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The Dumb Girl of Portici (1916)

1916 · Silent film · 15 min · dir. Lois Weber

  • Drama
  • History
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Synopsis

In the beginning of the Seventeenth Century, the Spanish Viceroys who had been sent to rule Italy, grew rich from the heavy taxes imposed on the poverty-stricken people. From the Kingdom of Naples alone, Spain extorted an annual revenue of fifteen millions of dollars. A tax was placed on fish, flour, poultry, wine, milk, cheese and salt, making bare existence a bitter problem. Fenella, "The Dumb Girl of Portici," as history describes her, was an unusually romantic character at this period. That she came of an unusual family is proven by the fact that her brother and guardian, Masaniello, although, only a poor fisherman, was able to sway the people that he reigned as king while the revolution was at its height. Unlike their neighbors, are the widow Rilla and her worthless brother, Pietro, who is in love with Fenella. A new tax is levied on fruit by the Duke d'Arcos, Viceroy of Naples. The people become embittered by this added burden and Masaniello is appealed to for advice. With the help of his friend, Don Francesco, he gives the people wise counsel. Conde, the Duke's younger son, reports their attitude, but the Duke laughs at Conde's tears. The elder brother, Alphonso, realizes the seriousness of the situation. Disguising as fishermen, he and Conde go to the Market Place to investigate. Here Alphonso first meets Fenella. The dumb girl, needing flour and not possessing sufficient money to pay for it and also meet the heavy flour tax, smuggles a bag of meal into the city by…

Synopsis from OMDb

Details

Director
Lois Weber
Studio
Universal Pictures
Released
1916-01-30
Running time
15 minutes
Language
English
Collection
Silent Films, Feature Films

Cast & crew