Albert Capellani

The legend of Aladdin and his magic lamp: Aladdin finds a magic lamp which brings him wealth, luxury, and marriage to a princess. But his rival, an evil magician, steals the lamp for himself. Aladdin must regain the lamp or lose everything. (imdb)

Ponchinella the servant [called "Harlequin" in the English language version] rescues his girlfriend from a gang of decadent aristocrats, who have transformed her into a mechanical doll. (imdb)

In Britain, during the revolution, the nephew of the Marquis de Lantenac, Gawain (P. Capellani) befriends Cimourdain (H. Krauss), a priest who follows the precepts of the Revolution. During the Terror, the Marquis went into exile in England while his nephew is a soldier in the Revolutionary Army ... (imdb)

"Le Pied De Mouton" is an adaptation of an old French stage play titled "The Talisman" written by Alphonse Martainville and César Ribié. The atmosphere is hilarious, oneiric and delicious. The film tells the story of Gusman and Léonora, two lovers who must deal with many spells and troubles in order to preserve their love. The tale is full of princes and princesses, damsels in distress, good witches and wicked lords and is an amazing piece of work. (imdb)

Based on the story of "Sleeping Beauty" by Charles Perrault. Titles read: The Christening of the Princess; The Good Fairies Fatal Prediction; The Royal Edict; The Princess is Sixteen Years Old; Searching for the Princess; The Prediction Comes True; Thou Shalt Sleep for a Hundred Years; A Hundred Years later the Prince Charming Goes Hunting; Prince Charming Dismisses His Escort; The Castle of Sleep; The Guard's Hall; You Have Been a Long Time Coming, prince; (imdb)

This is a compact telling of the Cinderella fairy tale and the film is elaborately staged. It's more cinematic than a lot of the other films of this time, using some real locations and three-dimensional sets rather than simple painted backdrops. There's an impressive effect where a wall blows in to reveal what is happening elsewhere in the story world. I found the film a little dull overall though due to the overly familiar story.

The scene takes place in Paris in March 1793 during the Reign of Terror. The Knight of Maison-Rouge, posing as Citizen Morand, is organizing the escape of Queen Marie-Antoinette. He is assisted in his undertaking by Dixmer, a master tanner who passes himself off as an ardent revolutionary and his wife Geneviève, who also happens to be the Knight's sister. While on mission with her brother, she is saved from arrest thanks to the intervention of Lieutenant Maurice Lindey. (imdb)

A woman loses her only child and she goes nuts.

A insane child killer is loose! He finds a place to hide. A home where a little girl and an infant are alone.....

A man kills her lover when he discovers she is with another man.

Based on Emile Zola's novel, an uncompromisingly harsh and realistic story of a coalminers' strike in northern France in the 1860s.

An old man, bell ringer at Notre Dame de Paris, disowns his daughter who has an affair with a young frivolous gentleman.

Story of a poor wife who worries about her husband.

This film tells the story of mésalliance. He is old and she's young. She takes a lover. He wants to get revenge.

A man and a woman meet in a park in Paris and fall in love with each other. Four years later, they have a daughter, but the man is bored and decides to break. He disappears, but the woman finds by chance that he is about to marry for money. She prepares to get revenge.

In this beautiful little fairy story we see a rich old fellow who is the possessor of a magic donkey, and when he is currycombed he sheds gold in profusion, and keeps his master well supplied in wealth. (imdb)

At the time of its release, L'Assommoir was hugely successful. Based on Zola's novel, this movie is about the free fall of human beings, deals with degradation, alcoholism and it is, in short, a very pessimistic story.

Dries, a farmer and a widower, lives with his mother-in-law Grietje and his son Peter. He falls in love with Minna, a widow, and marries her despite the opposition of his family and friends. In anger his son Peter leaves home to enlist, while Grietje takes up her residence in another cottage. Six years pass, during which Grietje becomes acquainted with Minna's daughter Dina.

A noble Roman, bored with his life, sees a slave dance and they fall in love. Before they can consummate their passion, his wife has the slave killed and he drinks the same poison as she. (imdb)

Whichever apprentice makes the finest violin shall receive a prize consisting of one gold chain, and the hand in marriage of the Syndic's daughter Giannina. The young hunchback Filippo loves her, and has made a particularly fine violin. This presents some obstacles to Giannina's plans to marry FIlippo's friend Sandro, another apprentice in the contest.

An adaptation of an episode in Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, where Jean Valjean is welcomed into the Bishop of Digne's home, and steals his silverware.

