Well-built and handsome Lucien Dalsace (1893-1980) was a French stage and screen actor who peaked in the French silent cinema of the 1920s. He went from success to success in films directed by Louis Feuillade, René Leprince, Gaston Ravel, René Hervil and Henri Desfontaines.
French postcard. Photo: Film Gaumont. Lucien Dalsace in Vindicta (Louis Feuillade, 1923).
French postcard by Collection Chantal, Paris, no. 557. Photo: U.F.P.C.
Lucien Dalsace was born Gustave Louis Chalot in 1893 in Chatou, a town near Paris popular among the bourgeoisie and artists at the time. Gustave was destined by his industrialist father for a job in the silk industry. Guy Bellinger at IMDb: "But Chalot senior had overlooked something important: one of Gustave's great-aunts, Marie Bilhaut, had been a renowned resident at the Comédie-Française while one of his great-uncles had been an opera singer. As a result of the presence of Thespis in the family genes, it comes as no surprise that as of his high school years, young Gustave organized theatre performances with and for his schoolmates."
After passing his final exams Gustave obeyed his father and followed training in the silk industry. At the same time, he appeared incognito in several plays in small theatres. When Gustave's father became aware of what was happening he understood that his son's passion for the theatre was too strong to be resisted.
World War I interrupted this fledgling career though. Gustave was drafted into the Third Battalion of Chasseurs where, despite this major inconvenience, he had the opportunity to meet the famous actor Jean Toulout. It was the beginning of a solid and lasting friendship. Gustave then transferred to the Air Force and took part in many air battles. He also organised performances for his warmates. After being an aviation hero during the war, Gustave resumed his acting career as Lucien Dalsace this time. Signed by Léon Volterra, the owner of the Théâtre de Paris, he found himself very much in demand as a romantic lead. It was the start of a prolific career in both the theatre and the cinema.
Guy Bellinger: "His great presence, his manly appearance, his handsome face could not remain unnoticed by the movies for long and he debuted top-billed in La brute in 1921. Two years later his double role in the eight-chapter serial L'aviateur made him a true star."Between 1921 and 1929, Lucien Dalsace participated in 26 silent films. In his above-mentioned debut La Brute/The Brute (Daniel Bompard, 1921), he appeared opposite Louise Storza, André Nox, and Suzanne Bianchetti.
After the serial L'aviateur masqué/The masked aviator (Robert Péguy, 1922), in which he played a double role, he worked again with director Robert Péguy on Le Crime de Monique/Monique's crime (Robert Péguy, 1922) featuring Yvette Andréyor, and Le Vol/The flight (Robert Péguy, 1923) with Charles Vanel and Denise Legeay. Subsequently, he played the Marquis of Saint-Estelle in Vindicta (1923) one of the last films by pioneer director Louis Feuillade.
French postcard, editor unknown.
French postcard by Editions Cinémagazine, no. 153.
French postcard for the French silent film L'Occident (Henri Fescourt, 1927, released 1928) by Europe, no. 41. The card makes publicity for the film's premiere screening at the Paris cinema Marivaux. Caption from La Petite Illustration, 398, 1928: "Taïeb forces young Fathima to dance in a den in Toulon."
In 1924-1925, Lucien Dalsace did a whole string of films with Gaston Roudès: Féliana l'espionne/Feliana the spy (Gaston Roudès, 1924) featuring France Dhélia, Les Petits/The Little Ones (Marcel Dumont, Gaston Roudès, 1925), La Douleur/Pain (Gaston Roudès, 1925) with Constant Rémy, La Maternelle/Petite mère/Kindergarten (Gaston Roudès, 1925) starring France Dhélia, and Oiseaux de passage/Passing birds (Gaston Roudès, 1925).
In Ferragus (Gaston Ravel, 1923), based on the novel by Honoré de Balzac, the title character (René Navarre), the head of a Parisian secret society and an ex-convict who wants to get rid of a young suitor (Dalsace) of his protegée (Elmire Vautier). In the fantasy Belphégor (Henri Desfontaines, 1927), Dalsace is Bellegarde, a journalist keen on solving a murder and theft case at the Louvre, by a ghostlike figure, called Belphégor, and his gang. While the Police Inspector (Georges Paulais) suspects Bellegarde, a private detective, Chantecoq (René Navarre), knows better.
