Calmettes, André

(August 18, 1861, Paris, France - March 14, 1942, Paris, France)

   He made his debut as a stage actor at the Odéon in 1885 in Don Juan and spent six years in the prestig­ious theater. In 1891, he entered the Grand Théâtre, then played at L'Ambigu, the Gymnase, the Vaudeville, and finally the Sarah Bernhardt, where he created in 1909 the part of Metternich in Edmond Rostand's LAiglon. The founders of the Les Films d'Art produc­tion company, the Laffitte brothers, were interested in his classical training and hired him to direct adap­tations of literary classics and mythological and his­torical stories. Other credits (as actor): 1923 Le Petit Chose (André Hugon); 1924 La Closerie des Genets (André Liabel).

 Filmography

1908 ◘ L'Assassinat du Duc de Guise / La Mort du Duc de Guise / USA: The Assassination of the Duke de Guise (short; co-director with Charles Le Bargy)

        ◘ Britannicus (short)

        ◘ Le Lépreux de la Cité dAoste (short; uncon­firmed; movie directed by Albert Capellani or André Calmettes)

        ◘ Oedipe Roi / UK: Oedipus / USA: Oedipus Rex (short)

        ◘ Le Retour d'Ulysse / USA: The Return of Ulysses (short)

        ◘ La Tosca (short; also screenwriter, adapter; at Sarah Bernhardt's request, the movie was never released)

        ◘ Un Duel sous Richelieu / USA: A Duel Under Richelieu (short)

1909 ◘ L'Arrestation de la Duchesse de Berry / USA: The Arrest of Duchess of Berry (short)

        ◘ L'avare / USA: The Miser (short)

        ◘ Le Baiser de Judas / USA: The Kiss of Judas (short; co-director with Armand Bour)

        ◘ Les Enfants d'Edouard / USA: The Children of

        ◘ Edward IV (short)

        ◘ L'Epi (short)

        ◘ La Grande Bretèche / USA: The Great Breach (short; also actor)

        ◘ Héliogabale (short)

        ◘ Le Légataire universel (short)

        ◘ La Légende de la Sainte-Chapelle / USA: The

        ◘ Legend of the Holy Chapel (short)

        ◘ Louis XI (short)

        ◘ Le Luthier de Crémone (short)

        ◘ Macbeth (short)

        ◘ Résurrection (short; co-director with Henri

        ◘ Desfontaines)

        ◘ Rigoletto (short)

        ◘ Rival de son Père (short)

        ◘ Le Roi de Rome (short)

1910 ◘ L'Aigle et l'Aiglon (1811-1882) / USA: The Eagle and the Eaglet (short)

        ◘ Au Temps des premiers Chrétiens / USA: In the

        ◘ Time of the First Christians (short)

        ◘ Carmen (short)

        ◘ Don Carlos (short)

        ◘ L'Echarpe (short)

        ◘ Lerragus (short)

        ◘ La Fin d'une Royauté (short)

        ◘ Les Mésaventures du Capitaine Clavaroche (short; also actor)

        ◘ Oliver Twist (short)

        ◘ La Reddition de Verdun (short)

        ◘ Résurrection (short; co-director with Henri Desfontaines)

        ◘ La Retraite (short; co-director with Henri Pouctal)

        ◘ Roi d'un Jour / USA: King of a Day / King of One Day (short)

        ◘ La Vengeance de Louis XIII (short)

1911 ◘ Camille Desmoulins (short)

        ◘ Le Chevalier d'Essex (short; co-director with Henri Pouctal)

        ◘ Le Colonel Chabert (short; co-director with Henri Pouctal)

        ◘ La Dame aux Camélias / UK and USA: Camille (short; co-director with Henri Pouctal)

        ◘ Décadence (short; co-director with Henri Pouctal)

        ◘ La Fin d'un Joueur (short; co-director with Henri Etiévant)

        ◘ Jésus de Nazareth (short; co-director with Henri Desfontaines)

        ◘ Madame Sans-Gêne (short)

        ◘ Lour l'Empereur (short; co-director with Al­bert Capellani; also co-screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ L'Usurpateur (short; co-director with Henri Pouctal)

1912 ◘ La Duchesse de Langeais / USA: The Duchess of

        ◘ Langeais (short; also actor)

        ◘ Mignon (short)

        ◘ Richard III / USA: The Life and Death of King Richard III / Mr. Frederick Warde in Shakespeare's Masterpiece "The Life and Death of King Richard III" (France / USa)

1913 ◘ Le Moujik jaloux (short)

        ◘ LesTrois Mousquetaires (two episodes:"La Haine de Richelieu", "Le Triomphe de d'Artagnan")