La Cinématographie Française (1938)

136 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ :xxe C,I'||E^ RAPHIE SE ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ exxxxxxxxxxxj New Boom in French Production MORE THAN 40 FILMS PRODUCED IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS By PIERRE AUTRE « The screen lias a French accent now. » Tliis was, two weeks ago, the headline of the weekly cinéma page thaï Mr. Stephen Watts conducts in the London’s Sanday Express. Mr. Watts said : « There is a David and Goliath quality about the dominant French influence over the cinéma of the moment. » « About a couple of years ago, it was consi dered an affectation to say the French v. ere making the best pictures. » ...« But along came the commercial slump in Br i t i sh Production, and the less explicable recession of good pictures in Hollywood. » « These two natural sources of Englishlanguage pictures constituted the Goliath of the film world. They had money, power, prestige, enonnous markets. « On the other hand was the little David ol French Production, poorly organised working on small budgets, partly because of the restricted market, partly because they just didn’t hâve the money. « With their puny armoury — what hâve they except brains and ability ? they would never hâve dared plan a battle for supremacy. But they hâve on it ail the sanie. » * * * On the other hand one can read in the British fan magazine Film Weekly (Aug. 27.) : « Sweden lias been confirming the English and American high opinion of French films, in an animal poil for the year’s ten best films. « Last year, almost ail chosen were American. Tliis year only three American films were chosen to seven French. Altitude 3.200 (Altitude). — Director : Jean Benoît-Lévy, assisted by Marie Epstein (of La Maternelle) ; Cast : Jean-Louis Barrault, Fabien Lorys, Dolly Mollinger, Maurice Bacquet, Odette Joyeux, Jacqueline Pacaud ; Type and story : Drama adapted from a successful play by Julien Luchaire. A film on youtli with action in a refuge in the snows, 9,600 feet up in the Alps ; Points of appeal : Excellent cast including only young actors. The novelty of the subject. Ils generous ideology. La Femme du Boulanger ( The Baker’s wife). — Director : Marcel Pagnol (of César, Angèle, Regain). Cast : Raimu (as the baker), Ginette Leclerc (as bis wife), Charpin, Delmont. Type and story : Gomedy-drama adapted from a novel by Jean Giono, and produced on location in a small village in the South of France. Points of appeal : The outstanding acïing of Raimu, at bis best. A mixture of gaiety and émotion, with a deep human interest. « Considering America turns ont at least twenty times as many pictures as France ( actuallg only six times) the Swedish vote gives France something to lie proud of ». * * * These quotations confirm the fact thaï the prestige of French cinéma lias now spread ail over the world. Sueh big successes as La Kermesse héroïque (Carnival in Flanders), Grand Illusion. Pepe le Moko, Mayerling, Un Carnet de Bal, bave opened wide the doors of ail foreign markets to the French production. But these big successes hâve brought with them a danger about which the sanie Film Weekly as recently published a serions warning. « There hâve been several hints that the well-deserved boom in French films is being exploited loo far. « Already it is clear from reports from New York thaï too many indifferent French films hâve been sent to America in an effort to cash in on the suecess of La Kermesse héroïque, Un Carnet de Bal, Mayerling... France should be careful not the throw away the prestige she lias gained with lier good films by flooding lier neighbours with médiocre pictures. » * * * What is the situation of the French film production al the beginning of the 1 9381939 season ? In spite of sonie slowness and delay in the production during the first six months of the year, it is now absolutely sure that the French films of 1938 will be as good and important as in 1937. Il is estimated that the number of French Eric von Stroheim et Viviane Romance dans Gibraltar feature films produced in 1938 will be \ around 120 among them 90 already comple I ted or in the marking. A quarter of !j Ibis number will be of excellent value for the j international market. The only différence with the 1937 produc I tion is that the biggest films were made this year with a three or four months delay. Since July lst, more than 40 films hâve been started in the French studios. Among them, sonie very important ones, as big and certainly as good as Mayerling or Un Carnet de Bal : Katia, co-starring Danielle Darrieux and John Loder, La Bête humaine (The Human Beast), co-starring Jean Gabin and Simone Simon, Return at Dawn, starring Danielle Darrieux, Hôtel du Nord, starring Annabella, Conflit, starring Corinne Luchaire i (of Prison without bars), Three Waltzes, directed by Ludwig Berger and co-starring : Yvonne Printemps and Pierre Fresnay, La ; Maison du Maltais, starring Viviane Ro < mance, Remontons les Champs-Elysées, a new Sacha Guitry production. Full details , en these films and on the others will be lound below. One of the features most appreciated by Foreigners is still the perfection of French j players. French producers hâve given a i chance to many new and young talents. . I Each new film brings the discoverv of ! young actresses and actors. The 1938 French production has more than kept up last year’s progress. It defir.itelv heads the European Production. It is now a hard competitor to Hollywood in the International Market. Pierre Autré. Le Paradis de Satan ( Satan’s Paradise). — Director : Félix Gandéra. Cast : Jean-Pierre Aumont, Jany Holt, Pierre Renoir, Lucas > Gridoux. Type and story : Adventures with action in a small tropical island. Points of appeal : Excellent photography. Good acting. Expert direction. Prisons de Femmes ( Women’s penitentiary). Director : Roger Richebé. Cast : Viviane Romance, Renée Saint-Cyr, Georges Flamant, Jean Worms, Francis Carco. Type and story. — Melodrama based on a book by Francis Carco on life in women’s penitentiaries. Points of appeal : The new j French star Viviane Romance. Interesting | story. Alerte en Méditerranée (Alarm in the Mediterranean sea). — Director : Léo Joannon. Cast : Pierre Fresnay, Kim Peaeock (British), Rolf Wanka (German), Nadine Vogel, Aimos, Temerson. Type and story : A thriller with a story of arms smuggling. ; Points of appeal : Excellent treatment of an New Films of The Q uarter