We do not want to die: Word to Oreste Palella (Expanded Dreyer in progress, I) 79 Oreste Palella, Messina, the Mafia alla “polentoni”, emphasize the goodness of sbarra director, it came to the character the merger between the cold rationalism of Marshal power [in Se dotta e abban - of the north and the heat of the south. donata , 1964] after being preached, he They will be three love stories to affirm says, to that of Vincenzo Ascalone [...]. the need to compose, between north And as a director? “I have not had the and south, the new Italian family. » boom but have never been a mediocre. Giacomo Gambetti, Sedotta e Being an actor in fifty years is an expe - abbandonata di Pietro Germi , rience that inspired me so many things, Cappelli, Bologna, 1964 and that will serve me well as a film - maker. [...] Indirectly the Germi movie was helped also to my Mafia alla sbar - CATERINA DA SIENA ra . In fact, after In nome della Legge , Director: Oreste Palella; story: Fernan - after Il cam mino della speranza it is do Leonardi; screenplay: F. Leonar di, O. born the problem of seeing Sicily; I Palella; cinematography: Alfredo Lupo; could not imitate it, I could not make it music: Leopoldo Perez Bonsignore, last; nor lush, all beautiful like in Jessica G.C. Carignani; cast: Regana De Liguo - [Jean Negulesco, 1962], for which I ro, Rina De Liguoro, Teresa Ma riani, directed the second unit.” [...] Oreste Ugo Sasso, Guido Gentilini; produc - Palella directed the first film in 1946, tion : L. Perez Bonsignore per Cigno Caterina da Siena , under the name of Film; country: Italia, 1947; format: “Orestes” (“because, he explains, was a 35mm, b/n; length: 92’. period when fashion wanted foreigners 35mm print from La Cineteca del Friuli. and exotic names”), after some experi - ence in newsreels during topical the «I am proud of being knocked to work war, and activity theatrical university in an extremely difficult period, in and a short work in cine-owl; He had 19 47, when the outlook was very dif - staged inter alia Asinaria and some of ferent from now. Headed Caterina da Plautus No Japanese, also collaborating Sie na , wisely especially spectacular; I with Mario Landi and Enrico Fulchi - was never able to make up for certain gnoni. Now, among his films as a direc - tastes and needs, I had to make many tor, as well as Caterina da Siena and sacrifices. The rest of the amazing plan Mafia alla sbarra , remember Cristo è the film met considerable success: cost passato sull’aia and Il grande viaggio 14 million and a half, had a return of [that Non vogliamo mo rire ?]. In a few 390.» months he works Il sole dietro la neb - Oreste Palella in Riccardo Redi, bia , to be shot in Milan and Sicily, with Fabio Rinaudo, Piacciono in periferia , perhaps two of the interpreters Sedotta «Cinema», n. 133, 15 May 1954 e abbandonata : Stefania Sandrelli and Roberta Narbonne . «The purpose of the «In the sixth centenary of the birth of film, he says, is advocating the end of Catherine of Siena, patroness of Italy the division between “terroni” and Primary, organizations and associations 80 have organized events of various kinds From the review preventive film (8 designed to celebrate the great saint of March 1950): «It is [...] the story of a par - our land. As part of these events the alyzed girl, Dani, who falls in love spir - Cigno Film wanted to cooperate in the itually the boyfriend of his cousin, celebration with a film that translate on Roberto, who never had the opportuni - the screen the mystical world of ty to see if not photography. Suddenly Catherine, describing the life spent all the sick girl dies. While his soul travels through towering historical events, a in the afterlife, he is invited by a white fervent religious activity and by a bold figure of an old tramp down, for one and manly policy activities and social. night, in the ground to find the com - The Holy Father was so benign interest panion for eternity. [...] The current in the making of the film. The Pontiff, script does not deviate from the earlier receiving in special audience the pro - draft if not in the final, where he ducer Leopoldo Perez Bonsignore, the replaced the original suicide of the director Oreste Palella and the protago - hero [...]