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Frame enlargement: Silent Era image collection.
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Nerone
Also known as Nero; or, The Fall of Rome in the USA : [Nero and the Burning of Rome]
(1909) Italy
B&W : One reel / 338 metres
Directed by Luigi Maggi [?] + [Arturo Ambrosio]?
Cast: Alberto Capozzi [Nerone], Lydia de Roberti [Poppea], Mirra Principi [Ottavia], Luigi Maggi [Epafrodito], Ercole Vaser [spione], Paolo Azzurri [senatore], Ernesto Vaser [senatore; and uomo del popolo], Serafino Vite [uomo del popolo], Leo Ragusi [uomo del popolo], Mario Voller-Buzzi
Società Anonima Ambrosio production; distributed by [?] Società Anonima Ambrosio? / Produced by Arturo Ambrosio. Scenario by Decoroso Bonifanti and Arrigo Frusta. Art direction by Decoroso Bonifanti. Cinematography by Giovanni Vitrotti. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / The film was released in Germany on 28 October 1909. The film was released in the USA as Nero; or, The Fall of Rome by [?] Empire Film Company and/or Film Import and Trading Company? on 1 November 1909.
Drama: Historical.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? Scene 1: Nero is fascinated by a young girl, one of the guests at his palace. Scene 2: Nero’s friend learns that her name is Poppeo and plans a meeting with Nero. Scene 3: Nero meets Poppeo. Scene 4: Poppeo, conscious of her power, plans to win the place of the Empress Octavia. Scene 5: Poppeo induces Nero to publicly insult Octavia. Scene 6: Poppeo demands that Nero kill Octavia. Scene 7: Octavia is slain. Scene 8: The populace revolt at the news of her death. Scene 9: Nero sets fire to Rome to quell the uprising. Scene 10: Nero’s visions of remorse. Scene 11: Nero kills himself to evade the fury of the people.
Reviews: [The Moving Picture World, 6 November 1909, page ?] We sat in simple amazement at the marvelous manner in which the production had been staged, artistically dressed, lighted and photographed. We seemed, for all the world, to be looking on a production of Mansfield, Irving or some great producing actor who is determined to give the public a chef d’oeuvre. It was no simple comedy scene, but one demanding all the magnificent effects of procession, brilliancy of costume and acting, and finally the great conflagration of Rome; such a marvelous realism of effect that as we sat and watched this colored part of the film we seemed, as it were, to hear the cries of the victims.
Survival status: Print exists.
Current rights holder: (unknown) [Italy]; Public domain [USA].
Keywords: Ancient Romans - Ancient Rome - Ancient world - Beards - Busts - Crime: Murder - Crowds - Dancers - Death: Murder - Divorce - Fire - Italy: Rome - Musical instruments - Negroes - Roman Empire - Servants - Smoke - Soldiers: Roman - Statues - Trees - Visions - Water - Weapons: Swords - Wives
Listing updated: 5 January 2025.
References: Film credits, film viewing : Bardèche-History p. 50; Robinson-Palace p. 135 : Website-IMDb.
Home video: DVD.
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