In L'Occident/The West (Henri Fescourt, 1928), set on the Moroccan coast, Captain Jean Cadière (Lucien Dalsace), is sent on a secret mission to prevent rebels from attacking caravans. He is helped by Hassina (Claudia Victrix), a captive of the rebel tribe of Zerreth-Hama, but the tribe leader, Taïeb (Hugues de Bagratide) discovers this. He threatens to burn alive Hassina's little sister Fathima (Andrée Rolane). See our special blog on this film. In Le Prince Jean/Bonds of Honour (René Hervil, 1929), Dalsace is a prince ruined at the gambling tables, so he leaves his beloved Claire (Renée Héribel) behind. Then Claire marries a banker, Arnheim (Paul Guidé), and finds out that he plotted to ruin Prince Jean, to marry her.
In Hervil's Le Ruisseau/The Stream (René Hervil, 1929), Dalsace is a celebrated painter who loves a rich and divorced woman (Olga Day), who cheats him. To comfort himself, he goes to Montmartre and finds a poor but honest girl (Louise Lagrange). By the end of the silent era, Dalsace's prime was over. History repeated itself. His career was once again interrupted and the culprit this time was the coming of sound. Lucien Dalsace, still a matinée idol a few months before, had abruptly gone unfashionable. Getting no more roles, Lucien/Gustave changed jobs and became a perfume merchant in the Latin Quarter. Dalsace made his comeback in 1937. For his old friend Léon Mathot, he returned before the cameras to play old Georges in Chéri-Bibi (Léon Mathot, 1937) alongside Pierre Fresnay in the title role. For Mathot, he also played opposite in Pierre Renoir in Le révolté/The Rebel (Léon Mathot, 1938), then an officer in Rappel immédiat/Immediate Call (Léon Mathot, 1939) with Erich von Stroheim.
French postcard. Photo: Film Gaumont. Lucien Dalsace in Vindicta (Louis Feuillade, 1923).
French postcard by Collection Chantal, Paris, no. 557. Photo: U.F.P.C.
An aviation hero during the First World War
Lucien Dalsace was born Gustave Louis Chalot in 1893 in Chatou, a town near Paris popular among the bourgeoisie and artists at the time. Gustave was destined by his industrialist father for a job in the silk industry. Guy Bellinger at IMDb: "But Chalot senior had overlooked something important: one of Gustave's great-aunts, Marie Bilhaut, had been a renowned resident at the Comédie-Française while one of his great-uncles had been an opera singer. As a result of the presence of Thespis in the family genes, it comes as no surprise that as of his high school years, young Gustave organized theatre performances with and for his schoolmates."
After passing his final exams Gustave obeyed his father and followed training in the silk industry. At the same time, he appeared incognito in several plays in small theatres. When Gustave's father became aware of what was happening he understood that his son's passion for the theatre was too strong to be resisted.
World War I interrupted this fledgling career though. Gustave was drafted into the Third Battalion of Chasseurs where, despite this major inconvenience, he had the opportunity to meet the famous actor Jean Toulout. It was the beginning of a solid and lasting friendship. Gustave then transferred to the Air Force and took part in many air battles. He also organised performances for his warmates. After being an aviation hero during the war, Gustave resumed his acting career as Lucien Dalsace this time. Signed by Léon Volterra, the owner of the Théâtre de Paris, he found himself very much in demand as a romantic lead. It was the start of a prolific career in both the theatre and the cinema.
Guy Bellinger: "His great presence, his manly appearance, his handsome face could not remain unnoticed by the movies for long and he debuted top-billed in La brute in 1921. Two years later his double role in the eight-chapter serial L'aviateur made him a true star."Between 1921 and 1929, Lucien Dalsace participated in 26 silent films. In his above-mentioned debut La Brute/The Brute (Daniel Bompard, 1921), he appeared opposite Louise Storza, André Nox, and Suzanne Bianchetti.
After the serial L'aviateur masqué/The masked aviator (Robert Péguy, 1922), in which he played a double role, he worked again with director Robert Péguy on Le Crime de Monique/Monique's crime (Robert Péguy, 1922) featuring Yvette Andréyor, and Le Vol/The flight (Robert Péguy, 1923) with Charles Vanel and Denise Legeay. Subsequently, he played the Marquis of Saint-Estelle in Vindicta (1923) one of the last films by pioneer director Louis Feuillade.
