Goffredo Alessandrini – Il film “Don Bosco” (1935)

Goffredo Alessandrini (Cairo, September 9, 1904 – Rome, May 16, 1978), was an Italian script writer and film director. In 1935 he directed this film, Don Bosco, starring Gianpaolo Rosmino, Maria Vincenza Stiffi and Ferdinando Mayer. The production company was Lux Film. The music by Girogio Federico Ghedini. The movie spends 90 minutes showing the life of Saint John Bosco (1815 – 1888), mostly in Turin, the founder of the Salesian Order and the education of poor youth that would become global, reaching 132 countries as late as 2015. The film was produced at the following year of the canonization of Don Bosco by Pope Pious XI in 1934. It shows the more important parts of the life of Don Bosco, especially as a farmer boy, orphan of father and the tensions with his older brother Antony. There is a special dedication to the relation with Fr. Calosso, who tried to help the boy teaching private lessons of Latin, but his sudden death let Johnny with the option to abandon his home, looking for better opportunities in Chieri. The second part centralized in the strives of the young priest, the incomprehension of the Turin citizens and the sudden support of the anti-clerical authorities that recommended to Don Bosco to create a society where religious members could retain their civil rights. The end shows the foundation of the Daughters of Mary Help and the sending of missionaries to Patagonia. Don Bosco is starred by Gianpaolo Rosmino (1888 – 1982), who enjoyed a lengthy screen career. He was born six months after the death on Don Bosco. Don Bosco died on January 1 and Rosmino was born on July 2, 1888.

Scheda:
Regia/Director: Goffredo Alessandrini
Soggetto/Subject: Onorato Castellino, Rufillo Uguccioni
Sceneggiatura/Screenplay: Goffredo Alessandrini, Aldo Vergano, Sergio Amidei
Interpreti/Actors: Gian Paolo Rosmino [Giampaolo Rosmino] (don Giovanni Bosco), Maria Vincenza Stiffi (Margherita, madre di Don Bosco), Roberto Pasetti, Ferdinando Mayer (Giovanni Bosco da ragazzo), Vittorio Vaser, Felice Minotti, Cesare Carini-Gani, Arturo Zan
Fotografia/Photography: Arturo Gallea
Musica/Music: Gian Francesco Malipiero, Giorgio Federico Ghedini
Scene/Scene Design: Teonesto De Abate
Montaggio/Editing: Giorgio C. Simonelli
Produzione/Production: Compagnia Italiana Cinematografica Lux
Distribuzione/Distribution: Lux Film
censura: 28879 del 30-04-1935

Cfr. Archivio del Cinema Italiano: Don Bosco (1935)

Periodo di riferimento: 1815 – 1888

Istituzione di riferimento:
Direzione Generale SDB