Italia Almirante, Ravishing Star of Italian Silent Film

The ravishingly beautiful Signorina Almirante starred in some of the earliest silent films. She came from a theater family, and began her career on stage. She made a number of successful films, only one of them a talkie. 

The film represented in this image, "L'Arzigogolo," whose title translates as "The Convoluted," was made in 1924, and although the star is listed as Italia Almirante, it was in 1919 that Italia Almirante married the well known journalist Amerigo Manzini, and was thereafter most frequently known by Almirante-Manzini. The film was the smash hit of the season, with twisted romance, intrigue and murder.

Alberto Collo, her co-star (we simply love his costume), was a very popular silent film actor who did continue with talkies. His last film was made in 1954, at the age of 76. In 1955, in Turin, he simply disappeared.
 

AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE Italia Almirante, Silent Film Diva, circa 1920s

In 1935, Signorina Almirante-Manzini moved to Brazil (conceivably she and her husband felt uncomfortable in the rapidly changing political environment of the time-many did-particularly journalists).

In Brazil, she continued with theater until 1941, when she died, reportedly as a result of being bitten by a poisonous insect. 

A marvelously evocative unposted card, published by Signore Falci of Milan in the early 1920s.