Pierre Chenal

Pierre Chenal

Philippe Cohen, known as Pierre Chenal, is a French director, born December 5, 1904 in Brussels and died December 23, 1990 in La Garenne-Colombes. Chenal occupies an uncomfortable place in the history of French cinema: relatively unknown, he is cataloged as a filmmaker who left only a light body of work. His detailed filmography, however, tends to show the opposite. Made in the 1930s, his first short films were documentaries where the filmmaker used social realism. The Little Trades of Paris (1932) or A French City of Cinema had a didactic ambition which ranked him among the innovators at the time. Throughout his work, Pierre Chenal will maintain this taste for atmospheres tinged with truth where the social is shown. Hence his very marked penchant for adaptations of literary works by his contemporaries: he borrowed from Marcel Aymé the title of one of his first feature films, La rue sans nom (1933); summons Pirandello and The Man from Nowhere (1937); depicts The Mutineers of Elsinore by Jack London; and transforms James Cain's novel The Postman Always Rings Twice to give The Last Turn. Pierre Chenal loves actors and casts the biggest ones. Louis Jouvet, Robert Le Vigan, Michel Simon, Pierre Blanchar, Viviane Romance and Albert Préjean praise his talent. In 1940, the filmmaker's career took a new turn when he retreated, during the war, to Argentina and Chile. He made a few minor films there, then returned to France with comic intentions expressed in Clochemerle (1947). In 1948, Chenal returned to Argentina and adapted Sangre Negra by the American noir novelist Richard Wright. Then, he developed a passion for thrillers and experimented with the genre on several occasions. But Raid on the City (1958), The Beast on the Prowl (1959) and The Assassin Knows the Music (1963) are not considered to be his best films.

  • Title: Pierre Chenal
  • Popularity: 1.037
  • Known For: Directing
  • Birthday: 1904-12-05
  • Place of Birth: Bruxelles, Belgique
  • Homepage: http://cinema.encyclopedie.personnalites.bifi.fr/index.php?pk=9898
  • Also Known As:
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Pierre Chenal Movies

  • 1929
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    Paris Cinéma

    Paris Cinéma

    9 1929 HD

    The first behind-the-scenes documentary in the film industry, from the making of a camera (Debrie) to studio shooting and directing, including...

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  • 1952
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    The Idol

    The Idol

    6.5 1952 HD

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  • 1970
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    Versatile Lovers

    Versatile Lovers

    3 1970 HD

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  • 1946
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    Viaje sin regreso

    Viaje sin regreso

    1 1946 HD

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  • 1939
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    The Last Turning

    The Last Turning

    6.4 1939 HD

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  • 1937
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    Alibi

    Alibi

    6.5 1937 HD

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  • 1938
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    Sirocco

    Sirocco

    6.1 1938 HD

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  • 1935
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    Crime and Punishment

    Crime and Punishment

    7 1935 HD

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  • 1963
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    L'assassin connaît la musique

    L'assassin connaît la musique

    7.7 1963 HD

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  • 1963
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    L'assassin connaît la musique

    L'assassin connaît la musique

    7.7 1963 HD

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  • 1930
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    L'Architecture d'Aujourd'hui

    L'Architecture d'Aujourd'hui

    10 1930 HD

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  • 1930
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    L'Architecture d'Aujourd'hui

    L'Architecture d'Aujourd'hui

    10 1930 HD

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  • 1931
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    Bâtir

    Bâtir

    10 1931 HD

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  • 1931
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    Bâtir

    Bâtir

    10 1931 HD

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  • 1931
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    Bâtir

    Bâtir

    10 1931 HD

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  • 1937
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    The Man from Nowhere

    The Man from Nowhere

    6.7 1937 HD

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  • 1956
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    Missing Persons Section

    Missing Persons Section

    5.9 1956 HD

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  • 1934
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    Street Without a Name

    Street Without a Name

    1 1934 HD

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  • 1951
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    Native Son

    Native Son

    5.6 1951 HD

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  • 1946
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    Devil and the Angel

    Devil and the Angel

    5.4 1946 HD

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  • 1958
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    Sinners of Paris

    Sinners of Paris

    5 1958 HD

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  • 1951
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    Native Son

    Native Son

    5.6 1951 HD

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  • 1956
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    Missing Persons Section

    Missing Persons Section

    5.9 1956 HD

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  • 1934
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    Street Without a Name

    Street Without a Name

    1 1934 HD

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  • 1960
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    The Night They Killed Rasputin

    The Night They Killed Rasputin

    4 1960 HD

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  • 1959
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    Beast at Bay

    Beast at Bay

    4.7 1959 HD

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  • 1960
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    The Night They Killed Rasputin

    The Night They Killed Rasputin

    4 1960 HD

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  • 1958
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    Dangerous Games

    Dangerous Games

    5 1958 HD

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  • 1936
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    Les mutinés de l'Elseneur

    Les mutinés de l'Elseneur

    1 1936 HD

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  • 1936
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    Les mutinés de l'Elseneur

    Les mutinés de l'Elseneur

    1 1936 HD

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  • 1958
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    Dangerous Games

    Dangerous Games

    5 1958 HD

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  • 1937
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    The Man from Nowhere

    The Man from Nowhere

    6.7 1937 HD

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  • 1958
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    Sinners of Paris

    Sinners of Paris

    5 1958 HD

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  • 1935
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    Crime and Punishment

    Crime and Punishment

    7 1935 HD

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  • 1938
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    The Lafarge Case

    The Lafarge Case

    5.8 1938 HD

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  • 1943
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    A Real Man

    A Real Man

    6.3 1943 HD

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  • 1985
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    Le hasard mène le Jeu

    Le hasard mène le Jeu

    1 1985 HD

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  • 1985
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    Le hasard mène le Jeu

    Le hasard mène le Jeu

    1 1985 HD

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  • 1944
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    El muerto falta a la cita

    El muerto falta a la cita

    3.5 1944 HD

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  • 1933
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    Fat Man's Worries

    Fat Man's Worries

    1 1933 HD

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  • 1935
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    Les suites d'un premier lit

    Les suites d'un premier lit

    1 1935 HD

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  • 1948
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    Scandals of Clochemerle

    Scandals of Clochemerle

    5.4 1948 HD

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  • 1930
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    L'Architecture d'Aujourd'hui

    L'Architecture d'Aujourd'hui

    10 1930 HD

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  • 1945
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    Se abre el abismo

    Se abre el abismo

    4 1945 HD

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  • 1932
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    Small trades in Paris

    Small trades in Paris

    1 1932 HD

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  • 1932
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    Small trades in Paris

    Small trades in Paris

    1 1932 HD

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  • 1932
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    Small trades in Paris

    Small trades in Paris

    1 1932 HD

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  • 1944
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    El muerto falta a la cita

    El muerto falta a la cita

    3.5 1944 HD

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  • 1952
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    The Idol

    The Idol

    6.5 1952 HD

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  • 1929
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    Paris Cinéma

    Paris Cinéma

    9 1929 HD

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  • 1929
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    Paris Cinéma

    Paris Cinéma

    9 1929 HD

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