Pierre Laurentian, whose real name was Pierre Cohen, is a film director was born on 5 December of 1904 in Brussels, Belgium filmed movies France and Argentina and died on 23 December 1990 in La garenne-colombes, in the suburbs of Paris.

Started as a documentary filmmaker and was highlighted in French cinema in the 1930s, primarily with L’Alibi and Le dernier tournant, first the adaptations of the novel the postman always rings twice by James M. cain.

He fled France in 1942 fearing for his life given as a Jew and settled in Argentina, where he conducted four films, among them a man opens the abyss. To return to France after after the Second World War he continued filming but not he resumed the place in this country film.

Biography

Pierre Chenal studied at France with background in engineering. In 1929 he made his first short film with Jean Mitra, a childhood friend. Two years later she filmed Le Martyre l’obèse inspired by Colette Darfeuil, to rekindle the love of her husband, pretended to be in love with a young obese. Later La Rue sans nom Pola Illéry problems.

He then adapted crime and punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky, with Pierre Blanchar, Harry Baur and Madeleine Ozeray, which in 1935 was nominated Cup Mussolini in the Venice Film Festival and the contemporary novel by Jack london, Les l’elseneur mutinés with Jean Murat. It was followed by the prominent L’homme de nulle part with Isa Miranda, Pierre Blanchar et Robert Le Vigan, a work of Luigi pirandello had already been made into a film by Marcel L’Herbie; La Maison du Maltais with Viviane Romance, Marcel Dalio and Louis Jouvet, rediscovered in L’Alibi to Erich von Stroheim and Jany Holt.

Finally, the filmmaker conducts Fernand Gravey in Le dernier tournant, the first of the film adaptations of the novel the postman always rings twice by James M. cain, Michel Simon and Corinne Luchaire.

At the last moment, just before the German invasion of Vichy-free zone Laurentian flees France to escape anti-Jewish raids carried out forces nazis with the help of the collaborators. Rather than go to Hollywood as had other fugitives filmmakers, he traveled to Buenos Aires. He arrived in July 1942 in the Cape of good hope, ship while he didn’t have any contact in Argentina and even spoke Spanish.

Barely arribado Luis saslavski, an Argentine film director connoisseur of French culture widespread among this time Argentine intellectuals and artists visit and it surprises with the news that all of his films had been exhibited in a Cine-Arte of the city. It is through their fan it relates to their early producers.

In 1986 Laurentian recalled his trip to Buenos Aires:

“I was my intention to filming the novel Bruges, the death of Georges Rodenbach when war broke out and I was put under the flag.” I was discharged on the French Riviera, in 1941. One day, against nazi anti-Semitism and the fact that the Germans entered in the free zone, was lucky to take the last train started towards Barcelona. My ex-wife, Florence, had achieved the Argentina visa. But when he arrived in Buenos Aires they left not landed and was sent to Bolivia. I left Marseille in the last ship departed to America. I arrived in Buenos Aires without knowing what was going to do, and not speaking Spanish. I didn’t know if there were studies, even if there was an Argentine cinema. I was desperate, without money and without knowing where it was my wife. Ready to die, I I installed at the Alvear Palace Hotel. If I was going to commit suicide, at least other than in a miserable hotel. Three days, someone calls to the door: was Luis Saslavsky. He knew my films and offered to introduce myself in Asociados… There, I was in this fabulous city so rich all abounded and in that in three days I offered target, while in France around the world died of hunger. and I had thought that kill myself!

At the same time located at Florence Marly, his wife, on the authorities. She had been seriously ill in Bolivia, by height, and when they met was very thin.

In its first phase in the Argentina from 1944 to 1946, the work of Laurentian is a total break with Europe: are four strictly Argentine films. Laurentian was initially hired Artists Argentinos partners, a movie company that was established just one year before his arrival in Buenos Aires and she wanted to work in a cooperative way. The film was based on the novel by Miguel de Unamuno nothing less than a man and the screenplay was charged to Homero manzi and murat ulyses petit. Original work was a story of passions, imbued with romanticism in which the writers found several pitfalls for transfer to film. The main character in the novel, whose characterization as “all a man” by Unamuno related title, had an ambiguous attitude of the relationship that his wife maintained with a third party which sought.

When the writers ended his work and was reading emerged a strong entredicho Laurentian. The director argued that film should show unequivocally that the wife was delivered to the harasser: according to him the greatness of the character was to be tricked and forgive. The writers were opposed to stating that the character was “all a man” precisely because he was able to continue to love in spite of the suspicions about his conduct. Discussion rose tone, the meeting broke up and seemed to project as it was conceived abortaba.

New meetings were held the following day, and the script has been modified. For the writers they were changes without importance, while the director saw them as fundamental, thereby understanding left everyone satisfied. The film was attended by Francisco petrone and Amelia bence as first figures and was a success. Spent eight weeks in Premiere rooms and it received praise from critics of film as its director and actors.

