[Lavagna – Tug-of-War]

[Lavagna – Tug-of-War] 1925

1

A silent amateur film with a runtime of 1 minute and 28 seconds (DCP from 9.5mm reversal, 16 fps), presented without intertitles. Preserved by Fondazione Home Movies – Archivio Nazionale del Film di Famiglia, Bologna, the film documents a game of tug-of-war on the beach at Lavagna during the summer of 1925. A group of young participants, dressed in bathing suits, engage in the activity while a dog observes from the sidelines. The footage is notable for its stable tripod-based composition and the use of horizontal camera movement to follow the action. At age 16, Lavello demonstrates early technical proficiency and an interest in capturing spontaneous social interaction. As noted by Michele Manzolini in the 2025 Pordenone Silent Film Festival catalogue, the film contributes to a broader visual record of leisure and informal play within early amateur cinema.

1925

Gigi

Gigi 1925

1

A farm owner had a son, Vivia, who played with a settler's daughter. The two grew up together and became very fond of each other; over time, their friendship blossomed into love. Then the father sent the boy to study in the capital. Gigi suffered greatly from his absence and spent her time waiting for his return. Finally, the big day arrived: she learned that the boy was returning. He did return, but he was accompanied by someone else: to marry a girl from the capital. As soon as he arrived, the boy sent for Gigi to introduce her to his wife. This is where the story reached its climax; Gigi resisted the news of the wedding, but could not withstand the final blow. The pain was so great that Gigi poisoned herself and died.

1925

Fête de Sainte Catherine

Fête de Sainte Catherine 1925

1

A 1925 newsreel showing the celebrations for St. Catherine’s Day on the streets of Paris.

1925

Charleston Dancing at Starlight Park

Charleston Dancing at Starlight Park 1925

1

A defining cultural phenomenon of the Roaring Twenties, the Charles­ton gained widespread popularity af­ter its appearance in October 1923 in the African American Broadway revue Runnin’ Wild. Newsreels captured the dance’s irresistible rise over the course of the decade. Fox News, Vol. 6, Release 74, issued on 13 June 1925, featured Charleston footage filmed at the Fox studio in New York and at Starlight Park, a prominent amusement park in the Bronx. In the studio footage the Charleston was demonstrated by a group of dancers sent by none other than Texas Guinan, the famed queen of New York speakeasies – among them was a very young Ruby Keeler, who, just a few years later, would marry Al Jolson and go on to become a successful actress. The surviving set of outtakes showcases a performance by an unidentified dancer embodying the Charleston’s spirit of freedom, fun, and youthful rebellion that so captivated audiences of the era.

1925

Clothes Make the Woman

Clothes Make the Woman 1925

1

This film, whose German title is a gen­der-flipped play on the proverbial phrase “clothes make the man”, shows how the batik dyeing technique is used to create vividly patterned garments in a small re­tail shop in New York. Different items of clothing are then modelled for the camer­as to the, at times, patronising and sexist commentary provided in the intertitles.

1925

Tally Ho, Bonzo

Tally Ho, Bonzo 1925

1

Bonzo steals aniseed from a man outside a sweetshop, is caught and punished. He is then pursued by a fox, whom he in turn saves from a pack of hounds.

1925

Cheekee - The Vamp

Cheekee - The Vamp 1925

1

Bonzo falls for Cheekee, another dog who gets him into trouble repeatedly. She also sees another dog and he and Bonzo fight, ending as friends when she is seen out with a third.

1925