in Carthage, and the rescue in extremis by the hero Maciste (name invented by the same D'annunzio) before to be sacrificed to the Carthaginians gods. In the end she, grown, on the background historical struggle between Hannibal and Rome, can embrace newly the father on the beach of Catania, meanwhile earning also a good marriage with a wealthy patrician.
Cost two million of liras of the time, and result of technical innovations that made school to Hollywood (as the film camera placed on the cart, the electric lamps for the direction of the lights, and the scenes in wood, rather than painted) "Cabiria"- edited as already said in 1914 - proved at the international level a real event for the era, and had an extraordinary success of critics and audience, even in America. In Catania was one of the few films screened at the Massimo Bellini Theatre with the Symphonic Orchestra that performed the "Symphony of the fire" composed for the film by Ildebrando Pizzetti.
But if in 1914 the kolossal of the Itala Film was beginning to reap success, already at the end of 1913 the feverish Nino Martoglio had tried to create the first film company in Catania, The Morgana Film; however, soon afterwards, he move back to Rome and founded another company with the same name. While December 31 - almost to want to take advantage until the last of that magic year so propitious - was born under the Sicilian volcano, the most important film company of Catania, the Etna Film.

The "Publishing Anonymous Film Company, Etna Films" approved by the Court of Catania on 21 January 1914, was founded with a capital of 200,000 liras - divided into two thousand shares from 100 liras to one – by Alfredo Alonzo, contractor in the sector of the sulphur and in the export of dried fruit, and even shareholder of a shipping company. His friend and trusted adviser was Pippo Marchese, playwright and theatrical critic. Determined to don't look at the expenses to have success in the world landscape film, first called from Milan a personality already known and experienced, the already mentioned Giuseppe De Liguoro, as chief artistic director - and sometimes even scriptwriter and actor – of the films of impending production. He collected also from northern Italy and abroad, actors already famous (like the French Simone Sandrè), technician already experts, equipment and apparatus from the worldwide.
But as Giusy Nicolosi says in his article "... What made more effect was the immense factory built in six months following the most modern principles and in which worked, according to the news reports, almost 500 workers. "It will be the biggest in Italy!" wrote on a magazine an actor engaged by the company. All the reporters visited that "small town" and wrote about it. The factory stood at Cibali [a district of Catania, editor's note], on an area of 23,000 square meters and it was accessible by four entrances (we know that one was adjacent to the Circumetnea's station that still exists, and another in Cibele street). Inside, in addition to the four villas housing the various offices, there were numerous buildings. A pride for the Company were the two theatres: the "smallest" of m. 20 x 18 and the biggest of 26 x 30 m. (I.e. about 900 square meters wide, capable of hosting the filming of four different scenes at the same time! ). Then rooms and halls for actors and extras; a workshop for blacksmiths, one for carpenters and one for the set designers; the tailor's workshop; the storages of timber, of the sceneries, of the furniture and all the necessary for the reconstruction of the environments, "in extraordinary amounts, of all styles, the eras, the qualities"; a garage, with five cars and a bus, and a stable with horses and carriages. But it is not over. "The Sicilian film capital", as defined by the director of a periodical of Milan had also technical laboratories for the development, washing, colouring, printing, review and testing of the films, and a projection room "large and elegant as that of a great cinema." A correspondent even wrote of a natural-size castle. Everything was surrounded by the green, between avenues, wells, fountains, seats, lakes and platforms in the open, of course, all for use in various films ... "(Giusy Nicolosi -" Etna Film, a Sicilian Hollywood" - see bibliography with also the original Italian text).
In December of the same year 1914 that real "cinema city" edited the first films: "Fatherhood" and "Rendezvous", tearjerkers dramas directed of course by De Liguoro, and projected even in the halls of the peninsula. In Catania they were screened in the elegant and prestigious Cinema Olympia in Stesichorus Square, inaugurated the previous year (the so promising 1913!) with another Italian "kolossal", "Quo Vadis ?" of Enrico Guazzoni.
But the possibility of working to several films simultaneously allowed to the Etna Film the production in the short space of a few months of a considerable number of films of all genres, from the short comics (The Schoolmistress, Night of love, The sportwoman, and others, all of the 1914), to the dramatic films like "The dance of the devil" (perhaps of the 1914), "The cup poisoned", "Poor children!", until the comedies (eg. Idyll in the jail) and to the films with military subject (The war, the enemy) all of the 1915. All earned great success and their projections were a real event. The chronicles of the time tell that when the above-mentioned Cinema Olympia projected film of the Etna Film, in the near Stesichorus Square there was such a number of cars and carriages to block the entire movement. Some titles - “The knight without fear”, “Poor children!” “Idyll in the jail” - received even the honour of being screened at the Massimo Bellini Theatre (March 7, 1915), during a charity event. The company also made agreements with Luigi Capuana - who received a remuneration of eight hundred liras - for the production of films drawn from his texts; but in reality does not seems to have ever been shot the planned film "The Marquis of Roccaverdina" and the "Benefactor" instead cited by other sources (see La Magna, 1995, p. 27).
But the giant company in the same year 1914 dared too, engaging in shooting of a "kolossal" - “Christus or the Ionian Sphinx - that despite the involvement of a large number of actors and extras in costume , the outdoor setting (in the sea of Ognina, on the outskirts of Catania), and the rich scenery (it was also built an ancient ship ) did not received an adequate success by the public. This, together with other heavy investments - as for the production of the film in costume "The knight without fear", set in the Middle Age - were certainly behind the accounting crisis which together with all the national and international problems caused by the First World War, unfortunately brought to the sudden closure of the factories in early 1916.

