Ivo Illuminati (11 June 1882 â€" 6 September 1963) was an Italian film
director, actor and screenwriter and a pioneer of the Italian silent
movie.In 1887 he moved with his parents and two brothers from his
native Ripatransone to Rome, where his father worked as a state civil
servant. There Illuminati met personnel of Auguste and Louis Lumière,
who imported the new techniques of the cinema from France and taught
them to young people. He became a pupil of Gaston Velle, director of
the production company Cines and learned how to use the movie
camera.Between 1902 and 1913 he made many short films of 2 to 5
minutes duration, in which many Italian actors made their debut, e.g.,
Hesperia, Leda Gys, Diomira Jacobini, Maria Jacobini, Fulvia Perini,
and Elvira Radaelli. Illumnati himself had his first role in Emilio
Ghione's Gespay, fantino e gentiluomo in 1914.In the same year his
career as a film director took off with La fanciulla di Capri, Una
donna and Mamma perdona. He became an established figure in the
Italian movie scene with Leda innamorata, Quando la primavera
ritornò, Sotto l'ala della morte, I re, le torri, gli alfieri (1916)
and Emir, cavallo da circo (1917). The last two films are considered
to be among his best works. In 1917 Illuminati changed his production
company from Medusa Film to Silentium Film of Milan, with whom he made
La nemica (1917) and Automartirio (1917). However, Illuminati ran into
conflicts with a film critic who preferred American imported movies
and with the Italian government, which cut 600 meters from his film La
vita è fumo (1918). A similar fate hit Tombola (1918, with neorealist
leanings) and La stirpe (1918). Tombola convinced a public which in
general preferred movies from the United States.
director, actor and screenwriter and a pioneer of the Italian silent
movie.In 1887 he moved with his parents and two brothers from his
native Ripatransone to Rome, where his father worked as a state civil
servant. There Illuminati met personnel of Auguste and Louis Lumière,
who imported the new techniques of the cinema from France and taught
them to young people. He became a pupil of Gaston Velle, director of
the production company Cines and learned how to use the movie
camera.Between 1902 and 1913 he made many short films of 2 to 5
minutes duration, in which many Italian actors made their debut, e.g.,
Hesperia, Leda Gys, Diomira Jacobini, Maria Jacobini, Fulvia Perini,
and Elvira Radaelli. Illumnati himself had his first role in Emilio
Ghione's Gespay, fantino e gentiluomo in 1914.In the same year his
career as a film director took off with La fanciulla di Capri, Una
donna and Mamma perdona. He became an established figure in the
Italian movie scene with Leda innamorata, Quando la primavera
ritornò, Sotto l'ala della morte, I re, le torri, gli alfieri (1916)
and Emir, cavallo da circo (1917). The last two films are considered
to be among his best works. In 1917 Illuminati changed his production
company from Medusa Film to Silentium Film of Milan, with whom he made
La nemica (1917) and Automartirio (1917). However, Illuminati ran into
conflicts with a film critic who preferred American imported movies
and with the Italian government, which cut 600 meters from his film La
vita è fumo (1918). A similar fate hit Tombola (1918, with neorealist
leanings) and La stirpe (1918). Tombola convinced a public which in
general preferred movies from the United States.
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