''The Great Appeal'' (Italian: ''Il Grande appello'') is a 1936 Italian

war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...

directed by

Mario Camerini Mario Camerini (6 February 1895 – 4 February 1981) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. The cousin of Augusto Genina, he made the most well-known films in Italy during the 1930s, most of them comedies starring Vittorio De Sica. H ...

and starring

Camillo Pilotto Camillo Pilotto (6 February 1888 Birth name: Camillo Raul Vittorio Pilotto. – 27 May 1963) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 101 films between 1916 and 1963. He was born and died in Rome, Italy. Selected filmography * ''The Song ...

, Roberto Villa and Lina d'Acosta. It is sometimes known by the

alternative title An alternative title is a media sales device most prominently used in film distribution. Books and films are commonly released under a different title when they are screened or sold in a different country. This can vary from small change to the ...

''The Last Roll-Call''. Camerini was considered to have no sympathies with the Fascist regime of Italy, but he made this

propaganda film A propaganda film is a film that involves some form of propaganda. Propaganda films spread and promote certain ideas that are usually religious, political, or cultural in nature. A propaganda film is made with the intent that the viewer will ad ...

that endorsed the colonial policies of the Italian government. It was one of a number of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

n-set films made during the Fascist era including '' The White Squadron'' (1936), '' Sentinels of Bronze'' (1937) and ''

Luciano Serra, Pilot ''Luciano Serra, Pilot'' (Italian: ''Luciano Serra pilota'') is a 1938 Italian war drama film directed by Goffredo Alessandrini and starring Amedeo Nazzari, Germana Paolieri and Roberto Villa. It was screened at the Venice Film Festival in Au ...

'' (1938). The film portrays the rediscovery of his patriotism of an Italian, who eventually dies for his country.

Synopsis

Giovanni Bertani is a rootless Italian emigrant who is currently running a

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

in French Djibouti. Although his son Enrico is serving with the Italian forces in the

Second Italo-Ethiopian War The Second Italo-Ethiopian War, also referred to as the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, was a war of aggression which was fought between Italy and Ethiopia from October 1935 to February 1937. In Ethiopia it is often referred to simply as the Itali ...

he sells arms to the Abyssinian forces fighting them. Following a journey to Abyssinia Giovanni regains his sense of Italian identity, and is fatally wounded blowing up the shipment of arms to the Abyssinians.Ben-Ghiat p.134

Cast

as Giovanni Bertani * Roberto Villa (dubbed by Mario Pisu) as Enrico * Lina d'Acosta as Pepita *

Guglielmo Sinaz Guglielmo Sinaz (20 November 1885 – 5 February 1947) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in more than 60 films between 1935 and 1947. He was born and died in Rome, Italy. Selected filmography * ''I Love You Only'' (1935) * '' The Grea ...

as Miller - il contrabbandiere d'armi * Bruno Smith as Il giornalista Patti * Pedro Valdes as Salvador *

Nino Marchetti Nino or Niño may refer to: * Nino (name) * Niño (name) *Antonin Scalia, American Supreme Court justice whose nickname was "Nino" *El Niño, a climate pattern in the tropical Pacific Ocean *NINO, an abbreviation for National Insurance number in t ...

as Il chirurgo * Enrico Poggi as Un operaio genovese

References

Bibliography

Ben-Ghiat, Ruth Ruth Ben-Ghiat is an American historian and cultural critic. She is a scholar on fascism and authoritarian leaders. Ben-Ghiat is professor of history and Italian studies at New York University. Biography Born in the United States to an Israeli ...

. ''Fascist Modernities: Italy, 1922-1945''. University of California Press, 2004. * Gundle, Stephen. ''Mussolini's Dream Factory: Film Stardom in Fascist Italy''. Berghahn Books, 2013. * Palumbo, Patrizia. ''A Place in the Sun: Africa in Italian Colonial Culture from Post-unification to the Present''. University of California Press, 2003.

External links

* 1936 films Italian war films Italian black-and-white films 1936 war films 1930s Italian-language films Films directed by Mario Camerini Films set in Djibouti Films set in Ethiopia Italian propaganda films Fascist propaganda Films about fascism Films set in Eritrea Films set in the French colonial empire Films about Fascist Italy Italian neorealist films 1930s Italian films {{1930s-Italy-film-stub