A period program in honour of a century of italian cinema industry

“Historical reconstruction in 3 Parts and 8 Pictures” of the Program of the Reale Cinematografo Gigante Spina in Fano, 18 December 1905 From 14-21 December 1905, the “Reale Cinematografo Gigante Spina” was on tour at Fano’s Teatro della Fortuna. Among the films in the five scheduled screenings there was Rescued by Rover, and, on the evening of 18 December, La presa di Roma, the “historical reconstruction in seven scenes” by Filoteo Alberini.

In 1905 the Alberini and Santoni company (which became Cines the following year) produced La presa di Roma. This film, and the year 1905, mark the beginning of the Italian cinema industry. We are celebrating this anniversary with the reconstruction of a historical program featuring La presa di Roma. Four of the eight titles are original. For three other films no copies could be found, so they have been replaced with productiones of the same genre. The film which originally preceded La presa di Roma was Les milles et une nuit by Méliès; due to rights issues this has had to be replaced by a Pathé féerie. Unfortunately, the long musical interludes are missing.

A 1905 cinematographic show offered the utmost variety, and followed the principle of “one of each genre, and at the end (of the first part of the program and of the screening) a scène comique”. This is probably the best way to present and see the films of 1905.

Mariann Lewinsky