Practical Effects
Hand-tinted flames actually painted frame by frame.
Acting
Ermete Novelli's Lear: full body commitment, zero subtlety.
Director
Gerolamo Lo Savio
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Francesca Bertini as Cordelia became Italy's first major silent film star—this was basically her audition for immortality.
Hand-tinting was expensive; each color required separate passes through the film. This 16-minute tragedy got the VIP treatment.
IT