Meanwhile in the same year 1914, Nino Martoglio with his Morgana Film based in Rome, had the opportunity to shoot his first two films, with a more realistic and naturalistic tone than the works of the Etna Film. Both saw as protagonist the great theatrical actor of Catania Giovanni Grasso. But while the first title, “Captain Blanco”, shot in Aci Trezza (near Catania) and in Libya, not met the favours of the public (probably because the "little tragic" ending of the film led to distort the realistic plot), the second, “Lost in the dark”, not only earned a big success, but in the books dedicated to the history of cinema is often referred as a real milestone because it is considered the first neorealistic film of the history:
“Sperduti nel buio, dal lavoro di Roberto Bracco , (definito “l'Ibsen di Piedigrotta”) impressionò talmente – con la sua tragica contrapposizione di due classi sociali drammaticamente a confronto, la dolente e tormentata figura del cieco Nunzio (simbolo del “buio sociale”) e della povera Paolina figlia abbandonata d'uno spiantato e nobile dongiovanni, la rappresentazione di una Napoli miserabile e cenciosa, sordida e maleodorante – da indurre gli storici e critici del cinema (primi fra tutti il severo acese Umberto Barbaro) a definire l'opera di Martoglio antesignana del realismo cinematografico; di essa si parlerà a lungo nel secondo dopoguerra quando, in piena stagione neorealistica, si esploreranno le deboli tracce della tradizione realistica. Tutto il cast ebbe una ovazione di consensi, sebbene, schiacciato dal vincente dannunzianesimo e dai kolossal storico-mitologici, il film viene presto dimenticato, godendo paradossalmente d'una esaltante gloria postuma...” ("Lost in the dark, from the work of Roberto Bracco, (defined "the Ibsen of Piedigrotta") impressed so - with its tragic confrontation of two social classes in dramatically comparison, with the painful and tormented character of the blind Nunzio (symbol of the “social dark”) and of the poor Pauline abandoned daughter of an impoverished and Don Juan noble, with the representation of a tattered and miserable Naples, sordid and stinking – that led historians and critics of film (first among all the strict Umberto Barbaro of Acireale) to define the work of Martoglio forerunner of cinematographic realism; about it many talk long after the Second World War when, in full neorealistic season, were explored the weak traces of the realistic tradition. All the cast had an ovation of consensuses, although crushed by the winning D'Annunzio's style and by the historical and mythological kolossals, the film is soon forgotten, enjoying paradoxically of an exciting posthumous glory ... ") (from: One hundred years of Cinema in Catania (1895-1995), of Franco La Magna, EDIPROM - P. 29. See also the article of Sarah Zappulla Muscarà, full of informations about the comments of the critics of the time).
We should still remember that both the female protagonist, Virginia Balistrieri, that the male protagonist, Giovanni Grasso, also acknowledged by many international critics as the greatest dramatic actor in the history, had a solid experience of realistic theatre behind their back. In particular, the recitation of Grasso, precise and accurate but also full of dramatic expressiveness, raised not only the praises of the critics, but also the enthusiasm of audiences worldwide, that went literally into raptures when in the scenes of duel the actor seemed “to fly" on the scene before sealed on the antagonist biting him in the throat or driving him the final stab. Was famous the remarks by Russian Mejerchol'd: "I realized many laws of biomechanics seeing recite the wonderful Sicilian tragic actor Grasso." The film "Lost in the dark", however, have been lost during the Second World War and remains of it only a few rare frame.
To the 1915 belong the third and last film of Martoglio, “Therese Raquin”, whose plot, taken from a novel by Emile Zola, focuses about a theme become later a classic in the subsequent history of the cinema, the dramatic triangle wife-lover-husband and the tragic end of the third. Then suddenly, however, the producer of the Morgana Films, Roberto Danesi dies in war, and so perhaps upset in addition to the morale also the projects of the same Martoglio. His intention were in fact to shoot other films of dramatic and realistic authors of a certain relief. Since the beginning of '14 he have invited even Verga to devise a subject for a film, and he declared to will adapt himself in a special way. Even Pirandello (intimate friend of Martoglio) in a letter full of enthusiasm had agreed about his choices also making available to participate himself ("...Could I do something too? I have many and many subjects about any kinds ..."), and wrote a subject that was never converted into celluloid. Already in crisis in 1915, officially The Morgana Film will then be dissolved in 1918.
This incidentally, the only dissonant note among the intellectual landscape of Catania in those years was that of Giovanni Verga which were not liked the first films about his "Rural Chivalry" (some of them even comic). But in reality his cultural mistrust about the cinema did not prevent in practice from cooperating with it. Pressed in fact by the insistent demands of his companion, Countess Dina Castellazzi Sordevolo (in financial crisis), since 1912 was working in secret with her to submit to the camera some of his texts, such as "Story of a blackcap" and "Hunting the wolf ". But for strange irony of the fate, to none of these subjects will be given one shot of handle - let alone by a film company of Catania - until 1917.

