Skip to main content

Fernanda Negri Pouget: Silence is Golden

A silent film luminary, she shunned celebrity and stepped away from the spotlight entirely with the advent of audio.

Born in the Eternal City in 1889, Fernanda Negri Pouget was one of the first stars of Italian cinema. Her rise to fame was swift, and she went on to dominate Italy’s silent film era.

 

Negri Pouget studied the performing arts at Rome’s National Academy of Santa Cecilia, one of the oldest musical institutions in the world. She made her big-screen debut at the age of 17 in the 1906 short film “Il romanzo di un Pierrot,” which was produced by Rome’s leading production house, Alberini & Santoni. Three years later, she was chosen by prolific director Mario Caserini to star in his 1909 release “Beatrice Cenci.” The movie made her a star and was the first of many successful collaborations between the two.

 

In 1912, she relocated to Torino, where she joined the Ambrosio Film production company. There, she starred in a string of hits. Among them was Caserini’s 1913 “Dante e Beatrice” (The Life of Dante). Set in Florence during the 13th century, the story line follows the young Dante Alighieri (Oreste Grandi) as he meets and falls in love with Beatrice (Negri Pouget), the wistful daughter of a prominent banker. The two marry, and she eventually meets a tragic end. Overcome with grief, Dante seeks consolation in the arms of a courtesan and embarks on the path that will lead to the writing of the “Divine Comedy.”

 

The film was released in Italy in February 1913 and in the United States the following April. In 2007, Cineteca di Bologna restored it as part of a project to recover and enhance the silent movies created by Torino production companies. It was later presented at the Cineteca di Bologna’s annual summer festival, Cinema Ritrovato, which features restored films.

 

Also in 1913, Negri Pouget starred as Nidia in Caserini and Eleuterio Rodolfi’s “The Last Days of Pompeii.” The film’s action takes place right before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Based on Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s 1834 novel, it is one of early Italian cinema’s epic achievements.

The film follows a large cast of characters behaving badly as they obsess over wealth, beauty and passion. Negri Pouget steals the show with her brilliant portrayal of a blind slave who falls in love with Glaucus (Ubaldo Stefani), a wealthy man who rescued her from an abusive master. Her sensitive performance is what sets this film apart from other early Italian blockbusters like “Dante’s Inferno” and “Cabiria.” It’s one for the record books and should be part of film school coursework for aspiring actresses.

 

As a love story slowly emerges, Nidia’s tragic life tugs at the audience’s heartstrings. Her naivete gets her into trouble after she inadvertently ruins Glaucus by trusting one of his adversaries. In the end, she redeems herself with the ultimate act of sacrifice. The storyline and performances are so riveting, it’s easy to forget the impending cataclysm.

 

If you’ve ever visited the vast ruins of Pompeii or have seen images of it, this film will bring that long lost world to life. From the populous streets and opulent baths to the luxurious costumes and detailed props, the elaborate, sumptuous sets paint a vivid portrait of a rich, cultured society.

 

Negri Pouget was as private as she was famous. She was married to French actor Armand Pouget, but no wedding date was ever made public. According to Italian director and critic Lucio D’Ambra, she stood out in that she “detached herself from the world of divas.” 

She had no desire to live the life of a star and stepped away from the public eye entirely after the silent film era came to an end. Her last appearance was in Torello Rolli’s 1923 movie “La gola del lupo” (The Wolf’s Throat). She passed away in February 1955 at the age of 65.


Watch “The Last Days of Pompeii” on Amazon. 


-Written by Jeannine Guilyard for the May, 2022 issue of Fra Noi Magazine. Click here to subscribe.

 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Federico Fellini: A Look into the Life and Career of an Icon

A Fellini family portrait  “The term became a common word to describe something on the surface you can say is bizarre or strange, but actually is really like a painter working on a film,” said Martin Scorsese when asked to define “Felliniesque,” an adjective inspired by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. The oldest of three children, Federico Fellini was born in the seaside town of Rimini in 1920. His father was a traveling salesman, so his mother was left to do the bulk of raising the children. One can argue that Fellini was born for his destiny. “You could tell that even as a child, he was different and unique. He was very intelligent, well above average. He was always the one to organize things, direct the others, make up games. He could control the other kids with just a look, said Fellini’s sister, Maddalena, in an interview with journalist Gideon Bachmann.  Not only was Fellini directing the children, but he was also putting on shows and charging ...

