The New York herald., 1922-05-28
Special Correspondence to THE New YosK
HERALD

! Specidl Correspondence to THE NEW foRH
HERALD
New York Merald Bureas.l
Rome, May IL.
| Ten years ago Broadway for the
first time dug down in it's pockets for
q So bill for n moving picture per-
formance. 'Cabiria," feature fifn
produced by an Italian company, was
the first production to command the
ater prices in America.
To-day the situation Is exactly re-
versed. Rome will stand in line pa
tiently for ticket to see Mary Pick.
ford or any good American film. while
the Italian product is relegated to the
little inferior picture house.
In 1914 one-sixth Of the films i'm
ported into America were OF italian
make; in 1921 only one 250th Of the
foreign films bought in America were
produced by Italian companies.
Out of the hundred or so native
companies which were making easy
profits here before the war only one
or two are now at work, and these on
irregular schedules. In fact the only
vigorous filming now going on in the
country is in the Rome studios Of an
American company. which has nm
ished one super feature and is at work
on another.
Italy Now q Consumer.
italy as far as the motion picture
situation goes has been transformed
from producing to a consuming public
and the consumption is almost entirely
Of American products. This transforma
ton is the result of certain italian
characteristics. which have left the
industry at a standsti'l here while 1t
flourished in other countries.
In the first palmy days of the mo-
ton picture Italy started out with
tremendous natural advantages. Prob
ably no other country has such ideal
small space as Italy There are snow
capped mountains, the desertlike wastes
of the Campagna. castles OF every era,
lovely old garden villas. the romantic
empire stones throw from modern
hotels ana street cars. There are masses
Of people available for mob scenes and
people with a natural gift for acting and
gesticulatlng. Above ALL there Is the
bright, clear atmosphere invaluable for
photography.
With all these resources to draw upon
the motion picture industry In its unde-
veloped state was an ideal one for Italy.
Companies grew up. made easy profits
and turned cut yards Of film without
much effort Any little company with
a few hundred thousand lire could enter
the game. any pretty girl who could win
the support OF producer was assured
of immediate fame as q diva" whether
she had the slightest talent for acting
or not There was no discipline OF the
nunureCS OF supeTs WHO ifoWeu IN anu
out Of the business, there was no desire
on anybody's part to overwork. The
average heavy day was one or two
hours, and II one of the actors COM
plalned of a toothachc the days work
was off for everybody
The italian industry "cashed In" easily
on historical films for which the back
ground was at hand. The famous
"Cabiria," for which Gabrielle d'Annun-
Eio wrote the scenario. was probably the
first great Aim produced In the world.
Quo vsdis." "Theodora.' Madame
sans-Gene" and "Christus' also gained
reputation in the outside world. In
the years before the war italy produced
many films equal in quality and acting
to the best that France or America
could do.
Aside from these historical fllms the
general run was OF lurid, inferior
type. which appealed to an unframed
public taste. No fllm could be q sue
cess without at least R@if dozen
suicides, violent love affair, murders,