The Phantom Gondola

The Phantom Gondola
The Phantom Gondola
Directed by	Augusto Genina
Written by	Maurice Dekobra (novel); Gino Valori;
Starring	Marcelle Chantal; Henri Rollan; Paul Bernard; Roger Karl;
Cinematography	Anchise Brizzi; Léonce-Henri Burel;
Edited by	Fernando Tropea
Music by	Cesare A. Bixio; Ezio Carabella; Armando Fragna;
Production; companies	Hélianthe-Film; Tiberia Film;
Distributed by	Grandi Film (Italy)
Release date	March 1936;
Running time	85 minutes
Countries	France; Italy;
Language	Italian

The Phantom Gondola (Italian: La gondola delle chimere) is a 1936 French-Italian drama film directed by Augusto Genina and starring Marcelle Chantal, Henri Rollan and Paul Bernard.^[1] The film was a co-production between the two countries shot at the Cines Studios in Rome and based on a 1926 novel by Maurice Dekobra.

Synopsis

A British aristocrat falls in love with a Venetian Count, without realising that he is a spy against the Turks. When she discovers that he has been captured by the notorious Sélim Pacha she does everything she can to save him.

Cast

Marcelle Chantal as Lady Diana Wyndham
Henri Rollan as Le comte Angelo Ruzzi / Il conte Angelo Ruzzi
Paul Bernard as Jimmy
Roger Karl as Sélim Pacha / Selim Pascia
Betty Beckers as Belkis
Serge Nadaud as Sir Reginald Duckling
Edmond Van Daële as Le docteur Erich Krauss / Il dottor Erick Krauss
Alexandre Mihalesco as Ibrahim
Lucie Gueneau as Madame Sacchardi / Signora Saccardi
Doris Duranti as Nelly
Jean Del Val as Monsieur de Montignac
Paul Clerget as Le diplomate / Il diplomato
Hugues de Bagratide as Le prince Ahmed / Il principe Achmed
Jean Clarens as Le capitaine / Il capitano
Emilienne Davray as La téléphoniste
Nino Eller
Mario Falaschi
Giovanni Ferrari
Renato Gabrielli
Carlo Maggio
Lia Rosa
Vanna Vanni
Rosina Adrario

Reception

Writing for The Spectator in 1936, Graham Greene gave the film a poor review, characterizing it as "a cheap, trivial and pretentious story by a popular writer of rather low reputation." While acknowledging that "it is one of the only two films this last year I have found myself unable to endure till the end," and that he had not therefore completed the entire film, Greene explained his action "for never has a melodrama proceeded so slowly, with such a saga-like tread".^[2]

References

^ Nowell-Smith p.60
^ Greene, Graham (10 July 1936). "One Rainy Afternoon/Janosik/The Phantom Gondola". The Spectator. (reprinted in: Taylor, John Russell, ed. (1980). The Pleasure Dome. p. 87. ISBN 0192812866.)

Bibliography

Nowell-Smith, Geoffrey & Hay, James & Volpi, Gianni. The Companion to Italian Cinema. Cassell, 1996.

External links

The Phantom Gondola at IMDb

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[1] Nowell-Smith p.60

[2] Greene, Graham (10 July 1936). "One Rainy Afternoon/Janosik/The Phantom Gondola". The Spectator. (reprinted in: Taylor, John Russell, ed. (1980). The Pleasure Dome. p. 87. ISBN 0192812866.)

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