Story of a former galley slave who becomes a merchant. From the novel by Victor Hugo. (bfi.org.uk)

A cheating bride is caught on photographic film.

The story of two sisters and a tragic love affair.

A prosperous looking young man arrives at a hotel, and after being assigned to a room, makes a most elaborate toilet before going out in search of diversion. When he is ready to depart, however, he discovers that he is in need of a pair of white gloves to complete his immaculate appearance. So, going to the telephone, he calls up a shop and orders a pair, and soon a young lady appears on the scene ready to fit him. (imdb)

The film tells of the misfortunes of a little girl, deprived of the presence of her mother after the divorce of her parents.

The old merchant is attracted by the beautiful roses, stoops to pick up a few, when suddenly there appears out of a flame gushing up from the ground an ugly looking beast who reprimands the old man severely for trespassing on his premises and threatens him with death unless he promises him one of his beautiful daughters.

The young hero, Frederick, is leaving his country home and going to the city to attend the bull fight, and while there he meets and woos a beautiful maiden, forgetting his own little sweetheart at home. The charming miss strolls with him and he tells her of his undying love and vows to live for her alone.

The incidents in this picture took place in 1803-4 when Napoleon was First Consul. In August, 1803, Napoleon discovered a conspiracy hatched in England in which three Englishmen were implicated. The aim of the conspirators was to restore to the throne of France one of the Bourbons. The Prince de Conde, father of the Duke D'Enghien, was in England at this time and he probably was associated with the conspirators.

An actress returns from the theatre and discovers her apartment has been burglarized; she lights a cigarette and the room catches fire; the burglar saves her life, and she, in return, saves his, and he returns her jewels.

The fictional rags-to-riches story of a dancer, her benefactor a kind-hearted old piano tutor. Like Max Ophüls, Capellani set many flms in the theatre – backstage, on stage, in the auditorium and the public.

Esmeralda, a beautiful gypsy street dancer, arouses the desire of men, especially of Claude Frollo, the archdeacon of Notre Dame. The latter asks Quasimodo, the deaf and deformed bell-ringer of the cathedral, to kidnap the girl. Quasimodo, who has been adopted by Frollo and obeys his every word, captures the gypsy but she is saved thanks to Phoebus, a handsome captain, and his archers. Arrested by Phoebus, the hunchback is condemned to be flogged at the pillory.

Mahlee and Blanche Sackville are half-sisters, Blanche the daughter of an Englishman and his wife, Mahlee of the Englishman and his Chinese mistress. Mahlee rejects her people and attempts to find a life for herself among the Europeans. But she finds the color line impossible to pass and returns to lead her Chinese people in rebellion.

This film is not exceedingly well acted, but has the additional charm of being taken from the actual history of the man whose personality dominated the Committee of Safety in the early days of the French Revolution. It's tragic but enthralling, and full of the atmosphere of those more than troublous times of the French Revolution, when blood was shed like water and men seemed turned to beasts.

An Inept marching band heads off to the compeittion, and then celebrates their surprising victory.

Boireau's father keeps trying to apprentice him to a different trade. Each time, the youngster annoys the customers and destroys the goods and property.

When the father of high-born son refuses to let him marry the beautiful seafood seller, she and her brothers determine on a grisly vengeance.

Jean Valjean, a good man convicted of a minor crime, escapes from imprisonment and spends the rest of his life running from the vindictive and implacable man of the law, Javert. (imdb)

Jean Valjean, guilty of a minor theft of food, is pursued and hounded for years by a relentless lawman, Javert. (imdb)

The Thenardiers and their small daughter, Eponine, and young son, Gavroche, are seen at their dingy country tavern. Here little Cosette, the daughter of Fantine, is seen performing drudgery and menial tasks. (imdb)

The rebellion of 1832 is on. There is rioting and barricading in the streets. Marius in despair, and in the hope that a bullet will soon end his life, joins the mob and becomes a fighter in the ranks of the insurgents. (imdb)

The story of two orphaned girls.

Seventeen-year-old Des Grieux, studying philosophy at Amiens, comes from a noble and landed family, but forfeits his hereditary wealth and incurs the disappointment of his father by running away with Manon on her way to a convent. In Paris, the young lovers enjoy a blissful cohabitation, while Des Grieux struggles to satisfy Manon's taste for luxury. He acquires money by borrowing from his unwaveringly loyal friend Tiberge and by cheating gamblers.

A bride gets lost playing a game.