Pierre Chenal (; 5 December 1904 – 23 December 1990) was a French director and screenwriter who flourished in the 1930s. He was married to Czech-born French film actress

Florence Marly Florence Marly (2 June 1919 – 9 November 1978) was a Czech-born French film actress. During World War II, Marly moved to neutral Argentina with her Jewish husband, film director Pierre Chenal, where she appeared in several films. She also acte ...

from 1937 to 1955.

Work

Chenal was best known for

film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...

thrillers such as the 1937 film '' L'Alibi'', where he worked with

Erich von Stroheim Erich Oswald Hans Carl Maria von Stroheim (born Erich Oswald Stroheim, ; September 22, 1885 – May 12, 1957) was an Austrian-American director, screenwriter, actor, and producer, most noted as a film star and avant-garde, visionary director of ...

and

Louis Jouvet Jules Eugène Louis Jouvet (; 24 December 1887 – 16 August 1951) was a French actor, theatre director and filmmaker. Early life Jouvet was born in Crozon. He had a Stuttering, stutter as a young man and originally trained as a pharmac ...

. In 1939 he made '' Le Dernier Tournant'', the first of many film treatments of James M. Cain's celebrated novel, '' The Postman Always Rings Twice''. Chenal was Jewish and was forced in 1942 to flee

occupied France The Military Administration in France (; ) was an interim occupation authority established by Nazi Germany during World War II to administer the occupied zone in areas of northern and western France. This so-called ' was established in June 19 ...

with his wife, Czech actress

, for South America. He made a number of films while living in

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

and more in France after the war; but his post-war work never achieved the success and popularity of his pre-war efforts.Pierre Chenal
at the Internet Movie Database

Filmography

* ''Fat Man's Worries'' (1933) * ''

Street Without a Name ''Street Without a Name'' (French: ''La Rue sans nom'') is a 1934 French drama film directed by Pierre Chenal and starring Constant Rémy, Gabriel Gabrio and Paule Andral. It is based on the 1930 novel '' La Rue sans nom'' by Marcel Aymé.Gobl ...

'' (1934) * ''Crime and Punishment'' (1935)Pierre Chenal Filmography
at

Fandango Fandango is a lively partner dance originating in Portugal and Spain, usually in triple metre, triple meter, traditionally accompanied by guitars, castanets, tambourine or hand-clapping. Fandango can both be sung and danced. Sung fandango is u ...

* '' The Mutiny of the Elsinore'' (1936) * ''

The Former Mattia Pascal '' The Former Mattia Pascal'' () is a 1937 Italian drama film directed by Pierre Chenal and starring Pierre Blanchar, Isa Miranda and Irma Gramatica.Landy p.155 It is based on the 1904 novel '' Il fu Mattia Pascal'' by Luigi Pirandello. The film wa ...

'' (1937) * '' The Man from Nowhere'' (1937) * ''

The Alibi ''The Alibi'' is a 2006 American film directed by Kurt Mattila and Matt Checkowski and written by Noah Hawley. It stars Steve Coogan, Rebecca Romijn, and Selma Blair. The film was shown at 2006 CineVegas. The film was released to DVD on Decemb ...

'' (1937) * ''

The Lafarge Case ''The Lafarge Case'' (French: ''L'Affaire Lafarge'') is a 1938 French historical crime drama film directed by Pierre Chenal and starring Pierre Renoir, Marcelle Chantal and Raymond Rouleau. It recalls a famous nineteenth century case, and is mo ...

'' (1938) * ''

Sirocco Sirocco ( ) or scirocco is a Mediterranean wind that comes from the Sahara and can reach hurricane speeds in North Africa and Southern Europe, especially during the summer season. Names ''Sirocco'' derives from '' šurūq'' (), verbal noun o ...

'' (1938) * '' The Last Turning'' (1939) * '' Todo un hombre'' (1943) * ''

The Corpse Breaks a Date ''The Corpse Breaks a Date'' (Spanish: ''El muerto falta a la cita'') is a 1944 Argentine thriller film of the classical era of Argentine cinema, directed by Pierre Chenal and starring Ángel Magaña, Nélida Bilbao and Sebastián Chiola. Marang ...

'' (1944) * ''

The Abyss Opens ''The Abyss Opens'' (Spanish: ''Se abre el abismo'') is a 1945 Argentine thriller film of the classical era of Argentine cinema, directed by Pierre Chenal and starring Sebastián Chiola, Silvana Roth and Ricardo Passano. Wolf p.227 The film's se ...

'' (1945) * ''

Devil and the Angel ''Devil and the Angel'' (French: ''La foire aux chimères'') is a 1946 French drama film directed by Pierre Chenal and starring Madeleine Sologne, Erich von Stroheim and Louis Salou.Lennig p.437 It was shot at the Billancourt Studios in Paris. Th ...

'' (1946) * '' Viaje sin regreso'' (1946) * ''

Clochemerle ''Clochemerle'', published in the United States as ''The Scandals of Clochemerle'', is a French satirical novel by Gabriel Chevallier (1895–1969) first published in 1934. It centres on personal rivalries and local politics in the fictional ...

'' (1948) * ''Native Son'' (1951) * '' The Idol'' (1952) * ''

Confession at Dawn ''Confession at Dawn'' (Spanish: ''Confesiones al amanecer'') is a 1954 Argentine-Chilean drama film of the classical era of Argentine cinema, directed by Pierre Chenal and starring Florence Marly, Pepe Rojas and Lautaro Murúa. Plazaola p.55 ...

'' (1954) * '' Missing Persons Section'' (1956) * ' (1957) * ''Dangerous Games'' (1958) * ''Beast at Bay'' (1959) * ''

The Night They Killed Rasputin ''The Night They Killed Rasputin'' (, ), also known as ''Nights of Rasputin'', is a 1960 Italian-French historical adventure film co-written and directed by Pierre Chenal, and starring Edmund Purdom and Gianna Maria Canale. Plot Cast * Edmund ...

'' (1960) * ''The Murderer Knows the Score'' (1963) * ''Les belles au bois dormantes'' (1970)

Bibliography

Chenal, Pierre, ''Souvenirs du cinéaste, filmographie, temoignages, documents'' (Collection 24 souvenirs/seconde), [Autobiography, French Edition, Paperback
/nowiki>], Dujarric, en collaboration avec les Amis de Ciné-sous-Bois, Aulnay-sous-Bois, 1987,
Chenal, Pierre, ''La dernière tempête'' (L'Aventure vécue), rench Edition, Paperback">Chenal, Pierre, ''La dernière tempête'' (L'Aventure vécue), [French Edition, Paperback
/nowiki> Flammarion, Paris, 1975,

References

External links

125524" target="_blank" class="mw-redirect" title="Pierre Chenal">Pierre Chenal
at the TCM Movie Database {{DEFAULTSORT:Chenal, Pierre French film directors 20th-century French Jews French male screenwriters">20th-century French Jews">French film directors 20th-century French Jews French male screenwriters 20th-century French screenwriters 1904 births 1990 deaths 20th-century French male writers