On the site “Cinema Romani, Anni ‘50” a resident who lived on nearby Via Germanico reflected on going to the movies at the Ottaviano in the 1950’s: “The multicolored posters were the first thing I would look at when I left the house. How many war films I saw here, a very popular genre back then. Then I would talk about them with classmates, savoring in advance the upcoming showings. I saw many war films here: ‘Corea in fiamme’ (The Steel Helmet) in 1952, ‘To Hell and Back’ in 1956…” He goes on to say that in those films the victors were portrayed as being very proud, and the defeated were themselves made to act triumphant.
On May 18, 1940 the Cinema Aurora was showing the French film “Ragazze folli” (the French film “Entrée des artistes” with Louis Jouvet, from 1938.) Also on the program was live vaudeville entertainment by the Spadaro company.
A scene in the 2015 Italian film “Mia madre” takes place in the square in front of the Cinema Capranichetta. The movie, directed by and starring Nanni Moretti, also has Margherita Buy and John Turturro.
On May 18, 1940 the Cinema Odeon was showing the film “Manon Lescaut” with Alida Valli and Vittorio De Sica. Also on the program were the customary LUCE shorts and newsreels. From a listing in Il Messaggero for that date.
On May 18, 1940 the Cinema Appio was showing “La flotta delle illusioni” (the 1934 German film Inheritance in Pretoria/Das Erbe von Pretoria) and “Una donna contro il mondo.” (the 1937 Woman Against the World with Alice Moore.)
On May 18, 1940 the Jovinelli, as a cinema and variety theatre, was showing the film “Le tre ragazze in gamba crescono” (Three Smart Girls Grow Up, 1939, with Deanna Durbin.) Filling out the program were live performances by the De Marco – Mascetti – De Rigo vaudeville-variety company. From a listing in Il Messaggero.
On May 18, 1940 the Cinema Arenula was showing two Italian films: “Uragano ai tropici” with Fosco Giachetti, and “Terra di fuoco” with Tito Schipa, both made in 1939. From a listing in Il Messaggero.
On May 18, 1940, when this cinema was called the Politeama Margherita, the film program was “Delirio” (the French “Orage”, 1938) “Una lampada alla finestra” (Italy, 1940), plus LUCE shorts and newsreels, according to an Il Messaggero listing for that day.
On May 18, 1940 the Cinema Centrale was showing “Il pirata ballerina” (the 1936 American film “Dancing Pirate” with Charles Collins and Frank Morgan.) Also on the program were stage comedy acts by the company of M. Maggio. From a listing in Il Messaggero.
The May 18, 1940 issue of Il Messaggero has this cinema showing the film “L'esiliato” with Gull-May Norin, a 1935 Danish film with the original title “Fredlos” and about a Finnish uprising against invading Russians.
This recent report says the Metropolitan, closed for 10 years now, may be slated for restructuring for commercial use and perhaps an auditorium for general cultural use. https://www.radiocolonna.it/economia/2019/07/24/cinema-metropolitan-forse-finita-la-sua-lunga-agonia/
On May 18, 1940 the Colonna was showing two Italian films of the period: “Frenesia” (1939, with Dina Galli) and “Finisce sempre cosi'” (1939, with Vittorio De Sica), according to a listing in the Roman newspaper Il Messaggero.
The photos for the front of this cinema show the name from the fascist era, “Dopolavoro: Monopoli di Stato.” I just saw a listing in the May 18, 1940 edition of the newspaper Il Messaggero listing the films being shown at the Dopolavoro Forze Armate. I don’t know if it was the same place as this, but they were showing Chaplin’s “La fabbrica dell'appetito” (a silent)and Martha Eggerth in the 1938 “Sangue d'artista” (Immer wenn ich gluklich bin).
It seems this place was also called the Stadium. Under that name, on May 18, 1940, the program listed in Il Messaggero was of a stage show: “Ultima recita – Sulla scena: Grande Varieta'.”
An earlier Cinema Orfeo existed here in the 1940s and earlier and was demolished, according to Roma Sparita. A May 18, 1940 listing in Il Messaggero has the place showing “Dora Nelson” with Assia Noris and Carlo Ninchi, plus LUCE newsreels and shorts.
On May 18, 1940, this cinema was showing the French film “Paradiso perduto” (Paradis perdu) with Micheline Presle and Fernand Gravey, plus an unnamed documentary, according to an Il Messaggero listing.
The Cinema Tritone, which I am guessing may have been subsequently renamed the Cinema Splendore, was showing a double bill on May 18, 1940: “Follie di Hollywood” (The Goldwyn Follies, 1938) with Adolphe Menjou and the Ritz Brothers, plus “Amore e mistero” (Secret Agent, 1936) with Peter Lorre and Madeleine Carroll.
On May 18, 1940, according to a listing in Il Messaggero, this cinema was showing “Smarrimento” with Corinne Luchaire (a 1939 French film “J'attendrai”) and something called “Cavalcata al Ranch,” probably a western.
As the Cinema Gloria on May 18, 1940, the program had two American films: “Le 3 ragazze in gamba crescono”(Three Smart Girls Grow Up) with Deanna Durbin and “Allora la sposo io” (The Rage of Paris) with Danielle Darrieux.
On May 18, 1940, according to a listing in Il Messaggero, the Imperiale was showing “Avventuriera” with Edwige Feuillere. This was the French “J'etais une aventuriere” from 1938.
As the Cinema Iris on May 18, 1940 the program was “La grande luce” (Montevergine) with Amedeo Nazzari and “Lo vedi come sei?” with Macario. This is from a listing in “Il Messaggero” for that day.
