- Clair, René
- (René Chomette / November II, 1898, Paris, France - March 15, 1981, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France)The son of a soap merchant, he grew up in the Les Halles area. In 1917, he took part in World War I as an ambulance driver. He authored two unpublished collection of poems (1917 La Tête de l'Homme; 1918-1919 Terre). Then he became a reporter at L'Intransigeant under the pseudonym of René De-sprès and wrote songs for Damia. Thanks to the singer, he entered films as an actor (1921 Le Lys de la Vie, Georgette Sorrère, Loïe Fuller; L'Orpheline, twelve episodes: "Malheurs de Mémorin", "Orpheline", "Le Complot", "L'Intruse", "Délivrance", "Le Traquenard", "A l'Ombre du Clocher", "La Conquête d'un Héritage", "Soirs de Paris", "Chagrin d'Amour", "Le Revenant", "Vers le Bonheur", Louis Feuillade; Le Sens de la Mort / USA: The Meaning of Death, Jacob Protozanoff; Parisette, twelve episodes: "Manoela", "Le Secret de Mme Stefan", "L'Affaire de Neuilly", "L'Enquête", "La Piste", "Grand-Père", "Le Faux Révérend", "Family House", "L'Impasse", "Le Triomphe de Cogolin", "La Fortune de Joaquim", "Le Secret de Costabella", Louis Feuillade, 1953 Le Rouge est mis, short, Hubert Knapp, Igor Barrère). In 1922, he published film reviews in Paris-Journal and Théâtre et Comoedia illustrés. Jacques de Baroncelli, for whom he worked as assistant director (1923 Le Carillon de Minuit / De Beiaard van Middernacht / USA: The Midnight Chimes, France / Belgium), encouraged him to try his luck as a filmmaker. His name was linked to avant-garde cinema for a while before he won international fame with his poetical and sometimes fantastic comedies shot in France, England, and the USA. He appeared as himself in documentaries (1969 Cinéastes de notre Temps, episode "René Clair", Jacques Baratier; 1974 Le Cinéma français par ceux qui l'ont fait, Armand Panigel) and authored several novels (1926 Adams; 1951 La Princesse de Chine suivi de De Fil en Aiguille, Gallimard; 1959 Comédies et Commentaires, Gallimard; 1971 L'Etrange Ouvrage des Cieux, Gallimard); 1976 Jeux du Hasard, Gallimard. In 1960, he was elected at the Académie Française. During the 1960s and the 1970s, he dedicated himself to theater and opera as an author and director. Other credits (as author of original idea, co-screenwriter, co-adapter): 1930 Prix de Beauté / UK: Miss Europe (Augusto Genina); (author of French commentary): 1957 The Golden Age of Comedy (compilation documentary, Robert Youngston, USA); (as author of original short story): 1960 De Fil en Aiguille (Lazare Iglésis); (as voice only): 1963 En Compagnie de Max Linder (documentary, Max Linder). His elder brother was filmmaker Henri Chomette.Filmography◘ Entracte (short; also screenwriter, adapter, editor)◘ Paris qui dort / Le Rayon diabolique / USA: At 3:25 (also screenwriter, editor)◘ Le Fantôme du Moulin Rouge (also screenwriter, editor)1926 ◘ Le Voyage imaginaire (also screenwriter, editor)◘ La Proie du Vent (also screenwriter, editor)1928 ◘ La Tour (documentary; short; also editor)◘ Un Chapeau de Paille d'Italie / USA: An Italian Straw Hat / The Horse Ate the Hat (also screenwriter, adapter, editor)◘ Les Deux Timides (also screenwriter; adapter, editor)◘ Sous les Toits de Paris / UK and USA: Under the Roofs of Paris (also screenwriter, dialogist, editor)◘ Le Million / UK and USA: The Million (also adapter, dialogist, editor)◘ A nous la Liberté / UK: Freedom for Us / USA:◘ Liberty for Us (also screenwriter, dialogist, editor)1932 ◘ Quatorze Juillet / UK: Bastille Day / USA: July l4 (also screenwriter, dialogist, uncredited editor)1934 ◘ Le Dernier Milliardaire / UK: The Last Billionaire / USA: The Last Millionaire (also screenwriter, dialogist, editor)1936 ◘ The Ghost Goes West (also co-screenwriter; UK)◘ Break the News (also co-screenwriter, producer; UK)◘ Air pur (unfinished)◘ The Flame of New Orleans (also uncredited screenwriter, producer; USA)◘ I Married a Witch (also uncredited dialogist, producer; USA)◘ Forever and a Day / The Changing World (segment "1897"; also producer; shot in 1941-1942; USA)◘ It Happened Tomorrow (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist, editor; USA)◘ And Then They Were None / René Clair's And Then They Were None / UK: Ten Little Niggers (also producer; USA)1947 ◘ Le Silence est d'Or / UK: Silence Is Golden / USA: Man About Town (also screenwriter, dialogist, producer)1950 ◘ La Beauté du Diable / La belezza del Diavolo / UK: Beauty and the Beast / USA: Beauty and the Devil (also screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist; France / Italy)1952 ◘ Les Belles de Nuit / Le belle della notte / UK: Night Beauties / USA: Beauties of the Night (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist; France / Italy)1955 ◘ Les Grandes Manœuvres / Le grandi manovre / UK: Summer Manœuvres / USA: The Grand Ma-noeuver (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist, producer; France / Italy)1957 ◘ Porte des Lilas / Quartiere dei lillà / UK: Gate of Lilacs / USA: The Gates of Paris (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, producer)1960 ◘ La Française et l'Amour/ La Francese e l'amore / USA: Love and the Frenchwoman (segment "Le Mariage"; also screenwriter, dialogist; France / Italy)◘ Tout l'Or du Monde / Tutto l'oro del mondo (also screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist, producer; France / Italy)◘ Les Quatre Vérités / Le quattro verità / Las cuatro verdades / USA: Three Fables of Love (segment "Les Deux Pigeons"; also co-screenwriter; France / Italy)1965 ◘ Les Fêtes galantes / Serbile galante (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist; France / Romania)
Encyclopedia of French film directors . Philippe Rège. 2011.
