Albert Capellani | |
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| Born | (1874-08-23)23 August 1874 Paris, France |
| Died | 26 September 1931(1931-09-26) (aged 57) Paris, France |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1904–1922 |
Albert Capellani (23 August 1874 – 26 September 1931) was a French film director and screenwriter of thesilent era. He directed films between 1905 and 1922.[1] One of his brothers was the actor-sculptorPaul Capellani,[2] and another, film directorRoger Capellani.
Albert Capellani born in Paris in 1874. His father was a banker, and Capellani worked as a bank employee in his early years.[3][4] Capellani, along with his brother Paul, studied acting underCharles le Bargy at theConservatoire de Paris.[5] Starting his career as an actor, he worked with the directorAndré Antoine at theThéâtre Libre and theOdéon.[5] He then began directing plays for the Odéon, working alongside the lauded actor and director Firmin Gémier.[5] In 1903, he became the head of theAlhambra music hall inParis.[5]
He continued to work as an actor and director until he received a job offer from thePathé Frères studio in 1905.[6]Charles Pathé, who held high hopes for the artistic potential of film as a medium, invited him to join the artistic staff under the direction ofFerdinand Zecca.[5] When Pathé in 1908 launched a "prestige" production unit,[6] the Société des Auteurs et des Gens de Lettres (SCAGL),[2] Capellani became its first artistic director and directed the company's first film,L'Arlésienne.[6] During his Pathé career, he worked as an adviser and supervisor to various directors, includingMichel Carré,Georges Denola,Henri Étiévant, andGeorges Monca.[2]
He often drew upon his theatrical background to cast stage actor colleagues for his films, such asHenry Krauss, who appeared asQuasimodo in hisThe Hunchback of Notre Dame (1911) and asJean Valjean in hisLes Misérables (1912).[6]Les Misérables also gave the actressMistinguett her first important screen role.[2]
His films cover many genres, includingmelodramas,fairy tales,costume dramas with historical and biblical themes, andliterary adaptations, especially after taking up directorship of SCAGL in 1908.[6] Characteristics of his style include a keen sense for staging actors inthree-dimensional space, dynamic use oflocation filming, and an attention to subtle, realistic details that highlight the humanity of his characters.[6]
In 1914 he served in the French army as an officer but was wounded in at the battle of Soissons near ChampaigneFirst Battle of Champagne. He was released from duty but because of the war was unable to direct films in France.[citation needed]
In 1915, he moved to the United States and worked for the film studiosPathé Exchange,Metro Pictures Corporation, theWorld Film Company,Cosmopolitan Productions, Nazimova Productions, and his own newly created studio, Capellani Productions, Inc.[2] Under his direction,Alla Nazimova rose to prominence as one of the greatest silent film stars in Hollywood.[2]
Capellani returned to France in 1923, where he floated several new film projects but was unable to bring any to fruition.[2] He died ofdiabetes in 1931.[5]
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