''The Opium Den'' () is a 1947 Italian

crime film Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

directed by

Raffaello Matarazzo Raffaello Matarazzo (17 August 1909 – 17 May 1966) was an Italian filmmaker. Life Matarazzo started writing film reviews for the Roman newspaper ''Il Tevere'' before re-editing scripts for the Italian film company Cines. His first films ...

and starring Emilio Ghione Jr.,

Mariella Lotti Mariella Lotti (born Maria Camilla Pianotti; 17 November 1919 – 18 December 2004) was an Italian film actress. Lotti made her film debut in 1939, and played leading ladies in a number of Fascist era and post-war films. She was one of many act ...

, and

Emilio Cigoli Emilio Cardi Cigoli (18 November 1909 – 7 November 1980) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Biography Cigoli was born in Livorno to actress Giovanna Cigoli. His grandfather worked as a silent film actor. He began his career on stage at ...

. It was an unsuccessful attempt to revive the Za La Mort character, who had been a popular figure during the

silent era A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...

.Moliterno p.208 Ghione jr. was the son of the actor

Emilio Ghione Emilio Luigi Carlo Giuseppe Maria Ghione (30 July 1879 – 7 January 1930), known as Emilio Ghione, was an Italian silent film actor, director and screenwriter. Ghione was best known for writing, directing, and starring in the Za La Mort series ...

who had originally played the role.

Cast

References

Bibliography

* Moliterno, Gino. ''The A to Z of Italian Cinema''. Scarecrow Press, 2009.

External links

* 1947 films Italian crime films 1947 crime films 1940s Italian-language films Films directed by Raffaello Matarazzo Italian black-and-white films Films about opium 1940s Italian films Films scored by Ezio Carabella {{1940s-Italy-film-stub