Malombra

1917 MysteryDrama 75 minutes Directed by Carmine Gallone

Open in new tab

About Malombra

Marina di Malombra is sent to live in a castle on Lake Como before her wedding. She reads letters from an ancestor, Cecilia, whose uncle drove her to her death, and comes to believe that she herself is Cecilia. She kills her own uncle, Count Cesare d'Ormengo, for Cecilia. Realizing what she has done, she kills herself.

Cast & crew

More about Malombra

Carmine Gallone directed this Cines adaptation of Antonio Fogazzaro's 1881 novel. Lyda Borelli plays Marina. Augusto Mastripietri plays Cesare d'Ormengo and Amleto Novelli plays Corrado Silla. The premiere was on 15 February 1917.

Themes

  • Letters from a dead ancestor
  • A niece who takes Cecilia's revenge
  • Suicide after the murder
  • Marina di Malombra
  • Cecilia
  • Lake Como
  • Cesare d'Ormengo
  • letters

Reviews

Tito Alacci, writing in Film after the February 1917 opening, praised the Lake Como images, the color, and the technical work, and wrote that the plot and the famous actors would not entertain or move an ordinary audience.

Look

Giovanni Grimaldi photographed the film, including the views of Lake Como that Alacci singled out.

Notes

  • Amedeo Ciaffi plays Steinegge, Consuelo Spada plays Edith Steinegge, Francesco Cacace plays Count Salvador, and Giulia Cassini-Rizzotto plays Countess Salvador.
  • A 1942 film, also called Malombra, adapts the same novel.
  • The picture was shown in the Silent Divas of the Italian Cinema program at the 38th New York Film Festival in 2000.
  • The Internet Archive copy is listed at 74 minutes and names Società Italiana Cines.

Scenes

  • Marina reads Cecilia's letters in the castle and decides she is Cecilia.
  • She kills Count Cesare d'Ormengo and then kills herself.

Influenced by

  • Malombra (novel)

Also available

  • Internet Archive (silent-malombra)