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The History of French Cinema: 1948

4/1 -

Cinema stars and workers unite to hold a demonstration in Paris led by Simone Signoret, Jean Marais and Raymond Bussières against the number of American films flooding the market. [ADD]

13/1 -

Henry Verdoux, an employee of a bank in Paris, brings an action against the producers of Charlie Chaplin’s film Monsieur Verdoux. [ADD]

16/1 -

Writer and director Marcel Pagnol becomes the first person from the cinema industry to become a member of the French Academy. [ADD]

24/3 -

Roger Leenhardt's first film Les Dernières vacances (The Last Vacation) is released.   Odile Versois stars in a tale of love between two 16-year-old cousins. [ADD]

30/3 -

L'Ecran Français publishes Alexandre Astruc’s article on 'Naissance d'une nouvelle avant-garde: la caméra-stylo' (Birth of a New Avant-Garde: La Caméra-Stylo'), the first to consider the concept of the auteur. [ADD]

Sep -

A law promoting the reconstruction of the French film industry through financing production and distribution is passed. [ADD]

Sep -

The Franco-American Film Agreement is set up.   Similar to the Anglo-American Film Agreement, it limits the amount of funds that can be repatriated to $3.625m, and also the number of American films that can be imported into France.   Any balance of earnings can be used for co-productions, construction of new studios, and acquisition distribution rights to French films for export. [ADD]

26/10 -

The first cinema museum is inaugurated by Henri Langlois in the avenue de Messine in Paris. [ADD]

24/11 -

Marcel Pagnol’s La Belle Meunière is released.   Filmed in the Alpes-Maritime, it is only the second French film to be made in colour, and stars Pagnol’s wife Jacqueline Pagnol and Tino Rossi. [ADD]

Other Key French Films of 1948

The History of World Cinema: 1948