
Directing
Louis J. Gasnier
Born 1875-09-13 · Paris, France
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Louis J. Gasnier (15 September 1875 - 15 February 1963) was a French film director. Born in Paris, Gasnier was working in theatre when Pathé hired him to direct films in the earliest days of cinema. He directed comedian Max Linder in many of his early short comedies. In 1912 he emigrated to the United States, where he made his name working on several fairly prestigious productions, most notably the serial The Perils of Pauline starring Pearl White, with whom he made several other star vehicles. Gasnier's career declined with the advent of sound, and he was later confined to making low-budget B movies. Arguably his most famous film, although not for artistic reasons, is the anti-marijuana opus Reefer Madness, made in 1936. The film's over-preachy, over-the-top propaganda message has earned it a dedicated cult following, which remains strong to the present day. It is widely available in the public domain and on DVD, and has been frequently shown on many terrestrial and cable TV channels, quite remarkable for an ultra cheap exploitation movie of the 1930s that apparently had very scant distribution when it was originally released. After Reefer Madness, Gasnier made an additional eight films before retiring in 1941. He died in Hollywood at the age of 87. Description above from the Wikipedia article Louis J. Gasnier, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Acting credits
6.5World War II drama where the action centers around a single maneuver by a squad of GIs in retaliation against the force of the German Siegfried line. Reese joins a group of weary GIs unexpectedly ordered back into the line when on their way to a rest area. While most of the men withdraw from their positions facing a German pillbox at the far side of a mine-field, half a dozen men are left to protect a wide front. By various ruses, they manage to convince the Germans that a large force is still holding the position. Then Reese leads two of the men in an unauthorized and unsuccessful attack on the pillbox, in which the other two are killed; and when the main platoon returns, he is threatened with court-martial. Rather that face the disgrace, and in an attempt to show he was right, he makes a one-man attack on the pillbox.
Hell Is for Heroes
1962
5.7Historical legend composed of five Scenes. 1. William Tell's heroism. 2. The Plot. 3. The Apple. 4. Death of Gessler. 5. The Swiss cheer their Liberator. This popular and interesting legend takes place amidst the country life of the mountain populations. The beautiful and picturesque sites which exist in Switzerland have given us an opportunity of utilising the resources our theatre affords, and our scene-painters have been able to have a free run on their imaginations, and have completed the work by a series of magnificent scenes in the most artistic character.
William Tell
1903
Behind the camera
Peggy Raymond, a country girl, comes to New York with plans for a career in art and is taken by mistake to a Fifth Avenue address where she meets Dick Merwin, the scion of a wealthy family, whom she mistakes for her cousin. Later, in Brooklyn, she finds that her relatives have moved, and Mabel Hines takes her in and gets her a job. By necessity, Peg is forced to demonstrate fat-reducing rollers in a shop window, where she is unfavorably viewed by Mrs. Schuyler and her husband. She is admired by Sam Billings, a wealthy old bachelor, and becomes involved with Maddox, who affects an interest in her paintings. But through a series of reversals and complications, Peg is made to realize that Dick is the worthier man.
The Beauty Shoppers
1927
7.0Oswald Lane is welcomed by his hometown as a war hero and enjoys recounting his adventures to anyone who will listen. He accepts an invitation to stay in the home of his rather colorless brother, Andrew, and is soon not only making love to Martha, the Belgian maid, but is also finding Andrew's wife, Hester, receptive to his flirting. After stealing money entrusted to Andrew by his church, Oswald is on his way out of town when he passes a school fire, rescues several children, and is himself seriously burned. Andrew offers his own skin for grafting, and Oswald directs Hester to return the money.
The Hero
1923
8.0Jo Morey, who lives in the St. Lawrence River Valley, inherits her father's barren farm and devotes her entire energies to cultivating it and caring for her invalid sister. Henry Langley meets Jo and proposes marriage to her. She asks him to wait until she is free, but Langley refuses and marries Mary Malden. Eight years later Jo has paid off the mortgage to Captain Longville, and one night she finds a baby in her house; it is Langley's, and a note requests that its parentage be kept secret.
Silent Years
1921
7.5A framework story serves as context for a retelling of the Exodus story and, most importantly, a recycling of footage from the silent version of The Ten Commandments.
Forgotten Commandments
1932
A singer is in love with a young woman who is being extorted by a rich rancher.
Espérame
1933
A singer is in love with a young woman who is being extorted by a rich rancher.
Espérame
1933
4.8A federal agent learns the gangsters he's been investigating have kidnapped his sister.
Bank Alarm
1937
9.0Gloria Vane (Claire Windsor), a shrewish, vain young debutante turned fashion model drags her dying lover, Victor Redding (Reed Howes), ten miles to the nearest settlement in the Canadian wilderness, saves his life and is transformed. How they got from New York City to the Canadian wilds is another story.
Fashion Madness
1928
6.0Fedora swears to avenge the death of her fiancé, Prince Yarischkine, killed by Ipanoff who fled to Paris. She finds Ipanoff whom she falls in love with and he confesses to having killed her fiancé because Yarischkine was his wife's lover. But learning that her brother was executed because of Fedora, Ipanoff leaves her. Fedora commits suicide.
