Le roi du bagne (1913) and Les larmes du pardon (1914)

Last Sunday, we had a post about two early silent films by the German Messter Film company. Ivo Blom had collected two series of small collector cards by the Spanish editor Reclam Films for the film. In this post, we present two Reclam Films series for two early French films, Le roi du bagne / The King of Prison (1913) and Les larmes du pardon / Tears of Forgiveness (1914), both produced by Pathé Frères. Gabrielle Robinne and Gabriel Signoret are the stars in both films.

Le roi du bagne (1913)

Spanish collector card by Reclam Films, Mallorca, card 1 of 6. Photo: Pathé Frères. Stacia Napierkowska in Le roi du bagne / The King of Prison (René Leprince, 1913).


Spanish collector card by Reclam Films, Mallorca, card 2 of 6. Photo: Pathé Frères. René Alexandre in the foreground in Le roi du bagne / The King of Prison (René Leprince, 1913).


Spanish collector card by Reclam Films, Mallorca, card 3 of 6. Photo: Pathé Frères. Jean Dax, Gabrielle Robinne and René Alexandre in Le roi du bagne / The King of Prison (René Leprince, 1913).

Crooked manoeuvres

The Pathé production Le roi du bagne / The King of Prison (René Leprince, 1913) had a remarkable cast with several leading early French film stars, including Gabrielle Robinne (1886-1980) and the exotic and fascinating actress and dancer Stacia Napierkowska (1886-1945).

Gabriel Signoret plays Monsieur Fernand Pradier, an enriched trader. He gives the hand of his daughter Germaine (Gabrielle Robinne) to St.-Bris, a wealthy banker (René Alexandre). What he does not know is how St.-Bris made his fortune.

In fact, St.-Bris, then known as Marquis de Pont d'Anson, was once a crook and avoided prison only by miracle. To make matters worse, a former accomplice (Jean Dax) resurfaces and manages to lead him astray again. But Elise Duvernoir, a young typist (Stacia Napierkowska), discovers their crooked manoeuvres...

Le roi du bagne / The King of Prison was first distributed in France in 1913. The Spanish distribution title was El Rey del Presidio.

The ten-minute silent drama was produced by Charles Pathé and co-written by director René Leprince and Maurice Mahut.


Spanish collector card by Reclam Films, Mallorca, card 4 of 6. Photo: Pathé Frères. Jean Dax, Gabriel Signoret, Gabrielle Robinne and René Alexandre in Le roi du bagne / The King of Prison (René Leprince, 1913).


Spanish collector card by Reclam Films, Mallorca, card 5 of 6. Photo: Pathé Frères. Gabriel Signoret and Gabrielle Robinne in Le roi du bagne / The King of Prison (René Leprince, 1913).


Spanish collector card by Reclam Films, Mallorca, card 6 of 6. Photo: Pathé Frères. Gabrielle Robinne, Stacia Napierkowska, Jean Dax and René Alexandre in Le roi du bagne / The King of Prison (René Leprince, 1913).

Les larmes du pardon (1914)

Spanish collector card by Reclam Films, Mallorca, card 1 of 6. Photo: Pathé Frères. Gabriel Signoret and Gabrielle Robinne in Les larmes du pardon / Tears of Forgiveness (René Leprince, Ferdinand Zecca, 1914).


Spanish collector card by Reclam Films, Mallorca, card 2 of 6. Photo: Pathé Frères. René Alexandre and Gabrielle Robinne (far left) in Les larmes du pardon / Tears of Forgiveness (René Leprince, Ferdinand Zecca, 1914).


Spanish collector card by Reclam Films, Mallorca, card 3 of 6. Photo: Pathé Frères. René Alexandre and Gabrielle Robinne in Les larmes du pardon / Tears of Forgiveness (René Leprince, Ferdinand Zecca, 1914).

A passionate letter

IMDb dates Les larmes du pardon / Tears of Forgiveness as 1919, but the film came out in France in 1914, five years earlier. In Spain, the film was released as Las Lagrimas del perdon.

Gabrielle Robinne, at the time at the peak of her film career, was again the leading lady. Her two co-stars of Le roi du bagne (1913), Gabriel Signoret and René Alexandre, both also returned. The film was again directed by René Leprince, now in co-direction with Ferdinand Zecca.

Dr. Meyret (Gabriel Signoret) is consumed by his profession, which he treats as a calling. He shuns the social obligations his wife, Élise Meyret (Gabrielle Robinne), so enjoys. She receives an invitation for that evening, but the doctor cannot attend.

She chooses a dress on the advice of her daughter, Yolande (Juliette Malherbe). The child is sad because her mother is not with them at the table. The father leaves for a consultation. At the party, Mrs. Meyret meets the Viscount d’Harsel (René Alexandre), who courts her. He invites her to a garden party hosted by his mother, and there, he manages to kiss Élise. She flees, afraid of what might follow. He writes her a passionate letter.

The doctor, who discovers the letter, banishes his wife. Shortly afterwards, Mme Meyret, after telling d’Harsel she no longer wishes to see him, rents a property next to her husband’s so she can see her daughter. The child, separated from her mother, wastes away. Mme Meyret manages to see the sick little girl by means of a ruse; she takes the place of the nun who is caring for the child. The doctor, recognising her, wants to drive her away again, but Yolande persuades her father to forgive her, and everything returns to normal.


Spanish collector card by Reclam Films, Mallorca, card 4 of 6. Photo: Pathé Frères. Gabrielle Robinne in Les larmes du pardon / Tears of Forgiveness (René Leprince, Ferdinand Zecca, 1914).


Spanish collector card by Reclam Films, Mallorca, card 5 of 6. Photo: Pathé Frères. Gabriel Signoret in Les larmes du pardon / Tears of Forgiveness (René Leprince, Ferdinand Zecca, 1914).


Spanish collector card by Reclam Films, Mallorca, card 6 of 6. Photo: Pathé Frères. Gabrielle Robinne (left) in Les larmes du pardon / Tears of Forgiveness (René Leprince, Ferdinand Zecca, 1914).

Sources: Sens critique (French) and IMDb.