'Salvatore Giuliano' blends documentary realism with dramatic storytelling

"Salvatore Giuliano" is a 1962 Italian crime drama directed by Francesco Rosi that dramatizes the real-life events surrounding the life and death of the legendary Sicilian bandit and folk hero. Giuliano rose to notoriety after the liberation of Sicily from fascist control in 1943, when he formed a gang that joined a separatist army. When the army dissolved, he and his gang intensified their outlaw activities. One of their most significant crimes was the Portella della Ginestra incident, during which dozens of men, women, and children were killed or wounded. This act prompted the authorities to launch an all-out war against Giuliano. His defenses slowly crumbled, and on July 5, 1959, his body was discovered in the courtyard of a house in Castelvetrano. That moment serves as the starting point for Rosi's film. Giuliano's fame is tied to his involvement in the Sicilian independence movement and his battles against both the Italian government and the Mafia in the 1940s a...

The Timeless Talent of Stefania Sandrelli

On screen since the tender age of 14, she has captivated audiences for more than 50 years with a compelling combination of strength and vulnerability. She achieved stardom at just 14 years old playing the angelic cousin of a love-struck Marcello Mastroianni in Pietro Germi’s “Divorce Italian Style.” More than half a century later, she is still going strong and remains one of Italy’s most esteemed actors. Stefania Sandrelli was born on June 5, 1946, in Viareggio in the province of Lucca in northern Italy. As a child, she studied music and dance. Then in 1960, she won a beauty pageant and was featured on the cover of Le Ore magazine. Her purity captivated the country and shortly thereafter, movie offers began pouring in. Just one year later, she made her cinema debut in three feature films: Mario Sequi’s Gioventù di notte , Luciano Salce’s The Fascist, and Pietro Germi’s Divorce Italian Style . She instantly became a star and before long was a key figure in Italy’s legend...

Gianfranco Rosi to premiere 'Sotto le nuvole' at Venice Film Fest, exploring Naples' history

Documentary filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi will premiere his much-anticipated latest film at the upcoming 82nd Venice International Film Festival , which runs August 27 - Sept. 6. "Sotto le nuvole" (Below the Clouds)  takes a deep dive into the rich history and culture of Naples and the area surrounding Mount Vesuvius. There has not been much information revealed but so far, we know that the film will focus on themes similar to those explored by Rosi in his previous works, such as the examination of Roman culture in "Sacro GRA" (2013) and Lampedusa's refugee crisis in "Fuocoammare" (2016).  The film's synopsis reads, “The land around Vesuvius is a vast palimpsest. On the surface, underground and even beneath the sea of the modern city of Naples and its surroundings, the memory of history is etched into tunnels, walls and fissures, the remains of women, children and men — statues, buried cities. Only thin layers separate contemporary and ancient life, an...

"Roma 11:00" – The Tragic True Story of Desperation in a World of Poverty

There couldn’t have been a more perfect couple than Lucia Bosè and Raf Vallone in Giuseppe De Santis’ 1952 “Roma 11:00.”  A tragic story based on true events, the film follows several young women in post-WWII Rome as they answer a job listing for a typist. When 200 women are in line on one staircase over several floors, a crack leads to the collapse of the entire staircase. Dozens were injured and one was killed. The tragedy spoke to the poverty and desperation that existed for so many Italians in the early 1950s before the ‘58 industrial boom began.  Cesare Zavattini was one of the screenwriters. Elio Petri was the assistant director who interviewed many of the victims and cast a few in supporting roles. In addition to Bosè and Vallone, the film stars Carla Del Poggio, Massimo Girotti, Maria Grazia Francia, Lea Padovani and Delia Scala. The film is set in Largo Circense 37, while in reality the collapse took place in via Savoia 31, in the Salario district, on J...