Henri Diamant-Berger

Henri Diamant-Berger(9 June 1895 – 7 May 1972) was a Frenchdirector,producerandscreenwriter.In a career that lasted more than 50 years, he directed 48filmsbetween1913and1959,produced 17 between1925and1967and wrote 21screenplaysbetween1916and1971.

Henri Diamant-Berger
Henri Diamant-Berger discussing a scene withLouise GlaumandLionel BarrymoreinFifty-Fifty(1925)
Born	(1895-06-09)9 June 1895 Paris,France
Died	7 May 1972(1972-05-07)(aged 76) Paris, France
Occupation(s)	Film director and producer, screenwriter
Years active	1913–1971

Biography

Born inParis,to aJewishfamily, he studied to be alawyerbut was drawn to themotion picturebusiness. He began his career when he co-directed the 1913silent filmshortDe film... en aiguilleswithAndré Heuzé.In addition to writing screenplays, during the period from 1916 to 1919, Diamant-Berger also published and edited a film magazine and books about the movies. In 1918, he was hired byPathéand sent to the United States to help set up the company's film laboratory atFort Lee, New Jersey.Upon his return to France, Pathé had him set up a laboratory inVincennes,as well as organize afilm studioinBoulogne-Billancourt.

In 1921, Diamant-Berger directed thefilm serialLes Trois Mousquetaires,one of two film versions ofAlexandre Dumas, père's novelThe Three Musketeersreleased in 1921 (the other wasDouglas Fairbanks' version). For a short time in the mid-1920s, he made pictures in the US, including the dramaFifty-Fifty(1925) starringLionel Barrymore.He also directed the 1927 silent filmÉducation de Prince.By the end of the decade he successfully made the transition totalkies.

Through his Barrymore connection, Diamant-Berger acquired the screen rights for a play produced onBroadwayin 1921 written byJohn Barrymore's ex-wife,Blanche Oelrichs.HisFrench languagefilm version of the same title,Clair de lune(1932), starredClaude DauphinandBlanche Montel.Among his notable sound films was a remake,Les Trois Mousquetaires(1932), a six-hour epic about the three musketeers for which he wrote the screen adaptation and used much of the same cast from his 1921 silent version. Diamant-Berger's other directorial efforts include twoAr sắc ne Lupindetective films in 1937.However, after directingTourbillon de Parisin 1939, he lost eight full years toWorld War II.In 1951, he directed the acclaimed dramaMonsieur FabrestarringPierre Fresnay.

During the 1960s, Diamant-Berger devoted himself exclusively to producing, making several successful films, which includesLa Belle Américaine(1961),Heaven Sent(1963) andThe Counterfeit Constable(1964).

Henri Diamant-Berger died at age 76 in Paris.

Partial filmography

• Debout les morts!
• The Little Cafe(1919)
• My Aunt from Honfleur(1923)
• Fifty-Fifty(1925)
• Lover's Island(1925)
• The Unfair Sex(1926)
• Paris by Night(1930)
• Alone(1931)
• Ma tante d'Honfleur
• Général, à vos ordres
• Tout s'arrange(1931)
• My Aunt from Honfleur(1931)
• The Unknown Singer(1931)
• The Miracle Child(1932)
• Moonlight(1932)
• The Three Musketeers(1932)
• L'argent par les fenêtres(1933)
• Lovers and Thieves(1935)
• Arsene Lupin, Detective(1937)
• A Foolish Maiden(1938)
• Whirlwind of Paris(1939)
• The Unknown Singer(1947)
• Branquignol(1949)
• My Priest Among the Rich(1952)
• The Porter from Maxim's(1953)
• Madonna of the Sleeping Cars(1955)
• Ravishing(1960)
• My Priest Among the Poor(1956)
• It Happened on the 36 Candles(1957)
• The Bureaucrats(1959)

See also

• 1913 in film

External links

• Henri Diamant-BergeratIMDb
• Henri Diamant-Bergerat theAFI Catalog of Feature Films