The Italian Immigration Experience on Film

This is a special episode of the Golden Silent Films Podcast as we attend our first live screening of 2026. This was a fun AND historical experience where we learn more about the 1915 film, "The Italian" and look at its role in telling the story of Italian Immigration in the teens and twenties.

To get the full impact of this film and its real-life counterparts, we were lucky enough to talk with Melissa Marinaro, Director of the Italian American Program at the Heinz History Center. Not only does she provide fascinating historical context for the film, but she also takes into the history of Italian immigration to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

If you want a deeper look into 1915's "The Italian," look no further than our 2024 "World Tour" season where we go in-depth into the film, actor George Beben and Italian immigration from a national perspective.

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