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The History of French Cinema: 1923 

A chemist named Berthon demonstrates a new colour film process that filters the three primary colours by covering the negative with thousands of colour flecks and then sensitising it by panchromatisation. [ADD]

The Chamber of Deputies adopts an amendment to reduce taxes for cinemas that devote a minimum of 25% of footage shown to domestic films. [ADD]

Max Linder’s US film The Three Must-Get-Theres (1922) premieres at the Max Linder Theatre in Paris. [ADD]

Abel Gance refuses to make cuts to his latest film La Roue after the railway union complain that they are depicted in an unfavourable light. [ADD]

Abel Gance's150-minute La Roue premieres at the Gaumont Theatre to favourable reviews.   The film cost 3 million francs to produce and leading man Severin Mars, already ill during filming, dies shortly after completion. [ADD]

Syphilis, A Social Disease: How to Make it Disappear, made by Pathe, Gaumont and Doctor Commandon, is released by the Committee against the Danger of Venereal Disease. [ADD]

Sarah Bernhardt dies of kidney failure in Paris. [ADD]

Comedian Max Linder survives a motoring accident on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice with only minor bruising. [ADD]

Robert Florey’s book Filmland is published. [ADD]

The Committee for the Protection of Entertainment questions whether the emergence of the wireless telegraph poses a threat to the entertainment industry. [ADD]

There are moments when one wishes one were deaf, so as to avoid hearing the orchestra relentlessly playing Do You Know the Country Where Orange Trees Blossom while the dogs in Nanook are freezing to death in a snow storm!” complains M. Lebedinsky in an article in Crapouillot. [ADD]

40-year-old Max Linder marries for the first time.   Helene Peters, his 20-year-old bride, has known the comedian since her childhood. [ADD]

Gaumont obtains exclusive rights to the distribution of all Buster Keaton films throughout the French territories. [ADD]

In Paris, the prefect of police bans D. W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation due to its racist scenes which he fears may provoke riots.   The film opened at the Marivaux on the 17^th August. [ADD]

An International Congress of Cinema Managers is held in Paris. [ADD]

Western Electric begins work on developing a sound-on-film system. [ADD]

Ivan Mosjoukine’s Brasier Ardent is released. The Russian emigre acts, writes, produces and directs. [ADD]

Alexandre Volkoff’s Kean, disorder et genie, starring Ivan Mosjoukine, Nathalie Lissenko and Nicolas Koline, is released. [ADD]

Jacques Baroncelli’s Legende de soeur Beatrix premieres in Paris.   The film stars Sandra Milowanoff and Suzanne Bianchetti, while Rene Clair assists Baroncelli behind the camera. [ADD]

– Wladislaw Starevitch releases his stop motion film Les Grenouilles qui demandent un roi (Frogland) [ADD]

Other Key Films of 1923

L’Auberge rouge (Jean Epstein) [ADD]

Coeur fidele (Jean Epstein) [ADD]

Menilmontant (Dimitri Kirsanoff) [ADD]