Fedora
1934
10.0Paramount Pictures produced this French-language version of Slightly Scarlet (1930) , shot on the same sets and using some of the same actors, for the European market.
Mysterious Mr. Parkes
1930
10.0John Warriner, facing financial ruin, accepts the proposal of a bootlegger, Benedict, to underwrite the business of illegal wine-selling. His daughter, Angela, takes up with the jazz set and is caught in a raid, at a cafe owned by Benedict. Her former sweetheart, Carl Graham, comes to the rescue and saves her from notoriety, while the family struggles back to its former respectability following Warriner's prison term.
Wine
1924
NRA silent movie serial directed by George B. Seitz.
The Fatal Ring
1917
5.7The Perils of Pauline is a motion picture serial shown in weekly installments featuring the actress Pearl White playing the title character. Pauline has often been cited as a famous example of a damsel-in-distress, although viewers will find her character more resourceful and less helpless than the classic 'damsel' stereotype. Nine episodes (from a condensed 1916 re-release) survive to this day.
The Perils of Pauline
1914
9.0When Charles Hale is visiting his mistress, Sybil Russell, he is shot in the arm by Sybil's estranged and outraged husband. Hale's daughter, Marjorie, is so shocked to discover in this abrupt fashion her father's philandering that she leaves her wealthy home and goes to the slums to do settlement work. Marjorie, who is engaged to the district attorney, is there placed in a compromising position by her father's assailant, who intends to revenge himself upon the entire Hale family.
The Breath of Scandal
1924
6.2During WW1, the destinies of British officers Michael Andrews and John Stevenson seem intertwined on the battle front as much as on a more personal level.
The Last Outpost
1935
5.2Recommended by a friend of the Ambigu Theatre, Max is summoned to Joinville studios. His first role is that of a husband who comes home late.
Max's First Job
1910
8.0Following a series of misunderstandings, wealthy young aristocrat Gerry Lansing deserts his wife Alix, whom he believes has eloped with his friend Alan Wayne. He sails for South America, leaving no trace of his whereabouts. In Peru, he becomes a plantation owner and marries local girl Margarita.
The Call of Home
1922
8.0Katherine Brinkley, a rich young woman who delights in challenging conventions, elopes with a married young musician, Nicolai Brouevitch, but when he deserts her she is cast aside by society. Wandering off to Italy, she meets Franklin Shelby, a young American also married, with whom she falls in love.
Good Women
1921
10.0Mark Russell, captain of a ship sailing from the South Seas to San Francisco, is an innocent victim of a pearl-smuggling scheme by Harry Gibson, and when the pearls are discovered by customs inspectors, Russell takes the blame because of his love for Gibson's sister Eve and to shield her of being disgraced.
Sin Cargo
1926
8.0Richard Lane isolates himself in the African interior for 5 years after his sweetheart, Natalie, marries Norman Travers. Travers, who tires of family life and neglects his wife and son, drifts into an affair with Nita Howard, a cabaret dancer. When Travers' ship is reported lost inward from Europe, Lane hears the news and determines to return and win Natalie; soon Lane develops a fondness for Natalie and her child, Bobby, and she consents to marry him. Travers, however, is rescued from a desert island and refuses to grant Natalie a divorce. Lane finds Travers murdered; and thinking that Natalie is guilty, he surrenders himself to the police. She denies his guilt, but the chief of detectives discovers that Nita Howard is the murderess. Lane is happily united with Natalie.
Lost at Sea
1926
6.0The murder of an 8-year-old boy by a young soldier in Tijuana, Mexico, leads to riots on the streets. Based on a true story.
John, the Soldier of Vengeance
1940
7.0After a stormy six year marriage, Barnaby Powers divorces his wife Richmiel. She returns home, taking their young son Oliver with her. Barnaby follows her, to ask for custody of the boy, but meets and falls in love with Richmiel's pretty and sensitive cousin Ledda. Complications ensue.
Faint Perfume
1925
Marine Lieutenant Steve Landers has perfected a new bomb-release for airplanes which he is testing with the aid of his mechanics,'Singapore' Stebbins and Jack Murray. Dick Weber, one of a group of enemy agents attempting to steal the plans, is a friend of Colonel Dale, whose daughter, Linda, is engaged to Landers. Weber learns that "Singapore" and Jack are to deliver the final blueprints to the Colonel's home. Beckstrom , head of the spy ring, has some of his agents dress as Marines and obtain entry the the hangar. They get the plans but "Singapore" and Jack have overheard a conversation that indicates the spies are heading for a nearby island which is the headquarters of the espionage group.
The Marines Come Thru
1938
10.0Henry Wilson, a wealthy grocer who started with a pushcart and worked his way up to 40 trucks, although married becomes interested in divorcee Mona Vincent, who is trying to win Frank Clayton, a wealthy scion with whom Wilson's daughter Mary is in love. Mona promises Mary to give up Wilson if Mary will give her Clayton.
Pleasures of the Rich
1926
