''Paris Qui Dort'' (literally "Paris which sleeps") is a 1924 French science fiction comedy silent feature film (65 minutes) directed by
René Clair
René Clair (; 11 November 1898 – 15 March 1981), born René-Lucien Chomette (), was a French filmmaker and writer. He first established his reputation in the 1920s as a director of silent films in which comedy was often mingled with fantasy. H ...
.
Also released as ''Le rayon de la mort (55 minutes)'', its international English-language titles were ''The Crazy Ray'' and ''Paris Asleep (usually 55 minutes)''. It has also been released in the USA as a 35 minute short subject called ''At 3:25.'' by Red Seal Pictures.
Plot summary
The film is about a mad doctor who uses a magic ray on citizens which causes them to freeze in strange and often embarrassing positions. People who are unaffected by the ray begin to loot Paris.
Cast
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Henri Rollan as Albert
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Charles Martinelli as The scientist
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Louis Pré Fils as the detective
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Albert Préjean as The pilot
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Madeleine Rodrigue as Hesta, the airline passenger
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Myla Seller as The niece / daughter of the scientist
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Antoine Stacquet as The rich man
*
Marcel Vallée
Marcel Vallée (15 January 1880, in Paris – 31 October 1957, in Fontaine-le-Port) was a French actor, primarily of the theater. He began working in films with Max Linder in 1906. He appeared in some American films.
Selected filmography
* '' ...
as the thief
Home media
The film is available on the Region 1
Criterion DVD release of another Clair film, ''
Under the Roofs of Paris
''Under the Roofs of Paris'' () is a 1930 French film directed by René Clair. The film was probably the earliest French example of a filmed musical-comedy, although its often dark tone differentiates it from other instances of the genre. It w ...
'' (1930). It is also available for free at the
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...
.
References
See also
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1924 in science fiction
External links
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1924 films
French science fiction comedy films
French silent short films
1920s French-language films
French black-and-white films
Films directed by René Clair
Films set in Paris
Mad scientist films
1920s science fiction comedy films
1924 comedy films
Silent French comedy films
Silent French horror films
1920s French films
Silent science fiction films
Films scored by Jean Wiener
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