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Cashmere King's Film Explores Banking Innovator
12 Jan
Summary
- Director Giuseppe Tornatore will direct a biopic on A.P. Giannini.
- Giannini founded Bank of Italy, later Bank of America.
- He supported Hollywood's early film industry, backing major studios.
Director Giuseppe Tornatore is preparing to bring the life of Amedeo Peter Giannini to the screen in a new biopic titled "The First Dollar." Giannini, an Italian immigrant's son from San Jose, California, founded the Bank of Italy in 1904, which later evolved into Bank of America. He was a pioneer of modern banking, introducing practices like branch banking and offering loans to everyday individuals.
Giannini's influence extended significantly to the burgeoning film industry. His Bank of America established a motion-picture loan division in 1923, providing essential funding for numerous Hollywood ventures, including Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford's United Artists. Critically, his financial support enabled Walt Disney to complete "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" when the studio faced financial difficulties.
Tornatore aims to explore how Giannini transformed the banking system by serving previously excluded communities like immigrants, workers, and families. The film will also highlight Giannini's role in pivotal historical moments, such as reopening his bank amid the rubble after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake to restore public confidence.
