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Browse 77 movies from Société Française des Films Éclair
The story of "Jack" is well-known. It is a beautiful story of a natural child. His mother, Ida de Borancy, worships the dear little nameless and fatherless being whom she decides, as he is getting on in years, to place in a boarding school. The child's professor of literature is a certain Amaury D'Argenton, a failure of the faculty, and an uninspired poet. During one of her visits to the institution, Mme. de Borancy is attracted by D'Argenton, and falls in love with him. The "Ne'er-do-Well" soon gives up his starving position and makes his abode with her, exercising over her absolute control. He soon learns to hate little Jack and forces her to leave him permanently at school. The poor child, unaccustomed to the separation, runs away, only to find, when he arrives at his former home, that his mother has moved and is now living thirty miles away. He undertakes the journey on foot, and reaches his mother's house completely exhausted. Here he meets Dr. Rivals and his daughter, Cecil.
Sep 1913
Grandmother Hall, aged fast falling in health, is greatly comforted by her only two grandchildren, daughters of her own daughter long since past before. She has made a will in which she stipulates that Lawrence, her son, shall inherit her wealth providing he assumes the care of her grandchildren, and who are, of course, his nieces. She dies. Lawrence claims the estate and orders his nieces to get out and earn their own way. A second will is found, properly filed and recorded. It is read and they learn that it is a repudiation of the first will, should Lawrence fail to live up to the terms therein. Lawrence tries to break the will but fails and the estate is ordered delivered to the girls. The granddaughters kind-heartedly offer Lawrence a home with them.
Mar 1912
"Le Saboteur" is the second episode of the collection "Les batailles de la vie"
Jun 1912
Adaptation of the Émile Gaboriau novel.
May 1914
Émile Durand, an insecticide manufacturer, is appalled to learn that his son Gérard has fallen in love with Suzy, the daughter of a travelling theatre company. Realising his father will never favour the union, Gérard joins the company on their next tour. In an attempt to heal the rift, Durand’s wife goes after Gérard and ends up performing in their next play…
Dec 1960
Paulin Broquet, the great Parisian detective, has brought the notorious bandit, Zigomar, to justice. Determined not to let the law punish him, he had taken poison in the Hall of Justice. Then he was brought to a hospital where he lay motionless and was visited by hundreds of persons. Among the visitors was a slender woman, dressed in black, who secreted herself in the hospital, and, when all the others had gone, went to the bedside of Zigomar and administered an antidote for poisoning.
Jan 1913
The film based on the novel of the same name by Alexandre Duma, is concerned with fraternal royal strife at the court of Henri III. Tragically caught between the millstones of history are the gallant Count de Bussy and the woman he adores, la Dame de Monsoreau.
Nov 1913
An adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes story about a father trying to gain control of his daughter's inheritance does not include Watson.
May 1912
A Nick Carter serial
Mar 1909
The story of the children of Captain Grant.
Apr 1914
Protéa is the last film directed by Victorin-Hippolyte Jasset, one of the early film pioneers in France. The hero of this film is a female spy, an acrobatic Mata-Hari, played by his favorite actress, Josette Andriot, who wore a characteristic costume of a close-fitting black jersey, two years before Musidora achieved cult status with her similar appearance as Irma Vep. This final masterpiece reflects Jasset's popular style: rhythmic action, fantastic realism, rich visuals, an anarchistic philosophy, a disdain for psychology, and an attention to lighting that earned him the nickname “the Rembrandt of the cinema". Although Jasset died shortly after completion, the film had considerable success and Andriot went on to make four more films in the series with other directors.
Based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas.
Dec 1913
Sep 1909
A mother loses first her son and then her husband in the trenches of France during the First World War. She devotes herself to the French cause and to helping those wounded in the war.
Jan 1916
Early adaptation of a Sherlock Holmes story
Nov 1912
An ape, turned near human by Dr. Coriolis and given the name 'Balaoo', is smitten by the beauty of Coriolis' niece, Madeleine. Being inquisitive, though, he runs off, getting into mischief, and falls in with a poacher who saves his life. Acting now as his slave Balaoo kills a man for the poacher, but balks on his orders to kidnap Madeleine, deciding instead to set a trap for the poacher.
The cub journalist comes to the aid of a recently remarried woman, whose late criminal husband turns out to be still alive.
Jul 1914
No plot available. The director Maurice Tourneur perceived this film to be indicative of the advances French cinema could have taken had it not been derailed by World War I.
Nick Carter, the famous detective, is ordered to prosecute the gang of Zigomar. Carter gets into various thorny situations but manages to escape every time, helped by Olga, a former girlfriend of Zigomar. Carter finally manages to trap Zigomar and Zigomar is arrested. However, Zigomar avoids going to court by apparently poisoning himself.
The first adventures of Chéri Bibi
Jan 1914