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The History of French Cinema: 1937

28/1 -

Julien Duvivier’s Pepe-le-Moko is released; the downbeat romance set in Algiers stars Jean Gabin and Mirelle Balin. [ADD]

31/1 -

Jean Renoir begins filming La Grande illusion in the barracks at Colmar. [ADD]

8/2 -

The CGT announce plans for Jean Renoir to direct a film about the French Revolution financed by a national subscription. [ADD]

23/4 -

Sonores Tobis Films bring legal charges against Charlie Chaplin, claiming that his Modern Times plagiarises Rene Clair’s A nous la liberte. [ADD]

12/5 -

Sacha Guitry’s Les Perles de la couronne (The Pearls of the Crown) a trilingual story in French, English and Italian, is released.   Guitry stars opposite Jacqueline Delubac. [ADD]

8/6 -

Jean Renoir’s La Grande illusion is released to critical acclaim.   It stars Jean Gabin, Pierre Fresnay, Marcel Dalio, and Erich von Stroheim, and becomes the first foreign film to be nominated for Best Picture at the US Academy Awards. [ADD]

1/9 -

Jacques Feyder begins filming Les Gens du voyage (Wanderers), a tale of circus life starring Francoise Rosay and Andre Brule. [ADD]

9/9 -

Julien Duvivier’s Un Carnet de Bal, starring Marie Bell as a middle-aged widow who decides to track down the men listed on an old dance card she finds, is released. [ADD]

10/9 -

Marc Allegret’s Gribouille, starring Michele Morgan, Jean Worms, Raimu and Juliet Carette, is released.  [ADD]

25/9 -

Danielle Darrieux leaves for Hollywood to film The Rage of Paris for Universal, while Julien Duvivier begins a six-month trial period with MGM by filming The Great Waltz, a film about the composer Johann Strauss. [ADD]

13/10 -

Jean Gremillon’s Gueule d’Amour (Lady Killer), starring Jean Gabin as an army officer betrayed by the woman he loves, is released [ADD]

20/10 -

Marcel Carne’s Drole de drame, starring Michel Simon, Louis Jouvet and Francoise Rosay, opens to unfavourable reviews. [ADD]

22/10 -

Max Ophul’s Yoshiwara, starring Pierre Richard-Willm and Sessue Hayawaka is released. [ADD]

25/10 -

Censors impose restrictions to prevent the army being ridiculed on film and that could offend the national feelings of other nations. [ADD]

28/10 -

Marcel Pagnol’s Regain (Harvest) premieres at the Marignan Cinema in the presence of Albert LeBrun, the President of the Republic.   The film stars Gabriel Gabrio and Orane Demazis as a poacher and itinerant girl who set up house in a deserted village (created from scratch by art director Marius Broquier). [ADD]

31/10 -

Actress Junie Astor becomes the first winner of the Suzanne Bianchetti Prize for her performance in Raymond Bernard’s Coupable.   The prize has been founded by critic Rene Jean in memory of his 47-year-old wife, a former star of the silent screen, who disappeared in November 1936. [ADD] 

Other Key French Films of 1937

Gribouille (Marc Allegret) [ADD]

La mort du cygne (Jean Benoit-Levy) [ADD]

The History of Cinema: 1937