. Moreover the old vagabond nist of the film Regana de Liguoro, reason is entered - kind of deus ex deigned like The photographs that machina - which, with its frequent were offered and delivered the best supernatural apparitions, should recall wishes for the success of the film cele - the theme of immortality of love. The brates such an endearing personality at rough work of verismo and surrealistic the heart of every Italian, every artist, tone, inspired by some foreign films every Catholic.» (Scala al paradiso , Joe il pilota etc.) In «Rivista del Cinematografo», which the souls of the dead resume October-November 1947 their journey on earth among mortals. no need to point out the difficulties of such works, where a formal delicacy of IL RICHIAMO NELLA TEMPESTA / G LI the script must match a perfect techni - AMANTI DELL ’INFINITO / E LE STELLE cal realization.» NON ATTESERO INVANO «Palella is a man of about forty, a Director, editor: Oreste Palella; story: Sicilian and as such friendly and elo - O. Palella, Carlo Guidotti; screenplay: quent. [...] Palella knows what it means O. Palella, Argi Rovelli, Carla Tavianini; to set a film intended for a slightly cinematography: Alfredo Lupo; music : sophisticated audience, a film without Paul Giugniani; cast: Silvana Pampa - the lure of great actors, a film with no nini, Renato Baldini, Gabriella Sangro, guaranteed minimum. He also knows Carlo Tamberlani, Amedeo Tril li, Rena - what it is to make a film about the to Malavasi; production: Ezio Lavoretti bush, without announcing it, without per Eros Film; country: Italia, 1950; for - spending big money on advertising, no mat: 35mm, b/n; length: 88’. one talked about. [...] In 1950 Palella 16mm print (from 35mm) from Cine - directs a film that truly can be consid - teca Bruno Boschetto. ered typical for the purposes of our 81 inquiry, the film who vainly search in country: Italia, 1953; format: 35mm, the directories: Amanti dell’infinito or b/n; length: 80’. Il richiamo della tempesta . His story is 35mm print from Archivio storico del very significant. The film tells of two ci nema italiano. lovers; one of them died, the other reached on earth for a day: the subject «In 1952 Palella produces Cristo è pas - that the author does not hesitate to sato sull’aia , drawing from the subject describe as surreal . The conclusion was to a popular legend, that in the time of that love still between a man and a harvest Christ go to the countryside in woman, even beyond death. “There the guise of a beggar, and that misfor - was something unreal - says Palella -; a tune strikes whoever refuses alms. Film simple story, told without the commit - in which they are treated the themes of ment of major technical equipment, in popular superstition and simple love. which I had tried to reach outside the “The movie has some really beautiful usual atmosphere. I had very favorable spots - the author assures us -, true critics, although the film was presented faces, intensely dramatic scenes. There in Rome on 18 August. For the first is a happy ending: I did not want to fall time I did see on Silvana Pampanini into the conventional. I wanted to be screen in a dramatic role, without mak - archaic and ruthless, otherwise I would ing them show their legs. I threw have really missed the goal.” The film Renato Baldini in the movie. But I do remained four months in censorship, not know why, perhaps for some reli - and was eventually recommended cut - gious matter, the film was not allowed ting a love scene in a barn; It was for - to mandatory programming: the pro - bidden for children under sixteen and ducing company, Eros Films, failed, not admitted to compulsory program - while managing to pay all. They were ming. Only on appeal, and in these last not paid for the sharing, that is, the sub - days, it gained ten percent. Following ject and directed”. » the vicissitudes of the film charterers they refused to pay the bills, putting Riccardo Redi, Fabio Rinaudo, Piacciono in periferia , cit. the producing company, Segesta Film Palella, in some embarrassment». Riccardo Redi, Fabio Rinaudo, Piacciono in periferia , cit. CRISTO È PASSATO SULL ’AIA Director: Oreste Palella; story: Paolo Mocci; screenplay: Gerolamo Fava ra, P. Mocci; cinematography: Alfredo Lupo; music: Lodo Lodi; cast: Franco Fabrizi, Gianna Segale, Giuditta Tutaeff, Pier Ugo Gragnani, Renato Malavasi, Amedeo Trilli, Sergio Bergonzelli; pro - duction: O. Palella per Segesta Film; 82 I can save you: Wysbar/Wisbar, feminine presence over the Heimat (Expanded Dreyer in progress, II) 83 FRANK WYSBAR the country. Thus started the great by Olaf Möller interlude called emigration: USA where he lived for almost twenty years (and Frank Wysbar/Wisbar’s career is oft two even took on citizenship), did several halves yet one piece; and what holds it splendid films for the bottom feeders of together, is the enigma of death – the studio system (most famously a something the trained officer knew inti - variation on Fährmann Maria called mately from the teachings at the Strangler of the Swamp , 1946), became Prussian military academy. When he a pioneer of television (he directed ao. made films in the German Reich, start - episodes of Fireside Theater ), and ing in the Weimar Republic and contin - ended up a human wreck due to his uing deep into its Nazi-run successor, rampant alcoholism.