Padre

1912 37 minutes (surviving print) Directed by Gino Zaccaria

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About Padre

Evaristo Marni, an industrialist, envies Andrea Vivanti and sets the drunk worker Tonio on Andrea's factory. Andrea has just insured the plant. A court treats the blaze as arson for the insurance and sends him to prison for life. Marni, guilty, takes in Andrea's daughter Lidia. Thirteen years later Andrea is out. Tonio has grown rich blackmailing Marni and drops a note that tells the truth. Andrea finds it, goes to the villa for revenge, and stops when he sees Lidia in love with Marni's son Roberto. Tonio, sure Marni took the note, burns the house. Lidia gets clear and begs Andrea to save Marni. Andrea and the firemen pull him out. Marni confesses, tells Lidia who Andrea is, asks him to look after the orphaned Roberto, and dies.

Cast & crew

More about Padre

Dante Testa and Gino Zaccaria directed the Itala drama. Giovanni Tomatis photographed it. Segundo de Chomón did the trick work. The original length is 1,034 meters. The Museo Nazionale del Cinema lists censorship visa 4732, dated 16 October 1914. Ermete Zacconi plays Andrea, Lidia Quaranta plays Lidia, Giovanni Casaleggio plays Marni, Febo Mari plays Roberto, Testa plays Tonio, and Valentina Frascaroli plays Lucia.

Themes

  • A factory burned so the owner can be blamed
  • Blackmail that lasts the prison term
  • A confession after the second fire
  • Evaristo Marni
  • Andrea Vivanti
  • Tonio
  • arson
  • insurance fraud
  • Lidia
  • Itala Film

Making

Itala staged the factory fire and then the villa fire, with Zacconi as the man locked up for the first blaze and Chomón on the effects.

Look

Giovanni Tomatis shot the factory, the years in prison, and the villa. Segundo de Chomón supplied the fire effects.

Preservation

A tinted print with Dutch titles survives at 749 meters, 37 minutes at 18 frames per second. The original release was 1,034 meters. EYE Filmmuseum restored the copy now associated with the Museo Nazionale del Cinema.

Notes

  • A Cineteca print, previously restored by the EYE Filmmuseum, is 749 meters of 35mm acetate, timed at 37 minutes at 18 frames per second, with Dutch intertitles and color.
  • The Cineteca cast list also includes a performer billed only as signor Ravel.
  • Chomón, usually the director of his own trick films, is credited here for the effects.

Scenes

  • Tonio burns the insured factory and Andrea is sentenced to life.
  • Andrea picks up the note Tonio dropped and walks to the villa, then sees Lidia with Roberto.
  • Marni, pulled from the house fire, names Andrea to Lidia and dies.

Also available

  • Wikimedia Commons (Padre (1912).webm)