Bartolomeo Pagano aka Maciste starred in the late Italian silent film Gli ultimi zar/The Last Tsars (Baldassarre Negroni, 1928). It was the penultimate film of the legendary strongman and also of his co-star Elena Lunda.
![Gli ultimi zar (1928) with Bartolomeo Pagano and Amilcare Taglienti]()
Italian postcard by S.A. Stefano Pittaluga, no. 439. Photo: Pittaluga. Bartolomeo Pagano and Amilcare Taglienti in Gli ultimi zar (Baldassarre Negroni, Pittaluga 1928).
![Gli ultimi zar (1928)]()
Italian postcard by S.A. Stefano Pittaluga, no. 441. Photo: Pittaluga. Publicity still for Gli ultimi zar (Baldassarre Negroni, 1928).
In Gli ultimi zar/The Last Tsars (Baldassarre Negroni, 1928), the reign of Tsar Alexander III (Sandro Ruffini) starts to waver. He doesn't seem to have the character of a dictator, as he trembles each time his Minister of Police (Alberto Pasquali) pushes him to sign a new list of condemned people.
One day, Sergio Pawlow (Amilcare Taglienti) meets a group of deported people. An evil guard, Lt. Ermolow (Franz Sala), is martyring an old man who dies of fatigue. Sergio is furious, grabs the guard's whip and strikes him in the face.
He is arrested and added to the group of deported, while his grieving mother (Elena Lunda) follows him, her only son. Among the group is a peculiar philosopher, a generous and giant kind of man, called Lobov (Bartolomeo Pagano), who promises the other they will soon be free.
Indeed, one night he breaks the chains, but a giant fire breaks out in which the deported and the guards perish, apart from Lobov, Sergio and his mother, and the lieutenant's yeoman (Augusto Bandini).
The three man, wearing the uniforms of the officers, return to their homeland, where the Tsar, impressed by his physique, names him his aid. Sergio, though is imprisoned, so his mother goes to the Tsar to beg for mercy. It is only then that she recognises the Tsar as the father of Sergio. Sergio is graced and can henceforth lead a quiet life with his mother in a countryside house.
![Gli ultimi zar (1928)]()
Italian postcard by S.A. Stefano Pittaluga, no. 442. Photo: Pittaluga. Elena Lunda, Franz Sala (the corpse on the ground), and Amilcare Taglienti in Gli ultimi zar (Baldassarre Negroni, 1928).
![Gli ultimi zar (1928)]()
Italian postcard by S.A. Stefano Pittaluga, no. 445. Photo: Pittaluga. Publicity still for Gli ultimi zar (Baldassarre Negroni, 1928).
The Italian press was split up in its judgements about Gli ultimi zar/The Last Tsars (Baldassarre Negroni, 1928).
Mario Serandrei, future editor of e.g. Luchino Visconti's Ossessione (1943), wrote for the Roman journal Cinematografo, that story, sets and acting were rather mediocre, old-hat and lacking a relationship with Italy.
Instead, A. Ghidoni, in another Roman journal, Kinès, remarked that the film was based on a highly popular Italian dime novel by Emilio Valabrega and he praised the atmosphere, the acting and the musical accompaniment.
Gli ultimi zar was the penultimate film of Bartolomeo Pagano, who was constantly indicated in the press as 'Maciste', even if his character in the film is named otherwise. He was too famous as the strongman.
The film was also the penultimate film for Elena Lunda, who had already acted opposite Pagano in Il gigante delle Dolomiti (1927). Gli ultimi zar had sets by Giulio Lombardozzi and cinematography by Ubaldo Arata.
Gli ultimi zar/The Last Tsars, which already had been censored in July 1928, had its Roman premiere on 28 December 1928.
![Gli ultimi zar (1928) with Bartolomeo Pagano]()
Italian postcard by S.A. Stefano Pittaluga, no. 448. Photo: Pittaluga. Bartolomeo Pagano aka Maciste in Gli ultimi zar (Baldassarre Negroni, 1928).
