Georges Charlia Movies

Kameradschaft is set in a mining community on the French/German frontier, where several French miners are trapped in a cave-in. Their only hope for rescue lies in a long-abandoned underground tunnel, buried since the First World War. Ignoring the ethnic and political differences that have long separated the two countries, a group of German miners pick their way through the old tunnel to save the entombed Frenchmen. They do this despite the reluctance of the mine owners, who'd rather keep the nationalistic lines drawn, no matter how many lives it costs. When asked why they're willing to rescue the same people who'd forced their country into bankruptcy after the war, the German workmen reply "Miners are miners." Once the Frenchmen are brought to surface, however, the owners see to it that the borders knocked down by the Germans are quickly replaced; everything has changed, yet nothing has changed. Ironically, the German public, whose decency and humanity is celebrated in Kameradschaft, tended to avoid the film. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The French Prix de Beaute stars cult figure Louise Brooks as a nondescript typist for a Parisian newspaper. On a whim, Brooks submits her photograph to the Miss France Contest. To everyone's amazement--and her boyfriend Andre's (Georges Charlia) displeasure--she wins the contest, and is sucked into a whirlwind of photo ops and interviews at the Miss Europe contest in Spain. Here she is confronted by Andre, who angrily demands that she give up this foolishness and return home. But the lure of fame and fortune is much too strong, and before long Brooks has signed a movie contract. The heart-stopping tragic climax brilliantly juxtaposes the image of the dead Brooks with her "live" screen image. Not as highly regarded as Louise Brooks' German films for G. W. Pabst, Prix de Beaute nonetheless succeeds in terms of visual dynamics and the naturalness of the star's performance. Available in both sound and silent versions, the film never received a formal American release. Augusto Genina replaced the film's original director Rene Clair during the pre-production stages. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Although the title translates as The Big Trial, La Grande Epreuve was released in Great Britain as The Soul of France. Based on a novel by Georges La Faure, the plot focuses on two brothers, one an army officer, the other a fugitive from justice. When WWI breaks out, the two brothers are unexpectedly reunited on the battlefield. Seriously wounded, the officer is rescued and brought back to his own lines by his older brother, who had enlisted as a private. Never learning the identity of his rescuer, the officer dies of his wounds. This tragedy inspires a personality change in the older brother, who promptly volunteers for a suicide mission. Surviving the ordeal, the private falls in love with a pretty Red Cross nurse, who arranges a reconciliation between the hero and the rest of his family. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Originally released in 1927 as Morgane la Sirene (Morgane the Enchantress), this French drama was based on a novel by Charles Le Gollic. When her banker father loses his money, Anne (Josyane) is spurned by her wealthy fiancee George (Ivan Petrovitch). While on an ocean voyage, Anne is swept up in a storm at sea and deposited on a remote tropical island. Here she is rescued by a mysterious woman named Morgane (Clara DeLorez), known hereabouts as the Princess de Bangor. It is the Princess who arranges to bring Charles back into Anna's life -- but for what purpose? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi