La Cinématographie Française (1937)

216 ♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦ ♦♦ ClIMEr FRfi ;r/iphie ISE rXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXYl picture, is made especially for the family patronage. Direction is by Maurice Cloche. Cast : Marguerite Moreno, Alice Tissot, Micheline Cheirel, Georges Mauloy and Pierre Larquey. La Femme du Bout du Monde (The Woman at the end of the World). — A dramatic picture directed by Jean Epstein with action set in the rugged islands of the Breton coast where outdoor scenes were shot. Cast includes Charles Vanel, Jean-Pierre Aumont and Germaine Rouer. La Liberté (Liberty). — This film, directed by Jean Iveimm, deals with the life of tlie well known French sculptor Bartholdi, who made tlie famous statue of Liberty which is at the entrance of New-York harbour. This film has been produced with important scenery and historical reconstitution. Cast includes Maurice Escande, as Bartholdi, and Germaine Rouer, as Mrs. Bartholdi. La Mort du Cygne (Death of the Swan). — Jean Benoit-Lévy, who produced Hélène, has directed this film on tlie life of the Opéra dancers, taken from a novel by Paul Morand. It will be a very artistic and moving film in which choregraphy takes an important part. The most famous dancers of the Paris Opéra House appear in it. Forfaiture (The Cheat). — Marcel l’Herbier has directed a French talking version of The Cheat, the famous American silent picture which Cecil B. de Mille produced in 1915. Sessue Hayakawa, star of the silent version, plays the saine part in the French talker, supported by Lise Delamare, Victor Francen, Svlvia Bataille and Eve Francis. FILMS IN THE MAKING Other important French films are now in the making : Tamara la Complaisante. A Russian story produced and directed by Félix Gandera with Vera Korène, Victor Francen and Lucas Gridoux. La Marseillaise. — This outstanding French film, subsidized by the French Trade Unions and Workers, and patronized by the French Government, will show the story of the French National Anthem and the revolutionary times of 1792. Principal characters in this film directed by Jean Renoir (of La Grande Illusion) are King Louis XVI and Queen Marie-Antoinette. Others are three men from Marseilles who bring the song to Paris. Important scenes with more than 3.000 extras hâve been shot at the Palace of Fontainebleau, to represent the famous days of August 1792, when the Parisian people took the King’s palace “The Tuileries”. It will be a big picture, one of the most important produced in France this year. L’Affaire Lesurques (Lyons’ Mail). — A new film concerning the famous French criminal case of the “Lyons’mail” which is being produced and directed by Maurice Lehmann, Kith a cast including Pierre Blanchar, Hélène Robert, Dorville, Charles Dullin, Dita Parlo, Jacques Copeau. Maman Colibri. — Adaptation of Henry Bataille’s play. Direction by Jean Dréville with Huguette Duflos, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Jean Worms and Bernard Lancret. ’s au Baiser de Feu. — An outstanding French film adapted from the novel by Auguste Bailly. Most of the scenes were taken o.n location in Naples. Direction by Le front sou ieuxde Michel Simon inquiète Françoise Rosay . que se trame t-il ? Drôle de Drame ! Augusto Genina. Cast includes the famous Corsican singer, Tino Rossi and Mireille Balin (both engaged for Hollywood), supported by Viviane Romance and Michel Simon. Miarka, la Fille à l’Ourse. Jean Choux is directing this film adapted from Jean Richepin’s novel. Cast : Suzanne Desprès, Rama-Tahé, José Noguéro, and Dalio. Les Pirates du Bail (Pirates of the Railway). — Adventures in Indo-China, from O. P. Gilhert’s novel. Direction by Christian Jaque. Cast : Charles Vanel, Erich Von Stroheim, Simone Renant, Dalio, and Lucas Gridoux. L’Affaire Lafarge (The Lafarge Case). — Directed by Pierre Chenal from an original story by Arnold Lipp on a peculiar criminal case which took place, about one eentury ago, in the French mountains of Limousin. Cast : Marcelle Chantal, Pierre Renoir, Margo Lion and Sylvie. Roger Karl et Roger nuchesne dans Le Tigre du Bengale NEW PICTURES ANNOUNCED Plans of production for 1937-38 are important : among the new pictures which bave already been announced and upon which work will start in the near future, we must mention : Hercule, by Carlo Rim. Tarakanowa. Mollenard, by O. P. Gilbert. Nuits de Prince, from Joseph Kessel’s novel. Prison sans Barreaux which Leonide Moguy will direct. Sahara. The White Slave. Shanghaï which G. W. Pabst will direct. Le Quai des Brumes (Misty Quays) by Pierre Mac Orlan, which Marcel Carné will direct in Berlin, for Ufa. Adrienne Lecouvreur. Le Venin, adapted by Marcel Achard from Henry Bernstein’s play, which Marcel Allégret will direct, starring Charles Boyer in bis first French talker since “Mayerling”. Storm Over Asia. Isle of Sin. Talleyrand. Fachoda. Chéri Bibi by Gaston Leroux. Volpone from Ben Johnson’s play. Yamilé sous les Cèdres, by Henry Bordeaux. Other big films are now in study of préparation and will be produced during the winter. TRENDS OF FRENCH PRODUCTION In spite of many difficulties, due mainly to the rising cost of life in France, higher wages and higher material, the French production has livered up to its promise of turning out pictures of quality, allways original. The attention of Hollywood has been called to this quality of the French production, and America is engaging, one by one, as soon as a new successful French film is shown, French stars, writers and directors. Succesively, after Charles Boyer, Simone Simon, Georges Rigaud, and Germaine Aussey, already working in Hollywood, the best French stars such as Danielle Darrieux, Mireille Ballin, Jean Gabin, Michèle Morgan, Tino Rossi, and sonie others hâve been engaged by American Producers. French directors such as Julien Duvivier and Jean Renoir, writers such as Henri Jeanson and Marcel Achard, hâve also received offers from Hollywood. This is the best proof of the quality of the French production. But it is also a danger, as the exodus of best French stars and directors to Hollywood is a new problem for French producers. The onlv solution for them will be to launch new stars, new directors, but, as France is a country of large artistic ressources, there is no doubt that new talents will be found and seen in our next films, until the day that Hollywood attracts them with huge salaries. Stars such as Annie Vernay, Blanchette Brunoy, Nadine Vogel, are very promising French Producers are to be congratulated on their fine efforts which hâve proved entirely successful. Pierre Autre and B. Fraseh.