NAPOLI/NEW YORK/HOLLYWOOD reveals the little known story of Italian immigrant performers and the traditions of Italian theater and their impact on Hollywood and the American media from 1895 to the present. The author, a Professor in the History of Cinema at the University of Padova, Italy, constructs this compelling narrative from primary sources, considerable film-viewing and extensive interviews with Hollywood A-listers with Italian roots, including Francis Coppola, John Turturro, and James Gandolfini, among others. Highly recommended!

Pub Date 25 Sep 2018

Thanks to Fordham University Press and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

#NapoliNyhollywood #NetGalley

I adored this book. It is full of facts about Italians in film and theatre. I learned so much about people larger than life like Caruso and lesser known silent films stars like Neapolitan Mario Carillo (just as an example). This book is even more then a history lesson though. What a legacy those actors of Italian origin left--I never knew!!! This book makes me extra proud of my Southern Italian roots--so little is known of the true magnificence the South of Italy was prior to the unification of Italy in the mid to late 1800's. It is so heartbreaking to me that so many of Southern Italy's sons and daughters,(like my parents) had to immigrate to find a better life for themselves and their families. They left a beautiful and magical place that held no opportunity for them. But, lest I lead you to believe that this book is about the Italian immigrant experience--it is really MUCH more than that EVEN--the author, Giuliana Muscio is brilliant in the manner she lays out the framework for the book. It was never boring and I am going to buy the book even though I received a free kindle copy from NetGalley and the publisher to give an honest review. I want the hard cover of this book to add to my library.
Brava Giuliana--you did a lot of meticulous research and your love for the Southern Italian culture and people is evident in this wonderful book. THANK YOU SO MUCH for writing this book as I fear that future generations of Italian Americans will never know just how magnifico we are!! (