![Gli ultimi Zar]()
Italian silent film publicity for Gli ultimi zar (Baldassarre Negroni, 1928). Collection: Gerry D. (Flickr).
Sources: Vittorio Martinelli (Il cinema muto italiano, Vol. 1923-31), Wikipedia (English and Italian) and IMDb.
Italian postcard by S.A. Stefano Pittaluga, no. 439. Photo: Pittaluga. Bartolomeo Pagano and Amilcare Taglienti in Gli ultimi zar (Baldassarre Negroni, Pittaluga 1928).
Italian postcard by S.A. Stefano Pittaluga, no. 441. Photo: Pittaluga. Publicity still for Gli ultimi zar (Baldassarre Negroni, 1928).
A generous and giant philosopher
In Gli ultimi zar/The Last Tsars (Baldassarre Negroni, 1928), the reign of Tsar Alexander III (Sandro Ruffini) starts to waver. He doesn't seem to have the character of a dictator, as he trembles each time his Minister of Police (Alberto Pasquali) pushes him to sign a new list of condemned people.
One day, Sergio Pawlow (Amilcare Taglienti) meets a group of deported people. An evil guard, Lt. Ermolow (Franz Sala), is martyring an old man who dies of fatigue. Sergio is furious, grabs the guard's whip and strikes him in the face.
He is arrested and added to the group of deported, while his grieving mother (Elena Lunda) follows him, her only son. Among the group is a peculiar philosopher, a generous and giant kind of man, called Lobov (Bartolomeo Pagano), who promises the other they will soon be free.
Indeed, one night he breaks the chains, but a giant fire breaks out in which the deported and the guards perish, apart from Lobov, Sergio and his mother, and the lieutenant's yeoman (Augusto Bandini).
The three man, wearing the uniforms of the officers, return to their homeland, where the Tsar, impressed by his physique, names him his aid. Sergio, though is imprisoned, so his mother goes to the Tsar to beg for mercy. It is only then that she recognises the Tsar as the father of Sergio. Sergio is graced and can henceforth lead a quiet life with his mother in a countryside house.
Italian postcard by S.A. Stefano Pittaluga, no. 442. Photo: Pittaluga. Elena Lunda, Franz Sala (the corpse on the ground), and Amilcare Taglienti in Gli ultimi zar (Baldassarre Negroni, 1928).
Italian postcard by S.A. Stefano Pittaluga, no. 445. Photo: Pittaluga. Publicity still for Gli ultimi zar (Baldassarre Negroni, 1928).
The penultimate film of strongman Pagano
The Italian press was split up in its judgements about Gli ultimi zar/The Last Tsars (Baldassarre Negroni, 1928).
Mario Serandrei, future editor of e.g. Luchino Visconti's Ossessione (1943), wrote for the Roman journal Cinematografo, that story, sets and acting were rather mediocre, old-hat and lacking a relationship with Italy.
Instead, A. Ghidoni, in another Roman journal, Kinès, remarked that the film was based on a highly popular Italian dime novel by Emilio Valabrega and he praised the atmosphere, the acting and the musical accompaniment.
Gli ultimi zar was the penultimate film of Bartolomeo Pagano, who was constantly indicated in the press as 'Maciste', even if his character in the film is named otherwise. He was too famous as the strongman.
The film was also the penultimate film for Elena Lunda, who had already acted opposite Pagano in Il gigante delle Dolomiti (1927). Gli ultimi zar had sets by Giulio Lombardozzi and cinematography by Ubaldo Arata.
Gli ultimi zar/The Last Tsars, which already had been censored in July 1928, had its Roman premiere on 28 December 1928.
Italian postcard by S.A. Stefano Pittaluga, no. 448. Photo: Pittaluga. Bartolomeo Pagano aka Maciste in Gli ultimi zar (Baldassarre Negroni, 1928).
Italian silent film publicity for Gli ultimi zar (Baldassarre Negroni, 1928). Collection: Gerry D. (Flickr).
Sources: Vittorio Martinelli (Il cinema muto italiano, Vol. 1923-31), Wikipedia (English and Italian) and IMDb.