Augusto Genina Movies

L'Edera is better known by its English-language title, Devotion. Based on a novel by Grazia Deledda, the film concentrates on a once-prominent family, recently fallen upon hard times. When the family is threatened with eviction from their ancestral home, their son (Roldano Lupi) seeks financial aid from a misanthropic miser (Juan de Landa). When the old man refuses to help, the son's lady love (Columba Dominguez) kills the miser. She escapes detection, but cannot escape her own conscience. The film's finale gives a whole new meaning to the term "dramatic irony." Completed in 1950, L'Edera did not attain an American release until 1953. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Unlike most Italian films of the 1940s, Augusto Genina's Cielo Sulla Palude opened in Venice rather than Rome. The film's American title was Heaven Over the Marshes, and indeed most of the story is set in the disease-ridden Pontine Marshes on the outskirts of Rome. This was the home of Maria Goretti, a pious young girl who was murdered by her would-be seducer. For reasons elucidated in the course of the film, Maria's short time on earth made her worthy of Sainthood, which was actually bestowed upon her shortly after the release of this film. Maria Goretti is well-played by Ines Orsini. Cielo Sulla Palude served as the comeback feature for director Augusto Genina, whose previous pro-fascist films had caused him to be blacklisted after WW II. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Sin Novedad en el Alcazar (Siege of the Alcazar) is fascist propaganda in the guise of popular entertainment. Set during the Spanish Civil War, the story dramatizes the 70-day defense of the Alcazar of Toledo by Nationalist troops under the command of General Moscardo. At the end of the siege, it appears as though the Republican forces are triumphant, but the defenders have the last laugh. The film's dramatic high point is Moscardo's sacrifice of his own son, held hostage by the Republicans (according to the film, the younger Moscardo goes to his death willingly and with a smile on his lips). Somehow or other, Spanish dictator Francisco Franco emerges as the hero of the film, though he was but one of three generals fighting at the Alcazar. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Squadrone Bianco (The White Squadron) was the last of three films completed in 1936 by versatile Italian director Augusto Genina. The story concerns a young cavalry officer (Fosco Giachetti) who voluntarily transfers to a godforsaken outpost in Africa. He has done this to get over an unhappy romance but now finds he is twice as unhappy in solitude. Eventually his inbred sense of duty resurfaces and he becomes a "model" officer, successfully fending off a band of rebellious natives. And as icing on the cake, he wins back the love of his sweetheart (Fulvia Giachetti). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Carmen Boni plays La Femme en Homme (The Woman Dressed as a Man) in this Gallic romp. The real star of the show, however, is Andre Dubosc, cast as a misogynistic old nobleman. Told that he is to take charge of his grandson, Dubosc is taken aback when he discovers that "he" is actually a "she." At first rejecting the girl, the old coot finally comes to love and accept her. Only the pronounced Italian accent of leading lady Carmen Boni detracts from the comic credibility of the tale. But after all, Boni was the wife of director Augusto Genina, whose impressive list of credits allowed him leeway to indulge in a bit of favoritism now and then. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The French Prix de Beaute stars cult figure Louise Brooks as a nondescript typist for a Parisian newspaper. On a whim, Brooks submits her photograph to the Miss France Contest. To everyone's amazement--and her boyfriend Andre's (Georges Charlia) displeasure--she wins the contest, and is sucked into a whirlwind of photo ops and interviews at the Miss Europe contest in Spain. Here she is confronted by Andre, who angrily demands that she give up this foolishness and return home. But the lure of fame and fortune is much too strong, and before long Brooks has signed a movie contract. The heart-stopping tragic climax brilliantly juxtaposes the image of the dead Brooks with her "live" screen image. Not as highly regarded as Louise Brooks' German films for G. W. Pabst, Prix de Beaute nonetheless succeeds in terms of visual dynamics and the naturalness of the star's performance. Available in both sound and silent versions, the film never received a formal American release. Augusto Genina replaced the film's original director Rene Clair during the pre-production stages. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This curious Italian film was somewhere in-between a satire and a tragedy. The title was apparently created solely to bring in a curious audience, since the film never does answer the question. Lesley Mason edited it for American consumption. Edy Darclea has a dual role, as Flavia, an heiress, and Mousselaine, an actress. Two club men, Madoc and Glenmore, are rivals for the hand of Flavia, and they also hear of Mousselaine, who could be Flavia's double. The men make a bet -- whoever wins either Flavia or Mousselaine will have to give the other fifty thousand dollars. Glenmore marries Mousselaine and then hears that Madoc has wed the heiress. He decides to kidnap Flavia while Madoc is gone and leave Mousselaine in her place. The two men fight a duel over this, and Glenmore is killed. Afterwards, Madoc and Flavia leave on a belated honeymoon -- rather a strange way to end things. The director was billed as "Genina," and was probably Augusto Genina, who was best known for 1930's Prix de Beaute starring Louise Brooks). ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide