Napoléon is a 1927 French silent epic historical film, produced, and directed by Abel Gance that tells the story of Napoleon's early years. It is also the only film to use Polyvision. On screen, the title is Napoléon vu par Abel Gance, meaning "Napoleon as seen by Abel Gance". The film is recognised as a masterwork of fluid camera motion, produced in a time when most camera shots were static. Many innovative techniques were used to make the film, including fast cutting, extensive close-ups, a wide variety of hand-held camera shots, location shooting, point of view shots, multiple-camera setups, multiple exposure, superimposition, underwater camera, kaleidoscopic images, film tinting, split screen and mosaic shots, multi-screen projection, and other visual effects. A revival of Napoléon in the mid-1950s influenced the filmmakers of the French New Wave. The film used the Keller-Dorian cinematography for its color sequences.
Abel Gance was a French film director, producer, writer and actor. A pioneer in the theory and practice of montage, he is best known for three major silent films: J'accuse (1919), La Roue (1923), and Napoléon (1927).
Immortal Beloved is a 1994 biographical film written and directed by Bernard Rose and starring Gary Oldman, Jeroen Krabbé, Isabella Rossellini and Johanna ter Steege. The film narrates the life of composer Ludwig van Beethoven in flashbacks while it follows Beethoven's secretary and first biographer Anton Schindler's (Krabbé) quest to ascertain the true identity of the Unsterbliche Geliebte addressed in three letters found in the late composer's private papers. Schindler journeys throughout the Austrian Empire interviewing women who might be potential candidates, as well as through Beethoven's own tumultuous life.
Jean-Pierre Cassel was a French actor and dancer. A popular star of French cinema, he was initially known for his comedy film appearances, though he also proved a gifted dramatic actor, and accrued over 200 film and television credits in a career spanning over 50 years.
Harry Baur was a French actor.
Vénus aveugle is a 1941 French film melodrama, directed by Abel Gance, and one of the first films to be undertaken in France during the German occupation.
Jany Holt was a Romanian-born actress, who worked principally in the French cinema.
Annie Ducaux was a French actress, who appeared in 40 film and television productions between 1932 and 1980. Ducaux was a shareholder in the state theater Comédie-Française from 1948, and played in numerous stage productions there. She is possibly best-remembered for her roles in such films as Abel Gance's Beethoven's Great Love (1937), Conflict and Les grandes familles.
Léonce-Henri Burel was a French cinematographer whose career extended from the silent era until the early 1970s. He was the director of photography on more than 120 films, working almost exclusively in black-and-white.
Julie "Giulietta" Guicciardi was an Austrian countess and briefly a piano student of Ludwig van Beethoven. He dedicated to her his Piano Sonata No. 14, later known as the Moonlight Sonata.
Walter Percy Day O.B.E. (1878–1965) was a British painter best remembered for his work as a matte artist and special effects technician in the film industry. Professional names include W. Percy Day; Percy Day; "Pop" or "Poppa" Day, owing to his collaboration with sons Arthur George Day (1909–1952) draughtsman, Thomas Sydney Day (1912–1985), stills photographer and cameraman, and stepson, Peter Ellenshaw, who also worked in this field.
Southern Mail or Southern Carrier is a 1937 French action film directed by Pierre Billon and starring Pierre Richard-Willm, Jany Holt and Raymond Aimos. It is adapted from the 1929 novel of the same name by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
Rasputin is a 1938 French historical film directed by Marcel L'Herbier and starring Harry Baur, Marcelle Chantal and Pierre Richard-Willm. It depicts the rise and fall of the Russian mystic Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin, the advisor to the Romanov royal family. It was shot at the Joinville Studios in Paris. The film's sets were designed by the art director Guy de Gastyne.
The Three Musketeers is a 1932 French historical adventure film directed by Henri Diamant-Berger and starring Aimé Simon-Girard, Henri Rollan and Thomy Bourdelle.The film is an adaptation of Alexandre Dumas's 1844 novel The Three Musketeers, and was the first version to be as a sound film. It was shot at the Epinay Studios of Eclair in Paris. The film's sets were designed by the art director Marc Lauer.
Dreams of Love is a 1947 French historical drama film directed by Christian Stengel and starring Pierre Richard-Willm, Mila Parély and Annie Ducaux. It portrays the life of the composer Franz Liszt. The film's sets were designed by the art directors Alexandre Trauner and Robert Gys. Some filming took place at the Villa Besnard in Talloires.
The composer Ludwig van Beethoven has been the subject of a number of biographical films.
Steve Passeur, pen name of Étienne Morin, was a French dramatist and screenwriter. His plays with scathing replies often depicted cynical characters.
The Woman Thief is a 1938 French-Italian drama film directed by Abel Gance and starring Jules Berry, Annie Ducaux and Suzanne Desprès.
The Man from Niger or Forbidden Love is a 1940 French drama film, directed by Jacques de Baroncelli and starring Victor Francen, Jacques Dumesnil and Annie Ducaux. It is set in the French colonial empire.
Not Guilty is a 1947 French crime drama film directed by Henri Decoin and starring Michel Simon, Jean Debucourt and Jany Holt. It was shot at the Billancourt Studios in Paris. The film's sets were designed by the art director Emile Alex.
