Maurice Champreux

Vendémiaire

If you’re already familiar with Louis Feuillade, his little-known opus Vendémiaire may come as a surprise. Unlike the bulk of his work which was characterised as ‘Fantastic Realism’, Vendémiaire is wonderfully down-to-earth realism – or down-to-French-earth realism to be specific. The film itself is divided into four chapters, the titles of which suggest that this is a movie about the cultivation and consumption of wine. But as the narrative unfolds, it becomes clear that the cultivation and consumption of wine is an allegory for French culture and French land as a whole, and the real purpose of the film is to persuade the director’s fellow citizens to defend that spirit and those lands at all costs. It’s September 1918 and the war is coming to an end, but here on the Castelviel estate in the south of France the news has not yet arrived and everyone is busy with the grape harvest....

Barrabas

Rudolph Strelitz, known as 'Barrabas', is the leader of a brutal underground gang causing chaos and destruction in the lives of civilized people. A lawyer, Claude Varèse, is strongly determined to bring Strelitz to justice for the purpose of revenge, after his father was unjustly guillotined for the murder of Laure d'Hérigny, the mistress of an American millionaire. Later, the sister of Claude Varèse, Françoise, is kidnapped by Dr Lucius, one of the henchmen of Barrabas. Serialised over 12 chapters.

Pierrot, Pierrette

Pierrot et Pierrette, brother and sister, live in a caravan with their grandfather, the former ringmaster of a circus. To earn a living, they sing in the streets, and their lives are happy. But a charitable lady interferes, determined to put grandfather in an old folks' home and the children in an orphanage. Pierrot and Pierrette run away, and fall into the hands of a travelling vendor who wants to use them for burglaries.

The Buccaneer's Son

A melodrama.

The Scar

Six-episode film Directed by Maurice Champreux and Louis Feuillade.

Judex

Judex the vigilante enjoins crooked banker Maurice-Ernest Favraux to distribute his ill-gotten fortune to the city's poor. The thugs decide to kidnap the financier's daughter.

The Race for Love

In 1925 what may have been the first cycling film was made, Le Roi de la Pédale starring the popular comedy actor Biscot, and with scenes shot on the Tour de France and also with Henri Decoin as a screenwriter.

Hard guys

Mailman Biscot decides to run the Tour de France bike race to impress a lovely swimming champion.