L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921) is a beautiful French silent film serial, based on the epic novel by Felicien Champsau. The serial was produced by Pathé Frères Consortium and the stars were Léon Mathot and Gina Relly.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Léon Mathot in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the poor (René Leprince, 1921).
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Gina Relly in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the poor (René Leprince, 1921).
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Andrée Pascal in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the poor (René Leprince, 1921).
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Henry Krauss in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the poor (René Leprince, 1921).
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Gina Relly in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921).
French novelist and journalist Félicien Champsaur debuted with the roman à clef 'Dinah Samuel' (1882), said to present portraits of poet Arthur Rimbaud and actress Sarah Bernhardt. He went on to publish many novels, collections of articles, and other works, including 'Miss America' (1885), 'Entrée de clowns' (1886), 'Lulu' (1888), and 'Poupée Japonaise' (1912). He wrote 'L'empereur des pauvres' in 1920.
Based on Champsaur's novel, director René Leprince created the silent film serial, L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the poor (René Leprince, 1921)..
The film serial tells the epic story of a rich and spoiled young man, Marc Anavan, played by Léon Mathot. Marc leads a profligate life, but when he understands his fortune is about to evaporate, he decides to change his life.
Marc becomes a vagabond and wants to do good around him. The task is not easy, but his faith in his mission and the love of the pure Sylvette (Gina Relly) help him.
Marc becomes the peaceful spokesperson for the disinherited. He has to face revolution, anarchism and the Great War, before retaking his humanitarian mission. In the end, he overcomes all the hardships on his way.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921) with Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921) with, probably downright, Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921) with left, Henry Krauss, as Jean Sarrias, revolting against society.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921). In the foreground, Gina Relly as Sylvette. Standing in the back, Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan and Henry Krauss as Jean Sarrias.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921). Probably Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921). Probably Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921) with, at left, Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan, in the middle, Gina Relly as Sylvette, and right, Henry Krauss as her uncle Jean Sarrias.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Gina Relly in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (1921).
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Gina Relly as Sylvette and Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921).
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan, Gina Relly as Sylvette, and right, Henry Krauss, as her uncle Jean Sarrias in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921). Left of Mathot is Andrée Pascal as Clémence Sarrias.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Gina Relly and Léon Mathot in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (1921).
L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921) was produced in six episodes: 1. Le Pauvre (The Poor); 2. Les Millions (The Millions); 3. Les Flambeaux (The Torches); 4. Les Crassiers (The Slag); 5. L'orage (The Storm) and 6. Floreal.
On demand of exhibitors, these six episodes were re-edited into twelve parts of 900 metres each, which were shown over six weeks in France. The Pathé production was one of the most successful French serials of the period. In the Netherlands, the 12 parts were shown in three or two weeks.
Besides Léon Mathot and Gina Relly in the lead roles, the cast of L'empereur des pauvres included several well-known actors of the French silent cinema.
Henry Krauss played Jean Sarrias, the uncle of Silvette; Gilbert Dalleu was Cyprien Cadal, the mayor of Saint Saturnin du Var; Andrée Pascal appeared as Clémence Sarrias; and Lily Damita was Riquette, credited as Lily Deslys. In supporting parts well well-known faces as Charles Lamy, André Luguet, Charles de Rochefort and Maurice Schutz were cast.
The elaborate camera work was done by Julien Ringel and Paul Gaillard. Director René Leprince was a well-known filmmaker of the silent era, who had worked several times with comedian Max Linder and went on to make Fanfan La Tulipe (1925) with Aimé Simon-Girard. In 1929, Leprince died at the age of 53, at the end of the silent era.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the poor (René Leprince, 1921). Standing in the middle, actor Léon Mathot.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921). In the middle, Gina Relly as Sylvette, and right, Henry Krauss as her uncle Jean Sarrias, revolting against society. Left could be Andrée Pascal as Clémence Sarrias.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921). The vagabond could be Léon Mathot.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921). Left to right: Andrée Pascal as Clémence Sarrias, Gina Relly as Sylvette, Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan, and Henry Krauss as Jean Sarrias.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the poor (René Leprince, 1921). Gina Relly as Sylvette, Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the poor (René Leprince, 1921). In bed: Gina Relly as Sylvette, left of her, Andrée Pascal as her sister Clémence.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921). Standing front, Léon Mathot.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Henry Krauss as Jean Sarrias, revolting against society, in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921).
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Henry Krauss in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1922).
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921). Gina Relly as Sylvette, and Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Gina Relly as Sylvette and Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921).
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921). Gina Relly as Sylvette, working as a nurse during the First World War.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921).
Sources: Guy Bellinger (IMDb), Ciné Ressources, Wikipedia and IMDb.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Léon Mathot in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the poor (René Leprince, 1921).
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Gina Relly in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the poor (René Leprince, 1921).
