Author Archive: Retro

The life and work of the great Italian operatic composer Giuseppi Verdi (1813-1901) is depicted in this 1953 film, made in Italy. Pierre Cressy portrays the composer with intensity and feeling, while Gaby Andre his second wife with tenderness and pathos. A host of fine singers adorn operatic excerpts, including Tenor Mario del Monaco in a startling death scene from “Otello” and Tito Gobbi in a dramatic moment from “Rigoletto.” Throughout the film there are elaborately staged scenes from “Nabucco,” “Il Trovatore,” “La Forza del Destino,” “Aida,” and “Falstaff.” A rare look at the domestic and love life of this composer is afforded, within the usual dramatic license given such biopics. On his death-bed, the Italian composer thinks back on his life; from his childhood to his final opera. Contains pieces from many classic operas: “Otello”, “Rigoletto”, “Nabucco”, “Il Trovatore”, “Aida” and more. English dubbed. Dir. Raffaello Matarazz

British crime drama about a garage owner drawn into murder.

A thriller about a writer whose radio serial hides a murder plot.

Girls in Uniform is a 1951 Mexican drama film directed by Alfredo B. Crevenna and starring Irasema Dilián and Marga López. It is a remake of the 1931 German film Girls in Uniform, set in a female boarding school.

Three Guy de Maupassant stories concerning pleasure are presented; ‘Le Masque’, ‘Le Modele’ and ‘La Maison Teillier’. English subtitles. Dir. Rene Claire.

Based on a true story, a French submarine escapes from Nazi control and is given a top secret mission to contact the Algerian underground. Written by Georges P?clet, adapted from the log-book of the French Naval submarine “Casabianca”. Dir. Georges P?clet

French drama about a man torn between two sisters.