- L'Herbier, Marcel
- (April 23, 1890, Paris, France - November 26, 1979, Paris, France)Born into a family of architects, he intended to dedicate himself to literature after earning his bachelor's degrees in law and letters and attending the courses of the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Sociales (high social studies school). He began writing articles in 1912 for L'Illustration and then for Paris-Journal. His first book, Au Jardin des Jeux secrets, was a collection of poems and essays (1914). Reformed in 1914, he joined the army in 1916 and served in the army's Cinematographic Service. He already had authored a play, L'Enfantement de la Mort (1917), and two screenplays (1917 Le Torrent, Louis Mercanton, René Hervil; 1918 Bouclette / L'Ange de Minu'A, Louis Mercanton, René Hervil). In the 1920s, he was an avant-garde director who had a huge influence on such filmmakers as Alberto Caval-canti, René Clair, and Claude Autant-Lara. In 1936, he co-founded and was the first artistic director of the French Cinematheque. He created the most famous French film school—L'Institut des Hautes Etudes Cinématographiques (IDHEC)—in 1943. Autobiography: 1979 La Tête qui tourne (Belfond). Other credits (as art director): 1923 Le Marchand de Plaisirs (also supervisor, producer, Jaque Catelain); Fait-Divers (short, also producer, Claude Autant-Lara); 1924 L'Inondation (also producer, Louis Delluc); La Galerie des Monstres / La barraca de los monstruos (also producer, Jaque Catelain, France / Spain); 1929 Autour de l'Argent (documentary, short, also producer, actor, Jean Dréville); 1937 Midi (documentary, short, Jean Dréville); (as supervisor): 1927 Paname n'est pas Paris / Paname (Marcel L'Herbier supervised the first version of the film; the negative was destroyed by a fire, and the movie was entirely reshot); 1930 Kônig einer Nacht (Fritz Wendhausen); 1933 La Bataille (Nicolas Farkas, Victor Tourjansky); Le Martyre de l'Obèse (Pierre Chenal); 1943 Le Loup des Malveneur (Guillaume Radot); 1948 Une Grande Fille toute simple / USA: Just a Big Simple Girl (Jacques Manuel); (as producer): 1927 Die Apachen von Paris / Les Apaches de Paris (Nikolai Malikoff, Germany / France); Zuiderzeewerken / Zuiderzee (documentary, Joris Ivens).Filmography◘ Phantasmes (unfinished)◘ Rose France (also screenwriter)◘ Le Bercail (uncredited)◘ Le Carnaval des Vérités (also screenwriter)◘ L'Homme du Large (also screenwriter, adapter)◘ Prométhée . . . Banquier (also original play, screenwriter, adapter)◘ Villa Destin (also screenwriter, adapter; the movie includes cartoons)◘ El Dorado (also screenwriter)◘ Don Juan et Faust (also screenwriter, adapter)◘ Résurrection (also screenwriter, adapter; Marcel L'Herbier fell ill, and the film remains unfinished)◘ L'Inhumaine / UK: The Inhuman Woman / USA: The New Enchantment (also screenwriter)1926 ◘ Feu Mathias Pascal / UK: The Late Mathias Pascal / USA: The Living Dead Man (also screenwriter, adapter; shot in 1924-1925)◘ Le Vertige (also screenwriter)◘ Le Diable au Cœur / UK: The Devil May Care / USA: The Devil in the Heart (shot in 1926)◘ L'Argent (also screenwriter, adapter)◘ Nuits de Princes (also screenwriter, adapter)◘ L'Enfant de l'Amour (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist)◘ Le Mystère de la Chambre jaune / USA: The Mystery of the Yellow Room (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist)1931 ◘ La Femme d'une Nuit (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist; Marcel L'Herbier refused to sign the movie, which had been revised and reedited without his authorization)◘ Le Parfum de la Dame en noir (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist)◘ L'Epervier (also co-screenwriter)◘ Le Scandale◘ L'Aventurier (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist)◘ Le Bonheur (also screenwriter, dialogist)1935 ◘ La Route impériale (also screenwriter, adapter, co-dialogist)◘ Veille d'Armes / UK: Sacrifice of Honor / USA: Sacrifice d'Honneur (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist)◘ Le Coin des Enfants / Children's Corner (short)1936 ◘ Les Hommes nouveaux (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist)◘ La Porte du Large / USA: The Great Temptation (also co-screenwriter, dialogist)◘ Le Coin des Enfants / Children's Corner (short)1937 ◘ Nuits de Feu / UK and USA: The Living Corpse (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter)◘ La Citadelle du Silence / USA: The Citadel of◘ Silence◘ Lorfaiture / UK and USA: The Cheat◘ La Tragédie impériale / UK and USA: Rasputin Adrienne Lecouvreur (also adapter)◘ La Mode rêvée (short; also screenwriter)◘ La Brigade sauvage / USA: Savage Brigade (movie completed by Jean Dréville)◘ Terre de Feu (also co-director with Giorgio Ferroni of the Italian version: Terra di fuoco; France / Italy)◘ Entente cordiale 1941 La Comédie du Bonheur / Ecco la felicità (shot in 1939-1940; France / Italy)◘ Histoire de rire / USA: Foolish Husbands La Nuit fantastique / UK and USA: Fantastic Night (also co-adapter)1943 ◘ L'Honorable Catherine / USA: The Honorable Catherine (movie completed by Jacques de Baroncelli)1945 ◘ La Vie de Bohème / La Bohème (France / Italy; shot in 1942-1943)1946 ◘ Au Petit Bonheur◘ L'Affaire du Collier de la Reine / USA: Queen's Necklace1948 ◘ La Révoltée / USA: Stolen Affections (also screenwriter, adapter)1950 ◘ Gli ultimi giorni di Pompei / Les Derniers Jours de Pompéi / USA: Sins of Pompei / The Last Days of Pompei (co-director with Paolo Moffa; also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist; Italy / France; shot in 1948)1953 ◘ Le Père de Mademoiselle (co-director with Robert-Paul Dagan; also co-screenwriter, co-adapter)1963 ◘ Hommage à Debussy (documentary)1967 ◘ Le Cinéma du Diable / Le Regard sur le Film fantastique (documentary; also producer)1975 ◘ La Féerie des Fantasmes / Quatre-vingts Ans de Films fantastiques français (documentary)Television Filmography◘ Adrienne Mesurat◘ Zamore◘ Le Jeu de l'Amour et du Hasard1955 ◘ Les Fausses Confidences◘ Le Ciel de Lit
Encyclopedia of French film directors . Philippe Rège. 2011.
