- Franju, Georges
- (April 12, 1912, Fougères, Ille-et-Vilaine, France - November 5, 1987, Paris, France)After briefly working for an insurance company, he was a set decorator for stage and such music halls as Le Casino de Paris and Les Folies-Bergère. In 1934, he met Henri Langlois, with whom he co-directed a short and founded a cine-club (Le Cercle du Cinéma). The same year, he co-founded with Langlois the Cinémathèque Française (1937) and created a film review (CINEMAtographe). In 1957, he was a direction consultant to Adonis Kyrou (La Déroute, short). He appeared as himself in several TV documentaries (1964 Cinéastes de notre Temps, documentary, episode "La Nouvelle Vague par elle-même", André S. Labarthe, Robert Valey; 1968 Cinéastes de notre Temps, documentary, episode "La Première Vague", Noël Burch, Jean-André Fieschi; 1974 Histoire du cinéma français par ceux qui l'ont fait, documentary, Armand Panigel; 1979 Fantômas, je pense à vous!, Christian Marc; 1994 Citizen Langlois, documentary, archive footage, Ed-gardo Cozarinsky; 1997 Cinéma de notre Temps, documentary, episode "Georges Franju—Le Visionnaire", André S. Labarthe; 2004 Le Fantôme d'Henri Langlois, documentary, Jacques Richard).Filmography1934 ◘ Le Métro (documentary; short; co-director with Henri Langlois)◘ Le Sang des Bêtes / UK and USA: Blood of the Beasts (documentary; short; also screenwriter)◘ En passant par la Lorraine (documentary; short; also screenwriter, author of commentary)1952 ◘ Hôtel des Invalides (documentary; short; also screenwriter, author of commentary)◘ Le Grand Méliès (documentary; short; also screenwriter, author of commentary)◘ Monsieur et Madame Curie (documentary; short; also screenwriter, author of commentary)◘ Les Poussières (documentary; short; also screenwriter, author of commentary)◘ Navigation marchande (documentary; short; also screenwriter, author of commentary)◘ A propos d'une Rivière / Le Saumon atlantique / Au Fil de la Rivière (documentary; short; also co-screenwriter, co-author of commentary)◘ Mon Chien (short; also screenwriter, producer)◘ Le Théâtre National Populaire (documentary; short; also screenwriter, author of commentary)◘ Sur le Pont d'Avignon (documentary; short; also screenwriter, author of commentary)◘ Notre-Dame Cathédrale de Paris (documentary; short; also screenwriter)◘ La Première Nuit (short; also adapter)◘ La Tête contre les Murs / UK: The Keepers / USA: Head Against the Wall◘ Les Yeux sans Visage / Occhi senza volto / UK: Eyes Without a Face / USA: The Horror Chamber of Dr. Faustus (also co-adapter; France / Italy)◘ Pleins Feux sur l'Assassin (also adapter)◘ Thérèse Desqueyroux / UK: Thérèse / USA: Therese (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter)1963 ◘ Judex / L'uomo in nero (France / Italy)1965 ◘ Thomas l'Imposteur (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter)1970 ◘ La Faute de l'Abbé Mouret / UK: The Sin of Father Mouret / USA: The Demise of Father Mouret (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist)1974 ◘ Nuits rouges / UK and USA: Shadowman (also composer; shortened version of TV series◘ L'Homme sans Visage; France / West Germany)Television Filmography◘ Der Augenblick des Friedens / Un Instant de la Paix / Matura (episode "Les Rideaux blancs" / "Die weissen Vorhànge" / "Chwila pokoju"; France / West Germany / Poland)◘ Chroniques de France (documentary; shorts; episodes "Les Jardins de Paris", "La Tour de Monsieur Eiffel", "Le Marché aux Puces")◘ Pour le Plaisir (documentary; short; episode "Rencontre avec Fantômas")◘ Chroniques de France (documentary; short; episode "Le Modern Style")1967 ◘ Pour le Plaisir (documentary; shorts; episodes "Eiffel", "Magicien du Fer", "Amiens", "Ville ouverte")◘ Chroniques de France (documentary; shorts; episodes "Les Gares de Paris", "Le Musée d'Arromanches", "La Tapisserie de Bayeux", "Port-Royal des Champs")◘ Chroniques de France (documentary; shorts; episodes "La Maison de la Culture de Grenoble", "L'Arc de l'Etoile", "La Normandie de Marcel Proust")◘ Chroniques de France (documentary; shorts; episodes "Srasbourg", "L'Affiche")◘ Le Service des Affaires classées (episodes "Un Chien de sa Chienne", "Une Chance sur un Million", "Le Coffre aux Souvenirs", "L'Ennemi intime"; shot in 1968)◘ Chroniques de France (documentary; short; episode "Emmanuèle Riva")◘ La Ligne d'Ombre (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist; shot in 1971)1975 ◘ L'Homme sans Visage (8 X 56': episodes "La Nuit du Voleur de Cerveaux", "Le Masque de Plomb", "Les Tueurs sans Âme", "La Mort qui rampait sur les Toits", "La Marche des Spectres", "Le Sang accusateur", "Le Rapt", "Le Secret des Templiers"; France / West Germany)1976 ◘ Chroniques de France (documentary; shorts; episodes "Photos souvenirs de Madeleine Renaud", "Georges Méliès raconté à son Fils")1978 ◘ La Discorde (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist)1979 ◘ Le Dernier Mélodrame
Encyclopedia of French film directors . Philippe Rège. 2011.