Mario Bonnard (24 December 1889 – 22 March 1965) was an Italian actor and film director. Bonnard was born and died in Rome. He began his cinematic career as an actor becoming a popular romantic lead in numerous silent films made before World War I. In 1917 he ventured into film directing for the first time. Before the arrival of sound films he worked for a period in Germany in films directed by

Luis Trenker Luis Trenker (born Alois Franz Trenker, 4 October 1892 – 13 April 1990) was a South Tyrolean film producer, director, writer, actor, architect, Mountaineering, alpinist, and Bobsleigh, bobsledder. Biography Early life Alois Franz Trenker was b ...

. Back in Italy in 1932, he became a prolific director working with the major stars of the time as:

Assia Noris Assia Noris (16 February 1912 – 27 January 1998) was a Russian-Italian film actress. Born Anastasia Noris fon Gerzfeld (Anastassia Noris von Herzfeld), she appeared in over 35 films between 1932 and 1965. She starred in films such as the Ma ...

Elsa Merlini Elsa Merlini (26 July 1903 – 22 February 1983), was an Italian film actress. She appeared in 29 films between 1931 and 1976. She was born in Trieste, Italy and died in Rome, Italy. Selected filmography * ''The Private Secretary'' (1931) * ...

Amedeo Nazzari Amedeo Nazzari (10 December 1907 in Cagliari – 5 November 1979 in Rome) was an Italian actor. Nazzari was one of the leading figures of Italian classic cinema, often considered a local variant of the Australian–American star Errol Flynn. Al ...

Luisa Ferida Luisa Ferida, real surname Manfrini, (18 March 1914 – 30 April 1945) was an Italian stage and film actress. She was one of divas in Italian cinema during decade 1935-1945 and she was the highest paid movie star of that period. The actress w ...

, Henry Viarisio. ''Il feroce Saladino'' (1937) was the most popular of his films of the 1930s. During the war he continued to work. In the post World War II period his films, ranging from comedies to period dramas enjoyed much success. However, today he's no longer well known. One of his last films was ''

The Last Days of Pompeii ''The Last Days of Pompeii'' is a novel written by Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1834. The novel was inspired by the painting '' The Last Day of Pompeii'' by the Russian painter Karl Briullov, which Bulwer-Lytton had seen in Milan. It culminates in ...

'' (1959). An illness made him leave production early, so the film was completed by

Sergio Leone Sergio Leone (; 3 January 1929 – 30 April 1989) was an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter credited as the pioneer of the Spaghetti Western genre and widely regarded as one of the most influential directors in the history of cin ...

. His brother was the composer Giulio Bonnard, who frequently wrote

film score A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to ...

s for Mario's productions.

Selected filmography

* '' Floretta and Patapon'' (1913) * '' Love Everlasting'' (1913) * ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...

'' (1915) * '' The Betrothed'' (1923) * ''

The Circus of Life ''The Circus of Life'' (German: ''Die Flucht in den Zirkus'') is a 1926 German silent film directed by Mario Bonnard and Guido Parish and starring Marcella Albani, Vladimir Gajdarov and Fritz Kampers.Bock & Bergfelder p.90 It was shot at the St ...

'' (1926) * ''

The Golden Abyss ''The Golden Abyss'' (German:''Der goldene Abgrund'') is a 1927 German silent film directed by Mario Bonnard and starring Liane Haid, André Roanne and Hans Albers.Bock & Bergfelder p.168 The film's art direction was by Andrej Andrejew and Alex ...

'' (1927) * ''

Struggle for the Matterhorn ''Struggle for the Matterhorn'' (german: Der Kampf ums Matterhorn) is a 1928 German-Swiss silent drama film co-directed by Mario Bonnard and Nunzio Malasomma and starring Luis Trenker, Marcella Albani, and Alexandra Schmitt. The film is part o ...

