Late last year, I published a post of adverts I’d come across in silent-era Italian film journals that prominently used question marks. But there is a lot more material where that came from—so now, I present a sequel. Enjoy some more interrogative punctuation … …?
Oh Ambrosio, why do you tease me so?
![La cinematografia italiana ed estera 02 del 1916 inferno sml]()
La cinematografia italiana ed estera 02 del 1916
La cinematografia italiana ed estera 02 del 1916Preferisco l’inferno! | I prefer Hell! starred frequent collaborators Gigetta Morano and Eleutorio Rodolfi, the latter of whom also directed.
What is Léontine Massart up to next?
![Cinemagraf 09 del 1916 sml]()
Cinemagraf no. 09 of 1916
Cinemagraf no. 09 of 1916The answer: a few titles in 1916, and then not a whole lot else.
Jupiter-Film seem unsure about their lead actress, Diana Karenne.
![Cinemagraf 09 del 1916 Karenne question sml]()
Cinemagraf no. 09 del 1916
Cinemagraf no. 09 del 1916![Cinemagraf 10 del 1916 Karenne question sml]()
Cinemagraf no. 10 del 1916
Cinemagraf no. 10 del 1916
![Cinemagraf 10 del 1916 Karenne sml]()
Cinemagraf no. 10 del 1916
Cinemagraf no. 10 del 1916Really, it’s enough to give a girl a complex. Diana Karenne is very interesting to me—considered the most cerebral of the top-tier actresses of the time, she also directed and produced. It is a real shame that her films have such a poor survival rate.
Elegant ornamentation on this ad for Mary Letty, an actress who did not leave a mark on history, and indeed has but a single IMDb credit to her name.
![La cinematografia italiana ed estera 03 del 1916 sml]()
La cinematografia italiana ed estera no. 03 del 1916
La cinematografia italiana ed estera no. 03 del 1916FILIBUS?!!
![La cinematografia italiana ed estera 179 del 1915 Filibus sml]()
La cinematografia italiana ed estera no. 179 del 1915
La cinematografia italiana ed estera no. 179 del 1915The answer is YES. Filibus is great!
Just what is film, anyway? Milano films and Elettra Raggio will help you find out:
![Cinemagraf 12 del 1916 question sml]()
Cinemagraf no. 12 of 1916
Cinemagraf no. 12 of 1916Like Karenne, Elettra Raggio was a producer and director as well as an actress.
Short-lived company Etoile-Film are playing it cool.
![La cinematografia italiana ed estera 05 del 1915 Etoile film sml]()
La cinematografia italiana ed estera no. 05 del 1915
La cinematografia italiana ed estera no. 05 del 1915Volsca Films of Velletri are experiencing some temporal confusion.
![La cinematografia italiana ed estera 179 del 1915 Dissidio cuori 02 sml]()
La cinematografia italiana ed estera no. 179(?) of 1915
La cinematografia italiana ed estera no. 179(?) of 1915Down south in Napoli, Vomero-Film are coy about their upcoming projects, which indeed do not seem to have come to fruition.
![La cinematografia italiana ed estera 12 del 1915 Vomero sml]()
La cinematografia italiana ed estera no. 12 of 1915
La cinematografia italiana ed estera no. 12 of 1915What is Rikiki? Jupiter-Film won’t keep us in suspense:
![Cinemagraf 1-2 del 1917 Rikiki sml]()
Cinemagraf no. 1-2 del 1917
Cinemagraf no. 1-2 del 1917Cinemagraf has the English speakers covered too.
![Cinemagraf 1-2 del 1917 Rikiki sml]()
Cinemagraf no. 1-2 del 1917
Cinemagraf no. 1-2 del 1917Cinema-Drama of Milan announce an adaptation of La foresta mormora (Лес шумит, 1885, trans. as The Murmuring Forest) by Russo-Ukrainian author Vladimir Korolenko.
![Cinemagraf 11 del 1916 question sml]()
Cinemagraf no. 11 of 1916
Cinemagraf no. 11 of 1916Another phantom film (or if it did come to fruition, I couldn’t find any record of it).
Pathé Italy commemorate a significant date: 2 August 1914 was the day when Germany invaded Luxembourg, and also when Italy took the decision to maintain a position of neutrality in the unfolding conflict.
![Cinemagraf 08 del 1916 question sml]()
Cinemagraf no. 08 del 1916
Cinemagraf no. 08 del 1916Sirio Films of Milan promote their as-yet anonymous adaptations of French playwright Maurice Donnay twice in a single issue of La vita cinematografica.
![La vita cinematografica N. 39 del 1917 question sml]()
![La vita cinematografica N. 39 del 1917 question2 sml]()
La vita cinematografica no. 39 of 1917
And finally—not a question mark, but still a cool punctuative device, reminiscent of musical notes. Laugh, as Tartuffini takes revenge on his mother-in-law!
![Cinemagraf 10 del 1916 ridere sml]()
Cinemagraf no. 10 of 1916
Cinemagraf no. 10 of 1916(Tartuffini is the Italian name for Rigadin, the comic character played by Charles Prince).
Grazie per aver letto …. ??? ;)
