Evening star., 1951-12-09
Film Halter
|Neors Topos
Producer
Italian Genius
Entered Movies
By Back Door
By james PorIotore


A man who hates the movies Is
one Of the busiest motion picture
producers in Europe.
In the last II months, Marquis
Niccolo Theodoli has produced
four pictures in succession with
out q days rest in between.
The young nobleman got into
the Aim industry three years ago
ION a temporary basis" to help
some Americans who were stranded
in Italy.
Movies bore me-" Theodoli said.
II hate to 60 to the movies. I
generally fall asleep in a movie
theater."
After he got into the film busi-
ness in 1949, Theodoli said, he
made several trips to the United
States and Mexico ito go to the
movies and see for myself why
people laughed at certain scenes
and why they cried at others"
Actors Stranded.
Here's how Theodoli became q
movie producer:
A friend in the American En-
bassy told him about some Ameri-
can actors who were stranded in
Italy. They had come here to
make a picture. but on their ar
rival discovered the promoter OF
the film had mo script. no con-
tracts and no money"
Theodoli, who worked with Maj
Gen. William wild Bill" Dono-
van, OSS head, during the last
war, was asked to help round uI
capital to put them to work In
a movie.
For this, I was to get 5 pei
cent of the production" he said
by the time the picture was COM
pleted, I had put enough money OF
my own in it to own 95 per cent oi
the production"
The film was Pirates of Capri
Luckily, I got all of my money
back eventually. For a time
though, I sweated 1t out"
Theodoli's next film was a Soc
Ger comedy. entitled Twin Trou.
BILE" in which he used the two mos
popular soccer teams in Italy.
1T was like using the Brooklyn
Dodgers and the New York Yam.
KEGS in a film in America" he said
Earned Big Profit.
The marquis said the film
made a fantastic amount o.
money" in Italy and now is play.
ing in England. Il got 100 pei
cent profit back Immediately" ht
Igrinned happily.
His next film was Love Is Ny
Ruination," which opened here
recently.
/ This is going quite well, too,'
he said.
/ During the war, Theodoli was
in Rome with two American Gil
from Brooklyn who could moi
speak Italian"
i When he showed them the
Colosseum. one Of the American
soldiers said:
Gee. I thought this place wa:
bigger than Ebbetts Field"
! The other was curious abou
how many persons had beer
eaten by lions in the historic
amphitheater and added:
! II wonder how it must hav,
been to live in those days"
That conversation remained
with him a long time and CAV,
!: him an idea. So he filmed 20
K. Nero"
He Likes Horses.
The picture shows how tw'
United States sailors come II
Rome, are hit on the head b,
) thugs and are transplanted t.
the days Of old Rome.
Instead of using the Colosseum
t for baseball diamond "becaus
1.-the CT said it was too small" h
S had the sailors teaching the oil
l Romans American football.
The two sailors introduc
| American customs to the oil
: Romans, much like Mark Twain
5 Connecticut Yankee" did il
King Arthur's court.
The young producer said he
looking for a formula 80 tina
motion pictures will be a com
, mercial success not only in on
, country, but in almost all coun
tries"
Now that he is devoting all hi
time to picture making, what j
his hobby?
i Training race horses. I wan
:, to win the Derby"