Émile Durand, an insecticide manufacturer, is appalled to learn that his son Gérard has fallen in love with Suzy, the daughter of a travelling theatre company. Realising his father will never favour the union, Gérard joins the company on their next tour. In an attempt to heal the rift, Durand’s wife goes after Gérard and ends up performing in their next play…
In 1912 Jasset turned from fantasy and spectacle to realism in making the first of two Zola adaptations, as part of Éclair's new series of social dramas. For Au pays des ténèbres, based on Germinal, he took his crew to Charleroi in Belgium to film in authentic locations, and although he updated the story to the present, he went to great lengths to recreate in the studio the detail of the actual mining galleries, exploiting the ability of film to be a recorder of contemporary reality.
Funnicus is hunting, while at his home many of his friends await his return very impatiently. Suddenly he makes his appearance, his game-bag full, of newspapers. He tells his friends that he actually disdains small game, and to illustrate the story of his wondrous adventures, turns the house topsy-turvy. His wife, alarmed, advises him to go to bed and calm his excited brain. Nightmares disturb his sleep. He finds himself in Africa, traveling on camel, accompanied by many guides. He arrives at an Arab's camp and jests with the Arabian maidens who, for revenge, put out his fires in the forest the following night. The fires out, the wild beasts arrive, and he just has time to climb a tree where he is out of reach of two big lions, who wait for him at the foot of the tree. Our great Hunter courageously risks his life by descending from the tree. He tries to strangle the lion, but suddenly awakens and finds himself clutching at his wife's throat.
Protéa is the last film directed by Victorin-Hippolyte Jasset, one of the early film pioneers in France. The hero of this film is a female spy, an acrobatic Mata-Hari, played by his favorite actress, Josette Andriot, who wore a characteristic costume of a close-fitting black jersey, two years before Musidora achieved cult status with her similar appearance as Irma Vep. This final masterpiece reflects Jasset's popular style: rhythmic action, fantastic realism, rich visuals, an anarchistic philosophy, a disdain for psychology, and an attention to lighting that earned him the nickname “the Rembrandt of the cinema". Although Jasset died shortly after completion, the film had considerable success and Andriot went on to make four more films in the series with other directors.
Willie loved his mother. Yes, and he was selfish about it, too. He didn't want a new father and when the old Baron Anatole called lo pay attention to Mrs. Darfeuil, Willie made it most interesting for him. The cute little fellow was original in his methods and the thorough manner in which he demonstrated his dislike for the Baron is certainly amusing. The youngster who plays Willie, is a very clever little performer and the comedy situations are handled in such a laughable manner that the subject is indeed an enjoyable one.
Adaptation of the Émile Gaboriau novel.
The story of the children of Captain Grant.
A mother loses first her son and then her husband in the trenches of France during the First World War. She devotes herself to the French cause and to helping those wounded in the war.
The cub journalist comes to the aid of a recently remarried woman, whose late criminal husband turns out to be still alive.
An ape, turned near human by Dr. Coriolis and given the name 'Balaoo', is smitten by the beauty of Coriolis' niece, Madeleine. Being inquisitive, though, he runs off, getting into mischief, and falls in with a poacher who saves his life. Acting now as his slave Balaoo kills a man for the poacher, but balks on his orders to kidnap Madeleine, deciding instead to set a trap for the poacher.
Hortense Fauvel, the wife of a village postmaster, takes Aimée, a young shepherdess, under her wing. Aimée soon becomes engaged to François, the Fauvel’s loyal servant. At a fête hosted by the Count of Granval, Aimée gives her fiancé a knife, telling him that he should kill her if ever she ceases to be faithful to him. That same day, the Count is planning to have an amorous liaison with Hortense, but Aimée intervenes. To save her mistress from a scandal, Aimée tells the postmaster that it is she, not Hortense, who has been seeing the Count. Disgraced, Aimée is dismissed by the postmaster. François contemplates his revenge and recalls what Aimée said to him.
No plot available. The director Maurice Tourneur perceived this film to be indicative of the advances French cinema could have taken had it not been derailed by World War I.
The film based on the novel of the same name by Alexandre Duma, is concerned with fraternal royal strife at the court of Henri III. Tragically caught between the millstones of history are the gallant Count de Bussy and the woman he adores, la Dame de Monsoreau.
Over-stimulated by boxing lessons, Gavroche brings a lion home to spar with, triggering an all-out assault on public order.
Eugenie Grandet has discovered where her father, a miserable old miser, keeps his treasure. Eugenie's cousin, Charles, is the bearer of a letter from his father to his uncle, Eugenie's father. The letter informs the miser that Charles' father, his only brother, is reduced to a state of utter ruin, and unless he can obtain immediate help, he contemplates suicide.
Based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas.
Gavroche tries to become an umbrella salesman. He follows a man to his house in attempt to sell his first umbrella. However, the umbrella is too wide to fit through the doorway. Instead, he devises a plan to reach the man's balcony above. Setting some rags on fire, he uses the hot air produced to make his umbrella fly. Gavroche crashes through a window, and into the room where the man and his wife are talking, Finally, he make his last attempt at selling the umbrella.
Willy wasnt very proud when he arrived home, for once again he was at the bottom of his class. As punishment his parents informed him that he would not be allowed to see the Conjuror...
"Le Saboteur" is the second episode of the collection "Les batailles de la vie"
