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The History of Cinema: 1953

Albania - Italy

Albania

– Velikiy Voin Albanii Skanderbeg (The Great Albanian Warrior Skanderbeg), a Soviet co-production, is the first film to be produced in Albania. [ADD]

Angola

– Velhos Tempos, Novos Tempos (Old Times, New Times), a short documentary made by Asdrubal Rebelo da Silva, is the first film produced in Angola. [ADD]

Australia

– The government abolishes entertainments tax. [ADD]

Benin

– The country’s first film, a short documentary entitled Lumière des homes, is released. [ADD]

Botswana

– Louis Knobel, an employee of South African Information Services, makes a 17-minute film about the Kalahari bushmen called Remnants of a Dying Race. [ADD]

Denmark

– Cinema admissions reach an all-time high of 59 million in 1953. [ADD]

Dominican Republic

– Rafael Augusto Sánchez Sanlley is imprisoned and tortured by the government for his series of 13 films about the 13 ministries of the government, which showed the poverty and starvation that was prevalent in the country. [ADD]

Guinea

– Mamadou Touré’s Mouramani, the first film to be produced in Guinea, is released. [ADD]

Hong Kong

– The Asia Film Company is founded. [ADD]

India

– Sohrab Modi’s Jhansi Ki Rani (The Queen of Jhansi), the first Indian film shot in Technicolor, is released in both Indian and English-language versions. [ADD]

– Bimal Roy’s Do Bigha Zameen gets recognition at the Cannes Film Festival and wins the Social Progress Award at Karlovy Vary. [ADD]

– Changes in censorship laws mean that films must be re-certified every five years, and that a copy or script of each film must be deposited with the Censorship Board. [ADD]

– Prabhat Studios ceases production. [ADD]

– An amendment to the Cinematograph Act enables authorities to suspend exhibition of certified films. [ADD]

– The weekly industry journal Trade Guide is published for the first time. [ADD]

– The Maiden Filmfare Awards are awarded for the first time. [ADD]

Italy

7/9 -

American actress Lana Turner marries her fourth husband, former screen Tarzan Lex Barker, in Turin. [ADD]

4/12 -

Roberto Rossellini’s Europa 51, his second collaboration with Ingrid Bergman is released.   Alexander Knox and Giulietta Masina also star. [ADD]

Other Key Films of 1953

Bolivia

Vuelve Sebastiana (Augusto Roca, Jorge Ruiz) [ADD]

Brazil

O Cangaceiro (Lima Barreto) [ADD]

Egypt

Raging Sky (Youssef Chahine) [ADD]

Greece

To Xypolito tagma (Gregg C. Tallas) [ADD]

Windfall in Athens (Michael Cacoyannis) [ADD]

India

Anarkali (Nandlal Jaswantlal) [ADD]

Avvaiyyar (Kothamangalam Subbu) [ADD]

Parineeta (Bimal Roy) [ADD]

The History of Cinema: 1953