Raymond Bernard

Raymond Bernard
Born	10 October 1891 Paris, France
Died	12 December 1977 Paris, France
Occupation	Film director, screenwriter and actor

Raymond Bernard (10 October 1891 – 12 December 1977) was a French film director and screenwriter whose career spanned more than forty years. He is best remembered for several large-scale historical productions, including the silent films Le Miracle des loups (The Miracle of the Wolves) and Le Joueur d'échecs (The Chess Player) and in the 1930s Les Croix de bois (Wooden Crosses) and a highly regarded adaptation of Les Misérables.

Raymond Bernard was born in Paris in 1891, the son of the author and humorist Tristan Bernard and younger brother of the playwright Jean-Jacques Bernard. He began his career as an actor appearing on stage in plays written by his father, including Jeanne Doré (1913) alongside Sarah Bernhardt (also filmed in 1916). In 1917 Bernard began to work behind the camera as assistant to Jacques Feyder at Gaumont and then continued as a director, principally adapting plays by his father. In these popular entertainments, he soon gained experience of working with leading performers such as Max Linder and Charles Dullin.

In 1924 Bernard embarked upon a new style of film, the historical spectacle, with Le Miracle des loups set in 15th century France in the reign of Louis XI. This proved to be not only the most expensive film of its day but also one of the most profitable. Bernard's ability to combine dramatic narrative with spacious settings and large numbers of performers was utilised in the two remaining productions of his silent film career, Le Joueur d'échecs (1927) and Tarakanova (1930).

Bernard's film-making in the sound era continued for nearly three decades. Further large-scale productions included his film about the First World War, Les Croix de bois (1932), and a three-part adaptation of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables (1934) which was nearly five hours in length. In his later films he returned to more modest projects and budgets including a number of sophisticated comedies. During the wartime Occupation of France, Bernard as a Jew was obliged to remain in hiding and his film-making ceased until the end of the war.

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