The Società Italiana Cines (''Italian Cines Company'') is a film company specializing in production and distribution of films. The company was founded on 1 April 1906. A major force in the European film industry before the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the company took part in the

Paris Film Congress The Paris Film Congress was a major meeting of European film producers and distributors in the French capital Paris from 2–4 February 1909. It intended to create an association to protect the interests of the participants through the formation ...

in 1909, a failed attempt to create a cartel similar to the MPPC in the United States. In 1926 the company was taken over by Stefano Pittaluga who oversaw production until his death in 1932.

Emilio Cecchi Emilio Cecchi (14 July 1884 – 5 September 1966) was an Italian Literary criticism, literary critic, Art criticism, art critic and screenwriter. One English language source describes him as "an 'official' - although radically anti-academic - in ...

served as head of production for a year following Pittaluga's death. In 1930, at the time of the rebirth of Italian cinema, the old label had produced

The Song of Love ''The Song of Love'' (also known as ''Le chant d'amour'' or ''Love Song'') is a 1914 painting by Italian Metaphysical art, metaphysical painter Giorgio de Chirico. It is one of the most famous works by Chirico and an early example of his pre-Su ...

, the first

sound film A sound film is a Film, motion picture with synchronization, synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, bu ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. The new Cines Studios were constructed in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

and functioned as the country's most important film studios until they were destroyed in a fire in 1935. Under the leadership of Carlo Roncoroni it was involved in the state-backed project to build Cinecitta which opened in 1937. Following Roncoroni's death, the company was nationalised under the ENIC umbrella. It was relaunched in 1941 as part of the

Fascist Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural soci ...

government's scheme to boost film production. It survived the fall of

Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his overthrow in 194 ...

and continued into the postwar era. Image edited

In 1956, he received the

Nastro d'Argento for Best Producer The ''Nastro d'Argento'' (Silver Ribbon) is a film award assigned each year, since 1946, by ''Sindacato Nazionale dei Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani'' ("Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists"), the association of Italy, Italian film c ...

. However, in 1958, the Cines ceased operations and was liquidated by the

Finance Ministry A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfolio ...

. In 2006, on the occasion of the centenary of the first foundation, through the work of the editorial group Persians Publisher - New Media Entertainment has been given life to a new cine, with an essentially private, who recovered the brand and the artistic legacy of the previous management.

Selected filmography

* ''

Beatrice Cenci Beatrice Cenci ( , ; 6 February 157711 September 1599) was an Italian noblewoman imprisoned and repeatedly raped by her own father. She killed him, and was tried for murder. Despite outpourings of public sympathy, Cenci was beheaded in 1599 ...

'' (1909) * '' Agrippina'' (1911) * ''

Quo Vadis ''Quo vadis?'' (, ) is a Latin phrase meaning "Where are you going?". It is commonly translated, quoting the KJV translation of John 13:36, as "Whither goest thou?" The phrase originates from the Christian tradition regarding Saint Peter's fi ...

'' (1913) * '' Broken Idol'' (1913) * ''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed around 1607, by the King's Men at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre. Its first appearance in print was in the First Folio published ...

'' (1913) * ''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

'' (1914) * ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

'' (1917) * ''

Ivan the Terrible Ivan IV Vasilyevich (; – ), commonly known as Ivan the Terrible,; ; monastic name: Jonah. was Grand Prince of Moscow, Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1533 to 1547, and the first Tsar of all Russia, Tsar and Grand Prince of all R ...

'' (1917) * '' The Courier of Moncenisio'' (1927) * '' Kif Tebbi'' (1928) * ''

'' (1930) * '' Nerone'' (1930) * '' When Naples Sings'' (1930) * ''

Courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary a ...

'' (1931) * '' Before the Jury'' (1931) * '' Figaro e la Sua Gran Giornata'' (1931) * ''

Resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions involving the same person or deity returning to another body. The disappearance of a body is anothe ...

'' (1931) * '' Mother Earth'' (1931) * '' The Doctor in Spite of Himself'' (1931) * '' The Devil's Lantern'' (1931) * '' The Charmer'' (1931) * '' Lowered Sails'' (1931) * ''

The Private Secretary ''The Private Secretary'' is an 1883 farce in three acts, by Charles Hawtrey (actor born 1858), Charles Hawtrey. The play, adapted from a German original, depicts the vicissitudes of a mild young clergyman, innocently caught up in the machinatio ...

'' (1931) * '' The Man with the Claw'' (1931) * '' Your Money or Your Life'' (1932) * ''

Paradise In religion and folklore, paradise is a place of everlasting happiness, delight, and bliss. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical, eschatological, or both, often contrasted with the miseries of human ...

'' (1932) * '' The Telephone Operator'' (1932) * '' The Last Adventure'' (1932) * ''

Pergolesi Pergolesi is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, (1710–1736), Italian composer, violinist, and organist * Michael Angelo Pergolesi, 18th-century Italian decorative artist {{Surname Italian-langu ...

