LEPRINCE, RENÉ

(1876-1929)

Actor, director, and screenwriter. René Leprince began his career in the Parisian café-concerts. He joinedPathéin about 1908, acting in and directing films. In the early years, Leprince was primarily an actor appearing in such films asYves Mirande'sOctave(1909), in whichHarry Bauralso appeared;Georges Monca'sLe Chien de Montargis(1909); Michel Carré'sLa Peau de Chagrin(1909), in which he appeared withStacia Napierkowska, Paul Capellani, andHenri Desfontaines;Albert Capellani'sLa Vengeance de la morte(1910) andLa Mort du duc d'Enghien(1912); Georges Denola'sPar un jour de carnaval(1910), in which he appeared with Maria Fromet;Camille de Morlhon'sFouquet,l'homme au masque de fer(1911); andFerdinand Zecca'sLa Fièvre de l'or(1912), which Leprince codirected.

Leprince may have directed a film calledLa Princesse noire(1908), but he did not seriously turn his attention to directing until 1910 or 1911.After that time, he directed more than fifty films over a period of approximately twenty years, working right up to the time of his death. Films directed by Leprince includeLe Visiteur(1911), codirected with Capellani;Le Stigmate(1911);Josette(1912);Le Lys de la mansarde(1912), codirected with Monca;Le Club des élégants(1912);L'Amour plus fort que La Haine(1912);Le Miracle des fleurs(1912);Le Roi de l'air(1913) andL'Étoile du génie(1914), both codirected with Zecca;Sacrifice fraternel(1915);La Vie d'une reine(1917);La Force de la vie(1920);Vent debout(1923);Le Vert galant(1924), starringJoë Hamman;L'Enfant des Halles(1924);Mylordl'Arsouillle(1925);Fanfan-la-tulipe(1925);Titi,premier roi des gosses(1926);Princesse Masha(1927); andLa Tentation(1929), which was finished byJacques de Baroncellias Leprince died while it was being filmed.

Leprince directed the Comédie Française actor René Alexandre in a number of films, includingLes Martyrs de la vie(1912),La Revanche du passé(1912),Le Roi du bagne(1913), codirected with Maurice Mahut,La Leçon du gouffre(1913), andLes Larmes du pardon(1919). He also directed severalMax Linderfilms, includingMax et Jane veulent faire du théâtre(1912),Max,Jockey par amour(1913),Max dans les airs(1914), andMax devrait porter des bretelles(1917). All of these were codirected with Linder, although Leprince did direct one or two Max films on his own.