When Knights Were Bold (1916 Italian film)

When Knights Were Bold is a 1916 Italian silent historical drama film directed by Enrico Vidali and starring Fernanda Negri Pouget, Alberto Nepoti, and Livio Pavanelli. The film is based on the popular 1906 play of the same name by British playwright Charles Marlowe.

The film adapts the play's comedic premise, which involves a modern man who believes himself to be a medieval knight returning to his supposed ancestral home. He then proceeds to act according to his fantastical view of the past, causing chaos and confusion amongst the actual inhabitants. While details on the plot specifics of the 1916 film are limited due to its obscurity and the loss of many silent films from that era, it can be assumed that the adaptation retained the basic humorous elements of mistaken identity and anachronistic behavior central to Marlowe's original work. The film's Italian title is likely Quando i Cavalieri Erano Audaci or a similar literal translation.