French postcard, editor unknown.
French postcard by Editions Cinémagazine, no. 153.
French postcard for the French silent film L'Occident (Henri Fescourt, 1927, released 1928) by Europe, no. 41. The card makes publicity for the film's premiere screening at the Paris cinema Marivaux. Caption from La Petite Illustration, 398, 1928: "Taïeb forces young Fathima to dance in a den in Toulon."
A matinée idol on a secret mission
In 1924-1925, Lucien Dalsace did a whole string of films with Gaston Roudès: Féliana l'espionne/Feliana the spy (Gaston Roudès, 1924) featuring France Dhélia, Les Petits/The Little Ones (Marcel Dumont, Gaston Roudès, 1925), La Douleur/Pain (Gaston Roudès, 1925) with Constant Rémy, La Maternelle/Petite mère/Kindergarten (Gaston Roudès, 1925) starring France Dhélia, and Oiseaux de passage/Passing birds (Gaston Roudès, 1925).
In Ferragus (Gaston Ravel, 1923), based on the novel by Honoré de Balzac, the title character (René Navarre), the head of a Parisian secret society and an ex-convict who wants to get rid of a young suitor (Dalsace) of his protegée (Elmire Vautier). In the fantasy Belphégor (Henri Desfontaines, 1927), Dalsace is Bellegarde, a journalist keen on solving a murder and theft case at the Louvre, by a ghostlike figure, called Belphégor, and his gang. While the Police Inspector (Georges Paulais) suspects Bellegarde, a private detective, Chantecoq (René Navarre), knows better.
In L'Occident/The West (Henri Fescourt, 1928), set on the Moroccan coast, Captain Jean Cadière (Lucien Dalsace), is sent on a secret mission to prevent rebels from attacking caravans. He is helped by Hassina (Claudia Victrix), a captive of the rebel tribe of Zerreth-Hama, but the tribe leader, Taïeb (Hugues de Bagratide) discovers this. He threatens to burn alive Hassina's little sister Fathima (Andrée Rolane). See our special blog on this film. In Le Prince Jean/Bonds of Honour (René Hervil, 1929), Dalsace is a prince ruined at the gambling tables, so he leaves his beloved Claire (Renée Héribel) behind. Then Claire marries a banker, Arnheim (Paul Guidé), and finds out that he plotted to ruin Prince Jean, to marry her.
In Hervil's Le Ruisseau/The Stream (René Hervil, 1929), Dalsace is a celebrated painter who loves a rich and divorced woman (Olga Day), who cheats him. To comfort himself, he goes to Montmartre and finds a poor but honest girl (Louise Lagrange). By the end of the silent era, Dalsace's prime was over. History repeated itself. His career was once again interrupted and the culprit this time was the coming of sound. Lucien Dalsace, still a matinée idol a few months before, had abruptly gone unfashionable. Getting no more roles, Lucien/Gustave changed jobs and became a perfume merchant in the Latin Quarter. Dalsace made his comeback in 1937. For his old friend Léon Mathot, he returned before the cameras to play old Georges in Chéri-Bibi (Léon Mathot, 1937) alongside Pierre Fresnay in the title role. For Mathot, he also played opposite in Pierre Renoir in Le révolté/The Rebel (Léon Mathot, 1938), then an officer in Rappel immédiat/Immediate Call (Léon Mathot, 1939) with Erich von Stroheim.
In 1941, he returned to trade. His final film was the adventure Patrouille blanche/White patrol (Christian Chamborant, 1941), starring Sessue Hayakawa and Junie Astor. Lucien Dalsace died in oblivion in 1980 at home in L'Hay-les-Roses, Val-de-Marne, France. He was 87. With his wife of many years, actress Jane Marceau, he had one child.
French postcard in the Les Vedettes de Cinéma series by A.N., Paris, no. 74. Photo: G.L. Manuel Frères.
Belgian postcard by Weekblad 'Cinema', Antwerpen (ed. journal Cinema, Antwerp).
Sources: Philippe Pelletier (Ciné-Artistes - French), Guy Bellinger (IMDb), Wikipedia (French) and IMDb.
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