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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

^ 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[edit]

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

External links[edit]

The Phantom Gondola at IMDb

This article related to an Italian film of the 1930s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[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.)

[1]

[2]