'' (1932) * '' The Opera Singer'' (1932) * '' What Scoundrels Men Are!'' (1932) * ''

The Table of the Poor ''The Table of the Poor'' () is a 1932 Italian drama film directed by Alessandro Blasetti and starring Raffaele Viviani, Leda Gloria and Salvatore Costa. It was based on a play by Viviani set in Naples. It was shot at the Cines Studios in Rome.Ma ...

'' 1932) * ''

Palio Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate so ...

'' (1932) * ''

The Blue Fleet ''L'Armata Azzurra'' (English: ''The Blue Army'' or ''The Blue Fleet'' AKA ''The Winged Armada'' and ''Italy Speaks'') is a 1932 Italian aviation docu-drama and adventure film directed by Gennaro Righelli and starring Germana Paolieri and Ennio ...

'' (1932) * '' The Haller Case'' (1933) * '' Fanny'' (1933) * ''

Steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...

'' (1933) * '' Model Wanted'' (1933) * '' Together in the Dark'' (1933) * ''

Giallo In Italian cinema, (; : ; from , ) is a genre that often contains Slasher film, slasher, thriller (genre), thriller, psychological horror, psychological thriller, Sexploitation film, sexploitation, and, less frequently, supernatural, supernat ...

'' (1933) * ''

The Last of the Bergeracs ''The Last of the Bergeracs'' () is a 1934 Italian comedy film directed by Gennaro Righelli and starring Ketty Maya, Arturo Falconi and Italia Almirante-Manzini.Goble p.996 Cast References Bibliography * Goble, Alan. ''The Complete Index t ...

'' (1934) * '' Seconda B'' (1934) * '' Loyalty of Love'' (1934) * '' Everybody's Woman'' (1934) * ''

1860 Events January * January 2 – The astronomer Urbain Le Verrier announces the discovery of a hypothetical planet Vulcan (hypothetical planet), Vulcan at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France. * January 10 &ndas ...

'' (1934) * '' A Woman Between Two Worlds'' (1936) * '' After Casanova's Fashion'' (1942) * '' The Jester's Supper'' (1942) * ''

Sleeping Beauty "Sleeping Beauty" (, or ''The Beauty Sleeping in the Wood''; , or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a fairy tale about a princess curse, cursed by an evil fairy to suspended animation in fi ...

'' (1942) * '' Before the Postman'' (1942) * '' Music on the Run'' (1943) * '' Sad Loves'' (1943) * '' Two Hearts Among the Beasts'' (1943) * ''

Charley's Aunt ''Charley's Aunt'' is a farce in three acts written by Brandon Thomas. The story centres on Lord Fancourt Babberley, an undergraduate whose friends Jack and Charley persuade him to impersonate the latter's aunt. The complications of the plot in ...

'' (1943) * ''

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...

'' (1943) * '' The Innkeeper'' (1944) * '' The Priest's Hat'' (1944) * '' What a Distinguished Family'' (1945) * '' Night Taxi'' (1950) * ''

Devotion Devotion or Devotions may refer to: Religion * Anglican devotions, private prayers and practices used by Anglican Christians * Buddhist devotion, commitment to religious observance * Catholic devotions, customs, rituals, and practices of worship ...

'' (1950) * ''

Four Ways Out ''Four Ways Out'' () is a 1951 Italian crime film directed by Pietro Germi and starring Gina Lollobrigida, Renato Baldini and Cosetta Greco. The film won the award for Best Italian Film at the 1951 Venice Film Festival. The film's sets were de ...

'' (1951) * '' His Last Twelve Hours'' (1951) * '' Honeymoon Deferred'' (1951) * '' In Olden Days'' (1952) * ''

Leathernose ''Leathernose'' (, ) is a 1952 French-Italian historical drama film directed by Yves Allégret and starring Jean Marais, Françoise Christophe and Mariella Lotti.Hayward p.68 It is an adaptation of the 1936 novel by Jean de La Varende, set in Fr ...

'' (1952) * '' I'm the Hero'' (1952) * '' The Flame'' (1952) * ''

Finishing School A finishing school focuses on teaching young women social graces and upper-class cultural rites as a preparation for entry into society. The name reflects the fact that it follows ordinary school and is intended to complete a young woman's ...

'' (1953) * '' A Hundred Years of Love'' (1954) * '' Symphony of Love'' (1954) * '' The Two Friends'' (1955) * '' Wives and Obscurities'' (1956)

Bibliography

*Riccardo Redi, ''La Cines. Storia di una casa di produzione italiana'', Persiani Editore, Bologna 2009. * Marina Nicoli. ''The Rise and Fall of the Italian Film Industry''. Taylor & Francis, 2016.

External links

Official Cines website (english version)Video the Cines History (italian)

References

{{Authority control Mass media companies established in 1906 Italian companies established in 1906 Film production companies of Italy Film distributors of Italy Mass media companies of Italy