ALFRED
E. GANDOLFI, CINEMATOGRAPHER 1885-1963
From
Moving Picture World article "Ambrosio in America", Volume 13, No.
13, September 28, 1912
Born
May 18, 1885 Turin/Torino, Italy (source: Ancestry.com)
Started
his career with the Cines and Itala Studios in Italy. Claimed to have invented
the lens shade and to be the first to shoot double-exposures in motion pictures. He later asserted that he was the first
cameraman to use a foreground reflector in California. Worked with Oscar C.
Apfel producing films for Pathe before coming to work with DeMille. (source: Cecil B. DeMille's Hollywood,
Birchard)
Founded
the Ambrosio Film Company in Turin, Italy in 1906 with Arturo
Ambrosio (source: Encyclopedia of Early Cinema, Richard Abel)
Itala
Films were being released through the Mutual Film
Corporation, 60 Wall Street, New York City (source: Moving Picture World, Volume
13, No. 12, September 21, 1912)
Advertisement from Moving Picture World,
Volume 13, No. 12, September 21, 1912
Cameraman
for Pathe Freres for 5 years, now joining the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play
Company as principal cameraman (source: Moving
Picture World, Volume 18, N0. 13,
December 27, 1913)
Cecil
B. DeMille's first cameraman, on DeMille's first
picture: The Squaw Man 1913 (source: Motion
Picture Photography, Raimondo Souto)
The
Squaw Man (1914) was
shot between December 29, 1913 and at least January 20, 1914. Bert Longenecker and Johnny Cramer were
Assistant Cameramen (source: The Progressive Silent Film List by Carl Bennett)
February 24, 1914 ad from Moving Picture
World
Cover of Moving
Picture World, March 28, 1914, with scene from The Squaw Man
"A.
Gandolfi, who photographed "A Man of Sorrow", the Fox Production
starring William Farnum, was one of the camera men to take motion pictures from
an aeroplane" (source: Motography, Volume XV, No. 18, April 29, 1916)
Alfredo
Gandolfi suffers loss of early possessions in a fire
(date of fire unknown, reported in Cinema News April 1, 1917)
Alfred
E. Gandolfi, former Pathe Cameraman, is at present attached to the Directorial
Staff of Director Edgar Jones, of the Balboa Company (source:
Cinema News April 15, 1917)
Member
of the Cinema Camera Club 1918 (source: Cinema News
Nov-Dec 1918)
Returned
to the coast with Oscar Apfel in 1919 (source: Cinema News
April, 1919, Vol III, No. 1)
Alfred
E. Gandolfi married Claire L. Trostler, July 9, 1930, Manhattan, New York (source:
Ancestry.com, believed to be THE Alfred
E. Gandolfi )
Became
a Naturalized Citizen on November
11, 1954, age 69 (source: Ancestry.com)
Died June 9, 1963 New
York, age 78 of Anemia (source: Wikipedia)
Oscar
C. Apfel, Co-Director (left), Alfred Gandolfi (center) at the Pathe, Bert Longenecker (right) December 29, 1913, first day of shooting on The
Squaw Man (source unknown)
Oscar Apfel (source
unknown)
Bert
Longenecker driving, from The International Photographer, September, 1929
From
Moving Picture World article "Ambrosio in America", Volume 13, No.
13, September 28, 1912
Photo
of Alfredo Gandolfi from an article on the Photo Drama Film Company 1914
(source unknown)
"Signor A. Gandolfi, former business head of the
Ambrosio Company, is in charge of the affairs at Turin, and will be director
for the big films that will be made at this new plant. The site is admirable,
occupying the vantage point in a ten acre plot of land surrounded by a high
stone wall. It is Mr. Kleine’s belief that it is the finest location for studio
purposes in all Italy. The grounds are nicely wooded and there is a small lake
within the enclosure. I hope to show you some views of it within a short time."
Arturo Ambrosio,
1909 (source unknown)
“Film played an important role at the 1911 Exposition.
Turin was the cradle of the Italian film industry, and the Turinese Ambrosio
Film Company was founded in 1906 by Arturo Ambrosio and Alfredo Gandolfi. From
1908 to 1912, Ambrosio Film produced numerous short films and, from 1911 on, it
specialized in multiple-reel feature films such as L’ultimo dei Frontignac (The
Last of the Frontignacs, 1911) ". According to the Encyclopedia of Early Cinema, "in 1912 and 1913,
Ambrosio managed to release around 200 films per year and shared with Cines the
role of leading Italian manufacturer on the international market."
Ambrosio Film received the prize for the best artistic
film and best documentary at the International Exposition with a drama on the
Risorgimento entitled Nozze d’oro (The Golden Anniversary), featuring the
leading Ambrosio actors Alberto Capozzi and Mary Cléo Tarlarini. Turin 1911
also hosted screenings of the documentary La vita delle farfalle (The Life
Cycle of the Butterflies) based on a narrative by Guido Gozzano.”
Article from Motion Picture News 1913 (date presumed)
Alfred Gandolfi's
personal Pathe Professional 35mm motion picture
camera