On the success of the Etna Film were founded at that time three other film companies in Catania: the Katana Film, the Jonio Film, and the Sicula Film of the lawyer Gaetano Tedeschi dell'Annunziata. Between 1915 and early '16 they made many films of various kinds - comic, satiric, military, etc. -- involving theatre's actors already famous, or which became so in the later years after the brief and glorious season of catanese cinema: for example the two stars of that time, Mariano Rapisarda and Attilio Bottino that performed some films of Sicula Film ( "Sunrise of Freedom", "Presentat-arm!", both of 1915, and "The secret bond" of 1916); the wife of the actor Angelo Musco, Desdemona Balistrieri, who was among the interpreters of the film "The fugitive” of the Katana Film (1915), and Rosina Anselmi in "For you, love" always of the Katana Film (1915).

But suddenly in early 1916 - as already mentioned - that short golden season of the catanese cinematography vanished with all the dreams of international glory. Overwhelmed by the financial crisis, and perhaps (as suggested by Giusy Nicolosi) also by strong contrasts within its board of directors, the Etna Film took the decision to close its activities with all its imposing structures (perhaps already at the end of January 1916). This certainly meant also for all other smaller companies the impossibility to continue to shoot other films, because - it seems - they referred to the Etna Film for several services as the development of negatives and sometimes even the shooting in its theatres. In a letter dated February 4, 1916 in fact the administrator of the Sicula Film, Gaetano Tedeschi dell'Annunziata complained with the same Alonzo for his sudden decision to close their establishments.
In reality, the crisis of the cinematographic companies of Catania - and the definitive end of any further attempt, even after 1918, to restart a local film production - was also a crisis at the national level, yes certainly determined by the difficulties produced by the outbreak of war, but even from a bad administrative management of resources and investments. On the enthusiasm of audiences who crowded the new cinemas, the producers threw often to shoot expensive films - especially from a technical viewpoint, since in those times, except for the stars, actors and extras not receiving high fees - but do not gave sufficient economic return. The historians of the cinema stress as early as 1914 all major Italian film company were at a loss. As they also reflect the myopia of the politicians of that time who saw in the new media more a danger to the moral of that period than a cultural resource to be supported, even financially, in times of crisis.

Paradoxically, however, just while in Catania in 1916 ends the Hollywood dream of developing a "Cinecittà” under the Etna (Film), Giovanni Verga finally makes his official entrance into the world of the “seventh art” (or "tenth muse"). Coming soon on these monitors!

Other articles in English: click here.

Bibliography.

La Magna, F. - Cento anni di Cinema a Catania (1895-1995) – Edizioni Ediprom, Catania, 1995.

Meccoli, D. - Contributo alla cinematografia degli autori siciliani di teatro – in: Il teatro e i teatranti siciliani nel cinema – Ass. Reg. ai Beni Culturali e P. I., Catania, 1981.

Caprara, V. - Gli attori siciliani di teatro nel cinema - – in: Il teatro e i teatranti siciliani nel cinema – Ass. Reg. ai Beni Culturali e P. I., Catania, 1981.

Ferrante, E. - L'amore di Giovanni Grasso per il cinema - – in: Il teatro e i teatranti siciliani nel cinema – Ass. Reg. ai Beni Culturali e P. I., Catania, 1981.

Saitta, U. - Partecipazione creativa dei teatranti siciliani alla nascita del cinema – in: Il teatro e i teatranti siciliani nel cinema – Ass. Reg. ai Beni Culturali e P. I., Catania, 1981 (showing the episode of Angelo Musco and his film of the 1909).