'' (1928) * ''

Theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

'' (1928) * '' The Sinner'' (1928) * '' The Call of the North'' (1929) * ''

Call at Midnight ''Call at Midnight'' (german: Anschluß um Mitternacht) is a 1929 German silent film directed by Mario Bonnard and starring Marcella Albani, Ralph Arthur Roberts, and Curt Bois.Goble p. 341 The film's art direction was by Heinrich Richter Hei ...

'' (1929) * ''

The Son of the White Mountain ''The Son of the White Mountain'' (German: ''Der Sohn der weißen Berge'') is a 1930 German mystery romance film directed by Mario Bonnard and Luis Trenker and starring Trenker, Maria Matray and Renate Müller. It was part of the popular serie ...

'' (1930) * ''

Five to Nil ''Five to Nil'' (Italian: ''Cinque a zero'') is a 1932 Italian sports comedy film directed by Mario Bonnard and starring Angelo Musco, Milly, and Osvaldo Valenti.Moliterno p.5 It was inspired by a 5–0 victory by A.S. Roma against their rivals ...

'' (1932) * ''

Three Lucky Fools ''Three Lucky Fools'' (Italian: ''Tre uomini in frack'') is a 1933 French-Italian comedy film directed by Mario Bonnard and starring Tito Schipa, Eduardo De Filippo, and Fred Pasquali. It marked the film debut of Assia Noris, who went on to be a ...

'' (1933) * '' The Wedding March'' (1934) * ''

Territorial Militia ''Territorial Militia'' (Italian: ''Milizia territoriale'') is a 1935 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Bonnard and starring Antonio Gandusio, Rosina Anselmi and Leda Gloria.Chiti & Poppi p.224 The film's sets were designed by the art direct ...

'' (1935) * ''

Adam's Tree ''Adam's Tree'' (Italian: ''L'albero di Adamo'') is a 1936 Italian " white-telephones" comedy film directed by Mario Bonnard and starring Elsa Merlini, Antonio Gandusio and Renato Cialente.Goble p.663 The film's sets were designed by the art d ...

'' (1936) * ''

Thirty Seconds of Love ''Thirty Seconds of Love'' (Italian:''Trenta secondi d'amore'') is a 1936 Italian romantic comedy film directed by Mario Bonnard and starring Nino Besozzi Nino Besozzi (6 February 1901 – 2 February 1971) was an Italian film actor. He app ...

'' (1936) * ''

The Ferocious Saladin ''The Ferocious Saladin'' (Italian: ''Il feroce Saladino'') is a 1937 Italian " white-telephones" comedy film directed by Mario Bonnard and starring Angelo Musco, Alida Valli and Lino Carenzio. The film was made at Cinecittà in Rome. On 28 April ...

'' (1937) * ''

The Count of Brechard ''The Count of Brechard'' (Italian: ''Il conte di Brechard'') is a 1938 Italian historical drama film directed by Mario Bonnard and starring Amedeo Nazzari, Luisa Ferida, and Ugo Ceseri.Klossner p.83 It was adapted from the Giovacchino Forzano pla ...

'' (1938) * '' I, His Father'' (1939) * ''

Frenzy ''Frenzy'' is a 1972 British thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It is the penultimate feature film of his extensive career. The screenplay by Anthony Shaffer was based on the 1966 novel ''Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Squar ...

'' (1939) * '' Father For a Night'' (1939) * ''

The King's Jester ''The King's Jester'' ( it, Il re si diverte) is a 1941 Italian historical drama film directed by Mario Bonnard and starring Michel Simon, María Mercader and Rossano Brazzi. The film is an adaptation of the play ''Le roi s'amuse'' by Victor Hugo ...

'' (1941) * '' Marco Visconti'' (1941) * ''

Before the Postman ''There's Room Up Ahead'' (Italian: ''Avanti c'è posto'') is a 1942 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Bonnard and starring Aldo Fabrizi, Andrea Checchi and Adriana Benetti.Moliterno p.45 It was made at Cinecittà in Rome. Plot A young gi ...

