Donlon Lane Professor Davega Film Studies 113 February 20, 2008 Filmmaker Biography: Marcel LHerbier
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Marcel L'Herbier, Lgion d'honneur (April 23, 1888 or 1890 November 26, 1979) was a French writer, producer and director. He was the founder and the first President of the Institut des hautes tudes cinmatographiques. L'Herbier was born in Paris, he attended the Collge Stanislas de Paris and later the University of Paris where he studied Law. L'Herbier started out as a writer, he wrote plays, poetry and essays but it wasn't until he became interested in the medium of film that he found his true vocation. During World War I, after having been in the Service Auxiliaire from 1914-1917, L'Herbier was put into cinematography section of the French army from 1917-1918. It was during the time spent here, that he came to realise the power of the film medium and its potential. After the War L'Herbier's career in film really started to take off, in 1918 he directed his first feature length film Rose-France. He gained early prominence from 1919 to 1922 with a number of films for Gaumont's Srie Pax, most notably L'Homme du large and El Dorado. In 1922 he set up his own production company, Cingraphic. Rsurrection and L'Inhumaine followed. These films and the earlier ones, to helped put L'Herbier right amongst the leaders of French Avant-garde cinema. Inspired by Abel Gance's Napolon, L'Herbier directed his 1928 silent epic L'Argent an updating of mile Zola's novel L'Argent. The film starred Brigitte Helm, Marie Glory and Yvette Guilbert. L'Herbier's and his Cingraphic company influenced and helped many other film makers such as Alberto Cavalcanti and Claude Autant-Lara.
In 1930 L'Herbier directed his first talkie L'Enfant de l'amour, it wasn't particularly well received and marked the start of L'Herbier's transition into a more mainstream film maker. In 1937 L'Herbier co-founded the film technicians union CGT, he was General Secretary and later President. 1943 brought about L'Herbier's greatest contribution to film, he founded the film school the Institut des hautes t...