Without Pity (1948) On DVD
| Actors: | John Kitzmiller, Carla Del Poggio, Giulietta Masina, Folco Lulli, Pierre Claude |
| Director: | Alberto Lattuada |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Year: | 1948 |
| Studio: | VCI Entertainment |
| Length: | 90 minutes |
| Released: | March 24, 2015 |
| Rating: | Not Rated |
| Format: | DVD (NTSC/Region 1) |
| Misc: | Black & White |
| Language: | English |
| Subtitles: | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Filmed in 1948 as SENZA PIETA, this Alberto Lattuada-directed effort came to America the following year as WITHOUT PITY. The film's sensitive subject matter caused problems in distribution and approval; Lattuada was never known to shirk from a sociopolitical statement, even when it meant loss of revenue overseas. The plot is based on an actual postwar dilemma: in Northern Italy, dozens of black American GIs chose to go AWOL rather than return to a racially divided United States. John Kitzmiller plays an occupation soldier named Jerry, who decides to remain in Italy when he falls in love with a blonde, Caucasian local girl named Angela (Carla Del Poggio). Reviewers in 1949 felt that Lattuada exercised poor taste in depicting the interracial romance: while these scenes cannot realistically be described as offensive when seen today, they are still quite frank by 1940s standards. A "regular" in Italian neorealist films, Michigan-born black actor John Kitzmiller went on to win a Cannes Film Festival award for his performance in 1957's SERGEANT JIM; James Bond fans will remember Kitzmiller as "Quarrel" in DR. NO (1962).
| Actors: | John Kitzmiller, Carla Del Poggio, Giulietta Masina, Folco Lulli, Pierre Claude |
| Director: | Alberto Lattuada |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Year: | 1948 |
| Studio: | VCI Entertainment |
| Length: | 90 minutes |
| Released: | March 24, 2015 |
| Rating: | Not Rated |
| Format: | DVD (NTSC/Region 1) |
| Misc: | Black & White |
| Language: | English |
| Subtitles: | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Filmed in 1948 as SENZA PIETA, this Alberto Lattuada-directed effort came to America the following year as WITHOUT PITY. The film's sensitive subject matter caused problems in distribution and approval; Lattuada was never known to shirk from a sociopolitical statement, even when it meant loss of revenue overseas. The plot is based on an actual postwar dilemma: in Northern Italy, dozens of black American GIs chose to go AWOL rather than return to a racially divided United States. John Kitzmiller plays an occupation soldier named Jerry, who decides to remain in Italy when he falls in love with a blonde, Caucasian local girl named Angela (Carla Del Poggio). Reviewers in 1949 felt that Lattuada exercised poor taste in depicting the interracial romance: while these scenes cannot realistically be described as offensive when seen today, they are still quite frank by 1940s standards. A "regular" in Italian neorealist films, Michigan-born black actor John Kitzmiller went on to win a Cannes Film Festival award for his performance in 1957's SERGEANT JIM; James Bond fans will remember Kitzmiller as "Quarrel" in DR. NO (1962).
| Product Name | Without Pity (1948) On DVD |
|---|---|
| This item is returnable | No |
