Raffaello Matarazzo's Runaway Melodramas Eclipse 27

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  Commentary:  Under construction.
    Directed by Raffaello Matarazzo.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • 
    Chains
    Commentary:  Under construction.
      

    Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
    Amedeo Nazzari	Guglielmo	Yvonne Sanson	Rosa	Aldo Nicodemi	Emilio	Teresa Franchini	Anna Aniello/Guglielmo's mother
    Aldo Silvani	Prosecutor	Roberto Murolo	Emigrant	Nino Marchesini	Defense Attny	Gianfranco Magalotti	Tonino Aniello

    
      Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
      Release Date: 1949
    
    
  • 
    Tormento
    Commentary:  Under construction.
      

    Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
    Amedeo Nazzari	Carlo Guarnieri	Yvonne Sanson	Anna Ferrari	Annibale Betrone	Gaetano Ferrari	Mario Ferrari	L'avvocato Bianchi
    Teresa Franchini	Rosina	Tina Lattanzi	Matilde Ferrari	Aldo Nicodemi	Ruffini	Giuditta Rissone	Madre Celeste

    
      Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
      Release Date: 1950
    
    
  • 
    Nobody's Children
    Commentary:  Under construction.
      

    Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
    Amedeo Nazzari	Guido Canali	Yvonne Sanson	Luisa Fanti/Sister Addolorata	Françoise Rosay	Contessa Canali	Folco Lulli	Anselmo Vannini
    Enrica Dyrell	Elena	Teresa Franchini	Marta	Gualtiero Tumiati	Padre Demetrio	Alberto Farnese	Poldo
    Aristide Baghetti	Bernardo Fanti/Luisa's father	Enrico Glori	Rinadi	Olga Solbelli	Mother Superior	Nino Marchesini	il dottore

    
      Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
      Release Date: 1950
    
    
  • 
    The White Angel
    Commentary:  Under construction.
      

    Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
    Amedeo Nazzari	Guido Carani	Yvonne Sanson	Lina Marcolin/Luisa Fanti	Enrico Olivieri	Bruno Carani	Enrica Dyrell	Elena Carani
    Alberto Farnese	Alberto Farnese	Flora Lillo	Flora	Philippe Hersent	Mario La Torre	Nerio Bernardi	Avvocato Rossi
    Virgilio Riento	Dottor Marini	Olga Solbelli	Madre Superiora	Ignazio Balsamo	Poliziotto	Franca Parisi	Cameriera

    
      Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
      Release Date: 1955
    
    
    The site from which I linked the individual reviews of the movies, above, also features an overall review of the series, by David Blakeslee, who has assigned himself the task of reviewing all Criterion releases. The article he's written on this series includes acknowledgment of it's relative rarity in critical circles, until recently. In addition, he talks about the stars and the popularity of these over-the-top melodramas in Italy. Interesting read. I decided to purchase the set because of my attraction to and collection of Douglas Sirk's melodramas, which, to my surprise, were released within the same time frame as Matarazzo's melodramas. Blakeslee mentions this correlation in Sirk's and Matarazzo's output. Makes me wonder if there was a worldwide, or, even, Western-wide thirst for melodrama during this time period. I should check that out, and research what, in culture, might have caused this thirst. Could it have had anything to do with this period corresponding to the wake of World War II, I wonder? As well, are there any melodramatic movie correlations in Japanese culture?