ÉCLAIR STUDIOS

Éclair film studios were founded in May 1907 by two Parisian lawyers, Marcel Vandal and Charles Jourjon, who bought out the operations of Parnaland studios, at the time involved in legal action. Shortly after the company was founded, however,Ambroise Parnalandwas ejected as a partner and Vandal and Jourjon managed the studio on their own. In order to jump-start film production, Vandal and Jourjon had a glass-house studio, which was a type of early film studio constructed of steel and glass in order to allow for maximum exposure to natural light, built at Épinay-sur-Seine in 1908, and this became the company's principal studio.

Vandal and Jourjon then hired the directorsGeorges HatotandVictorin Jasset, who immediately began making films for the studio.The most famous and successful of these were serials, including theNick Winter(1908-1909) detective films, theRiffle Bill(1908-1909) films, and theMorgan le pirate(1909) series.

In 1910, Hatot left Éclair to found his own studio, and Jasset continued on alone. During the same period, the studio began production operations, which constituted an important expansion of its influence in the French cinema market. The studio opened operations in the United States (in Fort Lee, New Jersey, site ofAliceGuy's Solax studios) in 1911, and films were made here until 1920. In France, 1920 marked the entry of Éclair into the equipment market, and in the late 1920s, Éclair ventured into the production of sound or talking pictures.

Éclair ultimately became the third largest studio in France, afterPathéandGaumont. It is still located at Épinay-sur-seine. During the golden age of French cinema, its studios produced films byJacques FeyderandRené Clair. Today it has diversified its film operations and is a pioneer of digital video.