MERCANTON, LOUIS

(1879-1932)

Director. Born in Switzerland, Louis Mercanton came to France to work in the theater and then the cinema. He began his career withÉclairstudios as a director and screenwriter, where he worked on the screenplay toHenri Desfontaines'sShylock(1910), starringHarry Baur, andLes Amours de la reine Elisabeth(1912), starringSarah Bernhardt, and he also codirectedL'Assassinat d'Henri III(1911),Anne de Boleyn(1913), andAdrienne Lecouvreur(1913), all with Desfontaines. In addition to his collaboration with Desfontaines, Mercanton directedLe Spectre du passé(1913),Vendetta(1914),Jeanne Doré(1915),Le Tournant(1916),Manuella(1916),Le Tablier blanc(1917),La P'tite du sixième(1917),Oh!Ce baiser! (1917),Midinettes(1917),Mères françaises(1917),Le Torrent(1917),Un roman d'amour et d'aventures(1918),Bouclette(1918),Aux jardins deMurcie(1923), andSarati,le terrible(1923), all with René Hervil.

In 1919, Mercanton began directing and producing independently.His first independent film,L'Appel du sang(1919), was a hit, and he went on, during the silent era, to direct such films asMiarka,fille à l'ours(1920),L'Homme merveilleux(1922),Phrose(1922),Les Deux gosses(1924),La Petite bonne du palace(1926),Monte Carlo(1926),Cinders(1926),Croquette(1927), andVenus(1929), and also produced bothMiarka,la fille à l'ours(1920) andVenus(1929). He also codirectedLa Voyante(1924) with Léon Abrams.

Mercanton's career extended only a few years into the sound era. Nonetheless, he managed to direct more than thirteen films in a period of three years. His sound films include the English-language filmsThe Nipper(1930),These Charming People(1931), andA Man of Mayfair(1931), as well as the French filmsLa Lettre(1930), based on the play by Somerset Maugham and starring Paul Capellani,Le Mystère de la villa rose(1930), again, codirected with Hervil and a classic of early sound cinema,Chérie(1930), codirected with actress Mona Goya who also starred in the film,Marions-nous(1931),Il est charmant(1932), andCognasse(1932), his final film.