The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-03-04
ITALIAN MOVIE FANS
FAVOR AMERICAN FILMS
By Henry Wood.

Omitted Press staff Correspondent
Rome. (By mail. )-There are no
heroes in italian filmland. Neither
does the ideal lover exist there.
The American girl movie-fan
whose thrill in life is 20 SEE her
favorite film star on tbs screen would
die of emotional inanation in "a
hours in Italy
What complicates the situation is
! that the Ideal lover" in Italian film
land "aint" In fact, he's everything
to the contrary. He is always chap
who having won the love Of the hero
inc OF the film promptly falls in love
with No. 2 Tin the event he wasn't
already in love with her before he
married the heroine) and such low
er as that would never go down the
threats of fair American film fans.
On the other hand any other kind
wouldn't, go down the Threats Of ltal-
ian lady film worshiper.
Nevertheless, the "sinematografo",
as it is unabreviately known in Italy,
has become one of the biggest OF
Italian modern Industries. Atmos-
pheric conditions which all but rival
those of California for picture taking.
,
historic backgrounds and settings,
have contributed much to the sue
cess of the Italian industry.
The three principal movie prOduc-
/ ing centers in Italy are Rome. Turin
and Milan. although both Naples and
, Sicily have producing houses. Rome
alone boasts of twenty producing
houses, the best known of which
are Cines. Cesar, Tiber, Quirines, Ris-
nascimento, Lucio 'dAmbra, Do-Re-
Mi and Polirod. They employ a total
Of 1000 people, including both art
lists, operators and Workmen. About
fifty moving picture houses are con-
stantly open at Rome.
AS a producing center, Turin comes
next with Is producing houses. They
employ 5000 artists and workmen,
while Turin has also 40 movie houses.
Milan has 10 producing houses. There
are also fifty more houses at Milan
for showing, films. Italian films av-
erage from two thousand to three
thousand yards and the national out
put of the fifty odd houses is from
one to two films day or about 500
films a year.
Despite the fact that Italians enjoy
in the extreme degree humorous films,
only one house has succeeded in max
son. 1t has seen his rise to the fore
and that is Polidor. His comics run
from 500 to 700 yards. He is his
own proprietor, his own director. his
own play writer, and together with
his wife comes pretty near being all
the cast himself. His real name is
FREDERICK Guillaume and in Italy he
is what Charlie Chaplin is in Am
erica.
Altogether FINLAND in Italy en-
ploys about 10000 people, includ
ing 800 actors and actresses. about
100 directors and mounters and an
equal number of operators.
The average pay for the average
actors and actresses is forty francs a
day. while the leading stars have sue
ceeded in attaining salaries that. ac-
ccrding to Italian standards are fully
as extraordinarily as are those of the
American top-nOtchers. The lesser
stars draw from 1000 to 10000 lire
a month with Francesca Bertini pulls
down two million francs a year.
For the time being the Italian
movie industry is undergoing Il hard
crisis, due to various causes and in
order to eliminate ruinOus COMPETE
ton the leading Italian houses have
organized trust known as the
Unione Cinematografica.
American hlms are at all times the
most sought after in Italy. The Tri- |
angle. Famous Players Corporation
and>Transatlantlc productions are the
most popular but are now meeting
with certain serious competition in
the German films being put out by
the "tF S. A." Recently there has
been something OF a scarcity Of AM !
erican films in Italy.