Zocaro, E. - L'apporto di Verga, Capuana e Martoglio al cinema – in: Il teatro e i teatranti siciliani nel cinema – Ass. Reg. ai Beni Culturali e P. I., Catania, 1981.

Zappulla Muscarà, S. - Verga, De Roberto, Capuana, Martoglio e la settima arte – in: Il teatro e i teatranti siciliani nel cinema – Ass. Reg. ai Beni Culturali e P. I., Catania, 1981.

Tagliabue, C. - Letteratura, cinema e industria nel periodo muto - in: Verga e il cinema - a cura di Genovese, N. - Gesù, S. - Maimone editore, 1996 (In the Italian cultural landscape of that time, many writers show their distrust against the cinema – except, of course, D'Annunzio - because they considered it too popular. But in Sicily and especially in Catania, the birthplace of realistic literature, it was generally well-disposed, not just for the chance to gain – Verga and Capuana called it "Saint cinema" - but also because were realized the expressive possibilities that the new mass-medium could provide to the dramatic art. The same Capuana - as a good prophet - expressed Verga the opinion that the new invention would reach to the art unthinkable peaks).

Genovese, N. - Gesù, S. - E venne il cinematografo - Catania, 1995.

Nicolosi, G. - Etna Film, una Hollywood siciliana – in:www.provincia.ct.it/moduli/rivista/sommario/2002/Maggio/filepdf/28-29.pdf .
Original Italian text: “...Quello che fece più effetto fu l’immenso stabilimento costruito in sei mesi seguendo i più moderni criteri e nel quale lavorarono, secondo le cronache, quasi 500 operai. "Sarà il più grande d’Italia !" scrisse su un periodico un attore scritturato dall’Etna. Tutti i corrispondenti visitarono quella "piccola città" e ne scrissero. Lo stabilimento sorgeva a Cibali [un quartiere di Catania, n.d.r.], su un perimetro di 23.000 mq e vi si accedeva da quattro entrate (sappiamo che una era adiacente alla stazione della Circumetnea tutt'ora esistente e un’altra in via Cibele). All’interno, oltre a quattro villini che ospitavano i vari uffici, vi erano numerose costruzioni. Un orgoglio per la Casa erano i due teatri di posa: il più “piccolo” di m 20 x 18 e il più grande di 26 x 30 (cioè circa 900 mq di ampiezza, capace di ospitare le riprese di quattro diverse scene in contemporanea !). Poi i camerini ed i saloni per gli attori e le comparse; un’officina per i fabbri, una per i falegnami e una per gli scenografi; la sartoria; i depositi del legname, delle scenografie, del “mobilio” e di tutto il necessario per la ricostruzione degli ambienti, "in quantità straordinaria, di tutti gli stili, le epoche, le qualità"; un garage, con cinque automobili ed un autobus, e una scuderia con cavalli e carrozze. Ma non è finita. "La capitale della pellicola siciliana", come la definì il direttore di un periodico milanese, disponeva anche dei laboratori tecnici per lo sviluppo, il lavaggio, la coloritura, la stampa, la revisione e il collaudo delle pellicole, e di una sala di proiezione "vasta ed elegante come quella di un gran cinematografo". Addirittura un corrispondente scrisse di un castello a grandezza naturale. Il tutto immerso nel verde, tra viali, pozzi, fontane, sedili, laghetti e piattaforme all’aperto, naturalmente tutto da utilizzarsi nei vari films...”

Ruffini, F. - Giovanni Grasso – in: www.teatroestoria.it It is appropriate to mention that the great Russian actor and director since 1921 really opened a school of theatrical "biomechanics" and mimic, it seems truly inspired by art of Giovanni Grasso).

Note. For the same historical of the cinema it's hard to find informations about events and films in the pioneering years of the cinema. For example, some films are officially published an year late, for bureaucratic reasons or visa censorship, than to their real output in the halls. This article therefore has no claim to be neither complete nor entirely accurate. It was nevertheless tried to put as much attention as possible to documentation and where dates are found discordant has preferred to give priority to the text of Franco La Magna (One hundred years of cinema in Catania, op. Cit.) because - in our opinion -- seems the best informed. In any case, the address of electronic mail (posta@cataniacultura.com) is available for any corrections, points, or just comments which will be inserted like notes at the bottom of this page, or in the FORUM page.
The image comes from WWW.WIKIPEDIA.ORG.

Note 2. Prof. Sebastiano Gesù, one of the best experts in the history of cinema in Catania and in Sicily recently announced us that, contrary to what is reported by sources consulted by us, "Musco has never shot 'The star', film perhaps never existed, and, although set in Catania, was not shot a single frame in Catania of 'Cabiria' of Pastrone. For more information please refer to the publications of the author (including the beautiful volume richly illustrated "Sicily and cinema", published with Nino Genovese by Maimone editor).