Gina Manès Movies
Charismatic French actress Gina Manès was one of the biggest stars in Europe during the 1920s. Born in Paris, she made her screen debut in 1919 in Feuillade's L' Homme San Visage. She was subsequently typecast as a femme fatale. Manès is best remembered for portraying Josephine in Gance's Napoleon (1927) and Therese Raquin in Feyder's film of the same name. Other noted directors with whom she worked include Jean Epstein and Julien Duvivier. By the mid-'30s, her bright star had begun to fade and she basically disappeared from films until the early '60s when she again began taking movie roles. Manès also worked steadily in a Toulouse theater company until the early '70s. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1971
- R
Using materials from 1927 and 1936 versions of his classic film Napoleon vu par Abel Gance (hence the presence of several individuals in the cast and credits who had since died), director Gance was able to restore and reconstruct it for modern audiences. This four-hour-long version was made possible through the efforts of Claude Lelouche and the Centre Du Cinema of the French government. It contains scenes which were newly shot for this release, and has an introduction in which Gance explains what his original intentions were for the film, and why the silent version was unavailable for so long. One of the cinematic innovations remaining from those earlier versions is the use of a triply split screen. Gance originally shot at higher film speeds (20 frames per second) than most of his contemporaries. The higher film speed yielded smoother-looking movement (acceptable to modern viewers) and aided in studio dubbing. Among the legendary actors appearing in the film are Koubitzky, Antonin Artaud and Annabella. The story of the film covers the rise of Napoleon during the French Revolution through to the Italian Campaign, which propelled him to power. The full terror of the Revolution is shown, with a menacing performance by Antonin Artaud as Marat. Gance himself appears as the revolutionary apologist, St. Just. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Albert Dieudonné, Antonin Artaud, (more)
- 1938
This French-German co-production stars Jean Gabin in his standard screen role of a fugitive from justice. Unable to return to his own country, Trott Lennart (Gabin) takes a job with a gun-running operation in Mexico. Even though it is proven that Lennart is innocent of the charges against him, his current illegal activities arouse the attentions of diligent detective Abboy (Pierre Renoir), who harbors a long-standing grudge against the hero. Escaping to the woods, Lennart links up with Lillian White (Michele Morgan), likewise escaping from the Law. Not quite as fatalistic as many French productions of the era, the film permits hero and heroine to escape scot free, though with a few unusual conditions. Written by the prolific Charles Spaak, Recif de Corail was released in the U.S. as Coral Reefs. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michèle Morgan, Gina Manès, (more)