On the site “Cinema Romani, Anni ‘50” a resident who lived on nearby Via Germanico reflected on going to the movies at the Ottaviano in the 1950’s: “The multicolored posters were the first thing I would look at when I left the house. How many war films I saw here, a very popular genre back then. Then I would talk about them with classmates, savoring in advance the upcoming showings. I saw many war films here: ‘Corea in fiamme’ (The Steel Helmet) in 1952, ‘To Hell and Back’ in 1956…” He goes on to say that in those films the victors were portrayed as being very proud, and the defeated were themselves made to act triumphant.
Today the location of the former cinema is the Hotel River Chateau.
On May 18, 1940 the Cinema Aurora was showing the French film “Ragazze folli” (the French film “Entrée des artistes” with Louis Jouvet, from 1938.) Also on the program was live vaudeville entertainment by the Spadaro company.
A scene in the 2015 Italian film “Mia madre” takes place in the square in front of the Cinema Capranichetta. The movie, directed by and starring Nanni Moretti, also has Margherita Buy and John Turturro.
On May 18, 1940 the Cinema Odeon was showing the film “Manon Lescaut” with Alida Valli and Vittorio De Sica. Also on the program were the customary LUCE shorts and newsreels. From a listing in Il Messaggero for that date.
On May 18, 1940 the Cinema Appio was showing “La flotta delle illusioni” (the 1934 German film Inheritance in Pretoria/Das Erbe von Pretoria) and “Una donna contro il mondo.” (the 1937 Woman Against the World with Alice Moore.)
On May 18, 1940 the Jovinelli, as a cinema and variety theatre, was showing the film “Le tre ragazze in gamba crescono” (Three Smart Girls Grow Up, 1939, with Deanna Durbin.) Filling out the program were live performances by the De Marco – Mascetti – De Rigo vaudeville-variety company. From a listing in Il Messaggero.
On May 18, 1940 the Cinema Arenula was showing two Italian films: “Uragano ai tropici” with Fosco Giachetti, and “Terra di fuoco” with Tito Schipa, both made in 1939. From a listing in Il Messaggero.
On May 18, 1940, when this cinema was called the Politeama Margherita, the film program was “Delirio” (the French “Orage”, 1938) “Una lampada alla finestra” (Italy, 1940), plus LUCE shorts and newsreels, according to an Il Messaggero listing for that day.
Truly great film!
On May 18, 1940 the Cinema Centrale was showing “Il pirata ballerina” (the 1936 American film “Dancing Pirate” with Charles Collins and Frank Morgan.) Also on the program were stage comedy acts by the company of M. Maggio. From a listing in Il Messaggero.
The May 18, 1940 issue of Il Messaggero has this cinema showing the film “L'esiliato” with Gull-May Norin, a 1935 Danish film with the original title “Fredlos” and about a Finnish uprising against invading Russians.
This recent report says the Metropolitan, closed for 10 years now, may be slated for restructuring for commercial use and perhaps an auditorium for general cultural use. https://www.radiocolonna.it/economia/2019/07/24/cinema-metropolitan-forse-finita-la-sua-lunga-agonia/
On May 18, 1940 the Colonna was showing two Italian films of the period: “Frenesia” (1939, with Dina Galli) and “Finisce sempre cosi'” (1939, with Vittorio De Sica), according to a listing in the Roman newspaper Il Messaggero.
The photos for the front of this cinema show the name from the fascist era, “Dopolavoro: Monopoli di Stato.” I just saw a listing in the May 18, 1940 edition of the newspaper Il Messaggero listing the films being shown at the Dopolavoro Forze Armate. I don’t know if it was the same place as this, but they were showing Chaplin’s “La fabbrica dell'appetito” (a silent)and Martha Eggerth in the 1938 “Sangue d'artista” (Immer wenn ich gluklich bin).
It seems this place was also called the Stadium. Under that name, on May 18, 1940, the program listed in Il Messaggero was of a stage show: “Ultima recita – Sulla scena: Grande Varieta'.”
An earlier Cinema Orfeo existed here in the 1940s and earlier and was demolished, according to Roma Sparita. A May 18, 1940 listing in Il Messaggero has the place showing “Dora Nelson” with Assia Noris and Carlo Ninchi, plus LUCE newsreels and shorts.
On May 18, 1940, this cinema was showing the French film “Paradiso perduto” (Paradis perdu) with Micheline Presle and Fernand Gravey, plus an unnamed documentary, according to an Il Messaggero listing.
The Cinema Tritone, which I am guessing may have been subsequently renamed the Cinema Splendore, was showing a double bill on May 18, 1940: “Follie di Hollywood” (The Goldwyn Follies, 1938) with Adolphe Menjou and the Ritz Brothers, plus “Amore e mistero” (Secret Agent, 1936) with Peter Lorre and Madeleine Carroll.
It is not clear whether this cinema was the same place as the Cinema Tritone, which presumably was also located on Via del Tritone.
On May 18, 1940, according to a listing in Il Messaggero, this cinema was showing “Smarrimento” with Corinne Luchaire (a 1939 French film “J'attendrai”) and something called “Cavalcata al Ranch,” probably a western.
As the Cinema Gloria on May 18, 1940, the program had two American films: “Le 3 ragazze in gamba crescono”(Three Smart Girls Grow Up) with Deanna Durbin and “Allora la sposo io” (The Rage of Paris) with Danielle Darrieux.
It should be noted that a previous name for this cinema was the Gloria.
On May 18, 1940, according to a listing in Il Messaggero, the Imperiale was showing “Avventuriera” with Edwige Feuillere. This was the French “J'etais une aventuriere” from 1938.
As the Cinema Iris on May 18, 1940 the program was “La grande luce” (Montevergine) with Amedeo Nazzari and “Lo vedi come sei?” with Macario. This is from a listing in “Il Messaggero” for that day.