- Tourneur, Maurice
- (Maurice Félix Thomas / February 2, 1873, Paris, France - August 4, 1961, Paris, France)The son of a jewel merchant, he studied at the Beaux-Arts and earned a living as a decorator and book illustrator before working as an assistant at the ateliers of sculptor Auguste Rodin and painter Puvis de Chavannes. In 1900, he made his acting debut onstage with the Réjane and Antoine troupes. A dozen years later, he joined the Éclair film company and entered films as an assistant director (1912 Conscience d'Enfant, Emile Chautard; 1913 Mathilde, Emile Chautard) and actor (1912 Max Boxeur par Amour / Boxeur par Amour / UK: Love and Boxing, Max Linder). Thanks to his superb command of English, he was sent to Fort Lee, New Jersey, where he directed many American productions of Éclair. After filming movies for US studios (World, Paragon, Equitable, Paramount), he returned to France in the late 1920s and shot about twenty-five films until 1948. A car accident and the loss of one leg put an end to his career. He spent the last years of his life translating English and American detective novels into French. His son was director Jacques Tourneur.Filmography1913 ◘ Jean la Poudre ou La Conquête de l'Algerie / La Conquête de l'Algérie (one prologue, three parts; co-director with Emile Chautard; also screenwriter)◘ Soeurette (short; also screenwriter)◘ La Bergère d'Ivry (short; also screenwriter)◘ Le Corso rouge (short; also screenwriter)◘ Les Gaîtés de l'Escadron (short; co-director with◘ Joseph Faivre; also screenwriter, adapter)◘ Le Dernier Pardon (short; also screenwriter, adapter)◘ La Dame de Monsoreau (unconfirmed; directed by Emile Chautard, Charles Krauss, or Maurice Tourneur; also screenwriter, adapter)◘ Le Système du Docteur Goudron et du Professeur Plume / USA: The Lunatics (short; also screenwriter, adapter)◘ Le Friquet (short; also screenwriter, adapter)◘ Mademoiselle Cent Millions (short)1914 ◘ Le Puits mitoyen / USA: The Secret of the Well (short; also screenwriter)◘ Le Camée (short; also screenwriter)◘ Les Ruses de l'Amour (short; unconfirmed; directed by Emile Chautard or Maurice Tourneur)◘ Ligures de Cire / L'Homme aux Figures de Cire (short; also screenwriter, adapter)◘ Mother (short; also screenwriter, adapter; USA)◘ Man of the Hour (also screenwriter, adapter; USA)◘ The Wishing Ring: An Idyll of Old England / The Wishing Ring (also screenwriter, adapter; USA)◘ The Pit (USA)1915 ◘ Rouletabille (short; also screenwriter, adapter)◘ Rouletabille II: Le Parfum de la Dame en noir /◘ La Dernière Incarnation de Larsan (short; also screenwriter, adapter)◘ Monsieur Lecoq (also screenwriter, adapter)◘ Alias Jimmy Valentine (also screenwriter, adapter; USA)◘ The Cub (also screenwriter, adapter; USA)◘ The Ivory Snuff Box (USA)◘ Trilby (USA)◘ A Butterfly on the Wheel (USA)1916 ◘ Pawn of Fate (USA)◘ The Hands of Peril (also screenwriter, adapter, producer; USA)◘ The Closed Road (also screenwriter, producer; USA)◘ The Rail Rider (USA)◘ The Velvet Paw (USA)1917 ◘ The Pride of the Clan (USA)◘ A Girl's Folly (also co-screenwriter, actor; USA)◘ The Poor Little Rich Girl (USA)◘ The Whip (USA)◘ The Undying Flame (USA)◘ Faw of the Land (also co-screenwriter; USA)◘ Barbary Sheep (USA)◘ Exile (USA)◘ The Rise of Jenny Cushing (USA)1918 ◘ Rose of the World (USA)◘ The Blue Bird (USA)◘ Prunella (USA)◘ A Doll's House (also screenwriter, adapter; USA)◘ Sporting Life (also presenter, producer; USA)◘ Woman (also producer; USA)1919 ◘ The White Heather (also producer; USA)◘ The Life Line (also producer; USA)◘ The Broken Butterfly (also co-screenwriter, producer; USA)◘ Victory (also producer; USA)1920 ◘ My Lady's Garter (also producer; USA)◘ Treasure Island (also producer; USA)◘ The White Circle (also producer; USA)◘ The Great Redeemer (also producer; USA)◘ The County Fair (USA)◘ Deep Waters (also presenter, producer; USA)◘ The Last of the Mohicans (also presenter, producer; USA)1921 ◘ The Bait (USA)◘ The Foolish Matrons / UK: Is Marriage a Failure? (co-director with Clarence Brown; also producer; USA)◘ Lorna Doone (also co-screenwriter, producer, presenter; USA)◘ The Brass Bottle (also producer; USA)◘ The Christian (USA)◘ While Paris Sleeps (USA)◘ The Isle of Lost Ships (also producer; USA)◘ Jealous Husbands / Jealous Fools (also producer; USA)1924 ◘ Torments (also producer; USA)◘ The White Moth (USA)1925 ◘ Never the Twain Shall Meet (USA)◘ Sporting Life (also producer; USA)◘ Clothes Make the Pirate (USA)1926 ◘ Old Loves and New (USA)◘ Aloma of the South Seas (USA)◘ L'Equipage / UK: The Crew / USA: Last Flight (also screenwriter, adapter)◘ Das Schiff der verlorenen Menschen / Le Navire des Hommes perdus / UK: Grischa the Cook / USA: The Ship of Lost Men (also screenwriter, adapter; Germany / France)◘ The Mysterious Island (Lucien Hubbard; Maurice Tourneur directed a few scenes; USA)◘ Accusée, levez-vous! / Un Crime au Music-Hall (also editor)◘ Maison de Danses (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist)◘ Partir1932 ◘ Au Nom de la Loi (also co-screenwriter)◘ Les Gaietés de l'Escadron (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist)1933 ◘ Lidoire (short; also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist)◘ L'Homme mystérieux / UK and USA: Obsession (short)◘ Les Deux Orphelines / USA: The Two Orphans (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist)◘ Le Voleur1935 ◘ Justin de Marseille◘ Koenigsmark / USA: The Crimson Dynasty (Léonce Perret started to shoot the movie)1936 ◘ Samson◘ Avec le Sourire / USA: With a Smile 1938 Le Patriote / USA: The Mad Emperor Katia1941 ◘ Volpone (Jacques de Baroncelli started to shoot the movie in 1938)◘ Péchés de Jeunesse / USA: Sins of Youth◘ Mam'zelle Bonaparte◘ La Main du Diable / UK: The Devil's Hand / USA: Carnival of Sinners (also producer; movie completed by Jean Devaivre)◘ Le Val d'Enfer1944 ◘ Cécile est morte1948 ◘ Après l'Amour◘ Impasse des Deux Anges
Encyclopedia of French film directors . Philippe Rège. 2011.