'' (1942) * ''

The Peddler and the Lady ''The Peddler and the Lady'' (Italian title: ''Campo de' fiori'') is a 1943 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Bonnard and starring Aldo Fabrizi, Caterina Boratto and Anna Magnani.Reich & Garofalo p.101 Much of the film is set on the Campo de ...

'' (1943) * '' Romulus and the Sabines'' (1945) * '' Farewell, My Beautiful Naples'' (1946) * ''

City of Pain ''City of Pain'' ( it, La città dolente) is a 1949 Italian drama film directed by Mario Bonnard. It was shown as part of a retrospective "Questi fantasmi: Cinema italiano ritrovato" at the 65th Venice International Film Festival. Cast *Luigi T ...

'' (1948) * ''

Margaret of Cortona Margaret of Cortona (1247 – 22 February 1297) was an Italian penitent of the Third Order of Saint Francis. She was born in Laviano, near Perugia, and died in Cortona. She was canonized in 1728. She is the patron saint of the falsely accused ...

'' (1950) * '' Il voto'' (1950) * '' Stasera sciopero'' (1951) * ''

The Last Sentence ''The Last Sentence'' ( sv, Dom över död man; Judgement on the dead) is a 2012 Swedish film, directed by Jan Troell and starring Jesper Christensen, Pernilla August, Björn Granath and Ulla Skoog. It is set between 1933 and 1945, and focuses ...

'' (1951) * ''

Torment of the Past ''Torment of the Past'' (Italian:''Tormento del passato'') is a 1952 Italian melodrama film co-written and directed by Mario Bonnard. Cast * Hélène Rémy as Luisa * Marc Lawrence as Andrea Rossi *Raffaella Carrà as Graziella (credited as Ra ...

'' (1952) * ''

I figli non si vendono ''I figli non si vendono'' (literally, ''Children must not be sold'') is a 1952 Italian melodrama film by Mario Bonnard. Plot Cast * Lea Padovani as Anna * Jacques Sernas as Carlo Dazzeni / Roberto Dazzeni * Maria Grazia Francia as Luisa * ...

'' (1952) * ''

Frine, Courtesan of Orient ''Frine, Courtesan of Orient'' ( it, Frine, cortigiana d'Oriente) is a 1953 Italian epic adventure film directed by Mario Bonnard and starring Elena Kleus and Pierre Cressoy. Sergio Leone served as assistant director. Plot Cast * Elena Kleus: ...

'' (1953) * ''

Concert of Intrigue ''Concert of Intrigue'' ( it, Tradita) is a 1954 Italian historical melodrama film directed by Mario Bonnard and starring Brigitte Bardot. It recorded admissions of 959,000 in France. Plot During the First World War, Enrico and Franco, two bro ...

'' (1954) * ''

They Stole a Tram ''They Stole a Tram'' ( it, Hanno rubato un tram), aka ''We Stole a Tram'',https://filmandtv.com/se-EN/title/we-stole-a-tram is a 1954 Italian comedy film written by and starring Aldo Fabrizi, and directed by Fabrizi and his assistant director Ser ...

'' (1954) * ''

La ladra ''La ladra'' (french: Les anges aux mains noires) is a 1955 Italian-French crime-melodrama film co-written and directed by Mario Bonnard and starring Lise Bourdin and Fausto Tozzi. Plot Whistle is an orphaned boy, raised in an environment unsu ...

'' (1955) * ''

Allow Me, Daddy! ''Allow Me, Daddy!'' ( it, Mi permette, babbo!) is a 1956 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Bonnard. Plot Rodolfo, a young man with the ambitions of an opera singer in the bass register, does not work, gets up at midday and lives on the shou ...

'' (1956) * ''

Slave Women of Corinth Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

'' (1958) * ''

'' (1959) * '' Gastone'' (1960) * '' Rome 1585'' (1961)

External links

* 1889 births 1965 deaths Italian male film actors Italian male silent film actors 20th-century Italian male actors Italian film directors {{Italy-actor-stub