The Cine Technician (1943 - 1945)

January February, 1945 THE CINE-TECHXICIAX FOUR YEARS OF FRENCH CINEMA UNDER THE OCCUPATION By JACQUES LAURENT BOST Reprinted by kind permission of France Libre. Translated by Mary Francis IN June, 1940, the French cinema was dead, and during the year which followed tin1 collapse of France, everything seemed against its resurrection. Four of the best French directors — Rene Clair, Duvivier, Renoir and Feyder — were abroad, a great number of actors and technicians were suspended. But that was nothing compared with a grave danger of another kind — the determination of the Germans to capture the French film market. As early as June, 1940. the German companies, A.C.E. and Tobis, sent their business men in with the job of taking over all the cinema circuits in the capital, and in the provinces. This first operation was so successful that after a year there were only three circuits left for films of French production. The Cinema Corporation tried to defend themselves and succeeded in savins; vane of the cinemas. The Government of Vichj . powerless or indifferent, did not act against this '"colonisation" until the middle of 1941. As soon as they owned the cinemas, the Germans flooded the market with their productions, which, happily for the French cinema, were extremely bad on the whole. Even though the -cinema was their only distraction people kept away from these films. They were either propaganda or syrupy romantic love stories, or else apallingly heavy "gay" comedies. Amongst the hundreds of films that were imposed upon us by the Germans one might say, without being prejudiced, that there were only half-a-dozen that would he called simply "creditable." Therefore, the first attempt to conquer the French market misfired. The public did not like the German films, and did not want to like them. To counter this setback, the German firms installed their own production company — the "Continental"— in Paris, to conquer the French market, this time from the inside. That is to say, to make in France French films — with French technicians and actors. This second manoeuvn . more subtle, succeeded much better than the first. Many — too many — technicians and actors (and not the bad ones alone) accepted contracts from "Continental" — which made a very good start — two excellent crime films L'Assassinai de Pere Noel by Christian-Jacques, Le Dernier des Six by Lecomte, and a romantic life of Berlioz, La Symphonie Fantastique, which all had an enormous success with the public. The situation was critical for the French cinema. The Germans held the best halls; the "Continental" had touted for talented actors and technicians and had a six-months' start on the French industry which was not allowed to work until the end of June, 1941. When at last permission was granted to the French companies to start their cameras turning, they found themselves, in comparison with "Continental," in a glaring state of inferiority. The "Continental," through the medium of "Propaganda Staffel," controlled the market of raw film stock, which was severely rationed. Twenty thousand, then 18.0(H). then finally 16,000 metres of film stock were allotted to the French companies. This ration was absolutely inadequate. Generally, for a film made conscientiously, 25 to 30,000 metres is needed. To complete a film it was necessary to buy on the Black .Market, where a reel of 300 metres cost about 10,000 francs. And that was the situation for all the materials necessary to make a film — the nails, the wood, the paint for the sets. The materials for the costumes and the make-up the official quantities distributed were always a mockery, ami the cinema, more than any other industry, was pushed towards the Black Market, which made a terrible hole in budgets. Later, electricity was radically cut down — then the hours of work' were reduced. At last, in 1943, only night work was allowed, which in itself was bad enough, but was made disastrous by the constant interruptions of sirens. One might also mention here competition from Italy, but this was not so pressing, not so well equipped, and above all not so dangerous on account of the utter poorness of the Italian productions. To these commercial and material difficulties were added others, of :i different character, but no less cramping. There was a double censoi