In the silent Italian melodrama La chiromante/The Fortune Teller (1922), film diva Italia Almirante Manzini stars opposite the divos Lido Manetti, Albert Collo and Oreste Bilancia. The film was directed by Italia's husband, Mario Almirante, for the Fert Film studio.
![Italia Almirante and Lido Manetti in La chiromante]()
Italian postcard by G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Fert. Italia Almirante Manzini andLido Manetti in La chiromante/The Fortune Teller (Mario Almirante 1921).
![La chiromante]()
Italian postcard, no. 03. Photo: Fert. Publicity still for La chiromante (Mario Almirante, 1922). Caption: The Spiders Room.
![La chiromante]()
Italian postcard, no. 29. Photo: Fert. Publicity still for La chiromante (Mario Almirante, 1922) with Italia Almirante Manzini. Caption: The good lady.
In La chiromante/The Fortune Teller aka La maschera del male (1922), Italia Almirante Manzini plays Lucretia. When she was young, Lucretia was raped by her her stepfather (Franz Sala).
As an adult, Lucretia decides to take revenge by being implacable to all men. Becoming 'Countess Turchina', owner of a gambling house, she catches the men just to destroy them. First she destroys them economically and subsequently, with the art of her fatal seduction, she reduces them to slaves.
But when Lucretia meets the young Santino (Lido Manetti) she falls in love with him and saves him the fate of all the other men. Lucretia withdraws out of repentance to a kindergarten to assist abandoned children.
La chiromante was well received in the Italian press. The script was written by future film director Amleto Palermi, and the photography was by Ubaldo Arata.
![La chiromante]()
Italian postcard, no. 34. Photo: Fert. Publicity still for La chiromante (Mario Almirante, 1922). Caption: The gambling room.
![La chiromante]()
Italian postcard, no. 34. Photo: Fert. Publicity still for La chiromante (Mario Almirante, 1922). Caption: Restaurant chicot (little stump).
![La chiromante]()
Italian postcard, no. 35. Photo: Fert. Publicity still for La chiromante (Mario Almirante, 1922), with Italia Almirante Manzini,Oreste Bilancia and Lido Manetti. Caption: You fool, if you stay with her, you'll be worthy of her!
![La chiromante]()
Italian postcard, no. 40. Photo: Fert. Publicity still for La chiromante (Mario Almirante, 1922). Caption: At the horse races, meeting of the countess Turchina and the three inseparable friends.
Source: Wikipedia (Italian) and IMDb.
Italian postcard by G.B. Falci, Milano. Photo: Fert. Italia Almirante Manzini andLido Manetti in La chiromante/The Fortune Teller (Mario Almirante 1921).
Italian postcard, no. 03. Photo: Fert. Publicity still for La chiromante (Mario Almirante, 1922). Caption: The Spiders Room.
Italian postcard, no. 29. Photo: Fert. Publicity still for La chiromante (Mario Almirante, 1922) with Italia Almirante Manzini. Caption: The good lady.
Catching men just to destroy them
In La chiromante/The Fortune Teller aka La maschera del male (1922), Italia Almirante Manzini plays Lucretia. When she was young, Lucretia was raped by her her stepfather (Franz Sala).
As an adult, Lucretia decides to take revenge by being implacable to all men. Becoming 'Countess Turchina', owner of a gambling house, she catches the men just to destroy them. First she destroys them economically and subsequently, with the art of her fatal seduction, she reduces them to slaves.
But when Lucretia meets the young Santino (Lido Manetti) she falls in love with him and saves him the fate of all the other men. Lucretia withdraws out of repentance to a kindergarten to assist abandoned children.
La chiromante was well received in the Italian press. The script was written by future film director Amleto Palermi, and the photography was by Ubaldo Arata.
Italian postcard, no. 34. Photo: Fert. Publicity still for La chiromante (Mario Almirante, 1922). Caption: The gambling room.
Italian postcard, no. 34. Photo: Fert. Publicity still for La chiromante (Mario Almirante, 1922). Caption: Restaurant chicot (little stump).
Italian postcard, no. 35. Photo: Fert. Publicity still for La chiromante (Mario Almirante, 1922), with Italia Almirante Manzini,Oreste Bilancia and Lido Manetti. Caption: You fool, if you stay with her, you'll be worthy of her!
Italian postcard, no. 40. Photo: Fert. Publicity still for La chiromante (Mario Almirante, 1922). Caption: At the horse races, meeting of the countess Turchina and the three inseparable friends.
Source: Wikipedia (Italian) and IMDb.