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Andrée Pascal in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the poor (René Leprince, 1921).
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Henry Krauss in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the poor (René Leprince, 1921).
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Gina Relly in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921).
A vagabond who wants to do good
French novelist and journalist Félicien Champsaur debuted with the roman à clef 'Dinah Samuel' (1882), said to present portraits of poet Arthur Rimbaud and actress Sarah Bernhardt. He went on to publish many novels, collections of articles, and other works, including 'Miss America' (1885), 'Entrée de clowns' (1886), 'Lulu' (1888), and 'Poupée Japonaise' (1912). He wrote 'L'empereur des pauvres' in 1920.
Based on Champsaur's novel, director René Leprince created the silent film serial, L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the poor (René Leprince, 1921)..
The film serial tells the epic story of a rich and spoiled young man, Marc Anavan, played by Léon Mathot. Marc leads a profligate life, but when he understands his fortune is about to evaporate, he decides to change his life.
Marc becomes a vagabond and wants to do good around him. The task is not easy, but his faith in his mission and the love of the pure Sylvette (Gina Relly) help him.
Marc becomes the peaceful spokesperson for the disinherited. He has to face revolution, anarchism and the Great War, before retaking his humanitarian mission. In the end, he overcomes all the hardships on his way.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921) with Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921) with, probably downright, Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921) with left, Henry Krauss, as Jean Sarrias, revolting against society.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921). In the foreground, Gina Relly as Sylvette. Standing in the back, Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan and Henry Krauss as Jean Sarrias.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921). Probably Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921). Probably Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921) with, at left, Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan, in the middle, Gina Relly as Sylvette, and right, Henry Krauss as her uncle Jean Sarrias.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Gina Relly in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (1921).
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Gina Relly as Sylvette and Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921).
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan, Gina Relly as Sylvette, and right, Henry Krauss, as her uncle Jean Sarrias in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921). Left of Mathot is Andrée Pascal as Clémence Sarrias.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Gina Relly and Léon Mathot in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (1921).
One of the most successful French serials
L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921) was produced in six episodes: 1. Le Pauvre (The Poor); 2. Les Millions (The Millions); 3. Les Flambeaux (The Torches); 4. Les Crassiers (The Slag); 5. L'orage (The Storm) and 6. Floreal.
On demand of exhibitors, these six episodes were re-edited into twelve parts of 900 metres each, which were shown over six weeks in France. The Pathé production was one of the most successful French serials of the period. In the Netherlands, the 12 parts were shown in three or two weeks.
Besides Léon Mathot and Gina Relly in the lead roles, the cast of L'empereur des pauvres included several well-known actors of the French silent cinema.
Henry Krauss played Jean Sarrias, the uncle of Silvette; Gilbert Dalleu was Cyprien Cadal, the mayor of Saint Saturnin du Var; Andrée Pascal appeared as Clémence Sarrias; and Lily Damita was Riquette, credited as Lily Deslys. In supporting parts well well-known faces as Charles Lamy, André Luguet, Charles de Rochefort and Maurice Schutz were cast.
The elaborate camera work was done by Julien Ringel and Paul Gaillard. Director René Leprince was a well-known filmmaker of the silent era, who had worked several times with comedian Max Linder and went on to make Fanfan La Tulipe (1925) with Aimé Simon-Girard. In 1929, Leprince died at the age of 53, at the end of the silent era.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the poor (René Leprince, 1921). Standing in the middle, actor Léon Mathot.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921). In the middle, Gina Relly as Sylvette, and right, Henry Krauss as her uncle Jean Sarrias, revolting against society. Left could be Andrée Pascal as Clémence Sarrias.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921). The vagabond could be Léon Mathot.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921). Left to right: Andrée Pascal as Clémence Sarrias, Gina Relly as Sylvette, Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan, and Henry Krauss as Jean Sarrias.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the poor (René Leprince, 1921). Gina Relly as Sylvette, Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the poor (René Leprince, 1921). In bed: Gina Relly as Sylvette, left of her, Andrée Pascal as her sister Clémence.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921). Standing front, Léon Mathot.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Henry Krauss as Jean Sarrias, revolting against society, in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921).
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Henry Krauss in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1922).
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921). Gina Relly as Sylvette, and Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Gina Relly as Sylvette and Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan in L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921).
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921). Gina Relly as Sylvette, working as a nurse during the First World War.
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres / The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921).
Sources: Guy Bellinger (IMDb), Ciné Ressources, Wikipedia and IMDb.
What a wonderful Christmas present! Thank you Bob. Happy holidays and all the best to you and your family
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love these postcards. The pageantry, the costumes! All that wonderful information about these amazing actors and actresses of old. Merry Christmas from Oregon, my Friend. I am expecting lots of family and friends tomorrow morning. I can hardly wait. It will be so good to see everyone. Have a lovely day, yourself. :D
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