Pierre Chenal devised plot of a movie thriller, then called the dead is missing your appointment, and partners commissioned the script two authors. He was collaborating in criticism and News graphics newspapers and had already made plays and screenplays reaching an equivalent to the Murat Manzi-Petit pair renowned Sixto Pondal rivers and Nicolás olivari, (the latter published many years later an essay titled, Sixto Pondal rivers). The film is suspended but not devoid of humor and is about a young man is procuratorial from an accident in the seems to have killed a cyclist while driving drunk. The first actors were Guillermo battaglia, Nélida Bilbao and Angel Magaña. The music was by Lucio demare, who chose the piece “Poor Butterfly” of lionel hampton at that time was fashionable and director linked with dexterity movie into an outlet is a butterfly star against a car radiator among other topics.

Critic Raymond Calcagno (Calki) said the film “driving the surprise, the mystery and suspense – as in Hitchcock’s suspicion, but with ameneidad – Laurentian moves the threads of the plot with consummate mastery.” [“Its realization ahead of the issue is impeccable” and [Sunday Di Núbila]] synthesized “The best police comedy of Argentine film” until then. Should be added as curiosity that years later Juan Antonio bardem, who knew the dead missing appointment through Laurentian, would direct the film the death of a cyclist with a similar argument.

Laurentian subsequently filmed two more movies for Argentina Sono Film Producer: opens the chasm, considered his best Argentine film with trip without return which has as principal performers to his wife and Sebastián chiola and Silvana Roth.

On his return to France his first works were La Foire aux chimères with Madeleine Sologne and the comedy Clochemerle Saturnin Fabre and mingitorios very annoying public receive a welcome tibia. Pierre Chenal back then to Buenos Aires to make blood black the first adaptation of the novel are Native American of color Richard Wright, who also plays the main role.

The filmmaker then crosses the Andes to film in the seaside resort town of Viña del Mar The idol, first film police Chile, with his wife, which divorced in 1955, and Alberto closas as protagonists; then confessions at dawn with Lautaro murúa. In 1956, he directs franco-argentina co-production Section des disparus, with Nicole Ashley in the odious Maurice Ronet young wife.

Laurentian returned to France where made six films excellent invoice; Rafles sur la ville with Marcel Mouloudji police and La Bête à l’affût with Henri Vidal, a film Les nuits raspoutine era and a comedy L’Assassin connaît la musique… with excellent Paul Meurisse. In 1969 he directs his last feature film, Les libertines with Robert Hossein and 1976 filmed a short film.

In 1985 he received the special award for lifetime achievement awarded by the Internazionale Giallo Festival and the Mistero di Catholic and 23 December 1990 he died in the neighbourhood of Paris.

Filmography

* Short films.

o Les petits métiers Paris (1932).

o Pour piano played by Gilles (1932).

o Moderne illustre (1931).

o Trois workshops (1930).

o Bâtir (1930).

o Architecture d’aujourd ‘ hui (1930).

o Une cité du cinéma (1929).

o Coup de dés played by Edmond T. Greville (1928).

o Paris cinéma assisted by Jean Mitry (1927).

* As director

o Le hasard mène le jeu (1985).

o Les libertines or Les belles au bois dormantes (1969). In The fine Spanish.

o L’assassin connaît la musique (1963). English The Murderer Knows the Store.

o Les nuits Raspoutine (1960). English nights of rasputin

o Bête à l’affût (1959). English Beast at Bay.

o Les jeux dangereux (1958). English dangerous games.

o Rafles sur la ville (1958). English sinners of Paris.

o Missing persons section (1956). In French Section des disparus.

o Confessions at dawn (1954). English Confession at Dawn.

o Idol (1952).

o Black blood (1951). English native Son.

o Clochemerle According to the work of Gabriel Chevallier (1948). English scandals of Clochemerle.

o Foire aux chimères (1946). English Devil and the Angel.

o Journey without return (1946).

o The dead missing appointment (1944). In English The Corpse Breaks to give you

o Opens the abyss (1944).

o A man (1943). In English A Real Man.

o Le dernier tournant (1939). In English the last turn.

o La Maison du Maltais (1938). English Sirocco.

o L’affaire Lafarge (1938). the lafarge Case English.

o L’Alibi (1937).

o L’homme de nulle part (1937). English feu mathias Pascal.

o Les l’Elseneur Mutinés (1936)

o Crime et châtiment (1935). English crime and punishment.

o Rue sans nom (1934). English street without a name.

o Le martyre l’obèse (1933). English Fat Man’s Worries.

* As a writer.

o Le hasard mène le jeu (1985).

o Les libertines or Les belles au bois dormantes (as Dave Young) (1969). In The fine Spanish.

o Bête à l’affût (1959). English Beast at Bay.

o Les jeux dangereux (1958). English dangerous games.

o Rafles sur la ville (1958). English sinners of Paris.

o Missing persons section (1956). In French Section des disparus.

o Black blood (1951). English native Son.

o L’homme de nulle part (1937). English feu mathias Pascal.

o Crime et châtiment (1935). English crime and punishment.

o Rue sans nom (1934). English street without a name.

* As a writer.

o L’assassin connaît la musique (1963). English The Murderer Knows the Store.

o The dead missing appointment (1944). English The Corpse Breaks to give you