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Reveals the difficult course of French filmmaking from the declaration of war in 1939 through four years of misery to France's liberation in 1944. This book examines the conditions of filmmaking as they reflected the larger political, cultural, and social context within occupied France. It is suitable for film historians.
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Cover Page i Cinema of Paradox Page iii Cinema of Paradox French Filmmaking Under the German Occupation Evelyn Ehrlich Page iv The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, through a special grant, has assisted the Press in publishing this volume. Columbia University Press New YorkGuildford, Surrey Copyright © 1985 Evelyn Ehrlich All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Ehrlich, Evelyn. Cinema of paradox. Filmography: p. Bibliography: p. Includes index. 1. Movingpictures—France—History. 2. Moving picture industry—France—History. 3. Movingpictures, German—France. 4. World War, 1939–1945—Motion pictures and the war. I. Title. PN1993.5.F7E38 1985384'.8'09448428594 ISBN 0231059264 Clothbound editions of Columbia University Press books are Smythsewn and printed on permanent and durable acidfree paper. Page v Contents Acknowledgments Introduction 1. War and Defeat 2.Filmmaking in Vichy 3.German Initiatives, 1940–1941, and Continental Films 4.The Film Industry and the Jews 5.“An Industry Made of Gold”: Production 1941–1942 6.A French School of Cinema General Tendencies Films and Filmmakers 7.Goebbels and German Film Policy in France 8.The War Without and the War Within Conclusion Appendixes A.Feature Film Production, June 1940–August 1944 vii ix 1 13 39 57 71 93 93 113 135 159 189 193 Page vi B.Tables Notes Bibliography Index Illustrations 203 205 223 229 follow page 144 Page vii Acknowledgments There are so many people who helped me to complete this work that I may overlook some of them. To everyone, I would like to express my gratitude. Among those who cannot be overlooked, I would like first to thank Jay Leyda. His advice and enthusiasm, from the beginning, motivated the work. Along with Professor Leyda, many other members of the New York University faculty have generously contributed their time and support. I would particularly like to thank William G. Simon, William K. Everson, Robert Sklar, and Robert Stam. My research was aided by many people in many countries; in the United States, Anita Lowry of Columbia University, Charles Silver, Mary Corliss and Eileen Bowser of the Museum of Modern Art, Emily Sieger of the Library of Congress, the staffs of the National Archives and the New York Public Library. I would especially like to thank Robert Daudelin of the Cinémathèque Québécoise in Montreal for making the collection available to me. In France, my thanks to the staffs of the Bibliothèque de l'Arsénal, ldhec, and the Archives du Film at Bois d'Arcy. Special thanks to Lenny Borger, and to Jacques Ledoux of the Cinémathèque Royale de Belgique. Many people shared their knowledge and memories with me. It was both a pleasure and a help to talk to LouisEmile Galey, the late Louis Daquin, Roger Régent, Paul Leglise, and Armand Panigel. One of the delights of this project was the opportunity to spend the morning with Pierre Prévert at the Café de Flore. Page viii Numerous friends have aided me in substantial ways: Susan Clare found me the means to conduct my research, Marsha Witten and Leslie Clark helped edit the manuscript, and Elaine Mancini and Michael Cudney gave me invaluable research assistance. To all my friends, I would like to express my thanks for their patient support and encouragement. Most of all, I would like to thank two people who gave me support, encouragement and a gre