Émile Chautard (7 September 1864 – 24 April 1934) was a French-American

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

, actor, and

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

, most active in the

silent era A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...

. He directed more than 100 films between 1910 and 1924. He also appeared in more than 60 films between 1911 and 1934.

Life and work

Chautard was born in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. After a significant career beginning as a stage actor at the

Odéon-Théâtre de l'Europe The Odéon-Théâtre de l'Europe ( en, European Music Hall) (formerly the Théâtre de l'Odéon ( en, Music Hall)) is one of France's six national theatres. It is located at 2 rue Corneille in the 6th arrondissement of Paris on the left bank ...

and moving up to the head of film production at Éclair Films' Paris studio in 1913, Chautard emigrated to the United States in January 1915, sailing on the S/S ''Rochambeau'', from

Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very cl ...

to New York. From 1915 to about 1918, Chautard worked for the

World Film Company The World Film Company or World Film Corporation was an American film production and distribution company, organized in 1914 in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Short-lived but significant in American film history, World Film was created by financier and fil ...

based in

Fort Lee, New Jersey Fort Lee is a borough at the eastern border of Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated along the Hudson River atop the Palisades. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 40,191. As of the 2010 U.S. census, th ...

. At World, along with a group of other French-speaking film technicians including Maurice Tourneur,

Léonce Perret Léonce Joseph Perret (14 March 1880 – 12 August 1935) was a prolific and innovative French film actor, director and producer.The Museum of Modern Art(retrieved 7 June 2007) He also worked as a stage actor and director. Often described as avant ...

George Archainbaud George Archainbaud (May 7, 1890 – February 20, 1959) was a French-American film and television director. Biography In the beginning of his career he worked on stage as an actor and manager. He came to the United States in January 1914, and s ...

Albert Capellani Albert Capellani (23 August 1874 – 26 September 1931) was a French film director and screenwriter of the silent film, silent era. He directed films between 1905 and 1922. One of his brothers was the actor-sculptor Paul Capellani, and anoth ...

and

Lucien Andriot Lucien Andriot ASC (1892–1979) was a prolific French-American cinematographer. He shot more than 200 films and television programs over the course of his career. Life and work Born in Paris, Andriot began his career in France in 1909 workin ...

, he developed such films as the 1915 version of '' Camille'', and taught a young apprentice film cutter at the World studio:

Josef von Sternberg Josef von Sternberg (; born Jonas Sternberg; May 29, 1894 – December 22, 1969) was an Austrian-American filmmaker whose career successfully spanned the transition from the silent to the sound era, during which he worked with most of the major ...

. In 1919 Chautard hired von Sternberg as his assistant director for ''

The Mystery of the Yellow Room ''The Mystery of the Yellow Room'' (in French ''Le mystère de la chambre jaune'') is a mystery novel written by French author Gaston Leroux. One of the first locked-room mystery novels, it was first published serially in France in the periodical ...

'', for his own short-lived production company. Choosing Hollywood over a return to France, Chautard went to work for

Famous Players-Lasky Famous Players-Lasky Corporation was an American motion picture and distribution company formed on June 28, 1916, from the merger of Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Company—originally formed by Zukor as Famous Players in Famous Plays—and ...

and other studios. He received some high-profile assignments, for instance a

Colleen Moore Colleen Moore (born Kathleen Morrison; August 19, 1899 – January 25, 1988) was an American film actress who began her career during the silent film era. Moore became one of the most fashionable (and highly-paid) stars of the era and helped po ...

vehicle and two features for

Derelys Perdue Derelys Perdue (born Geraldine Perdue; March 22, 1902 – September 30, 1989) was an American silent-film actress and popular dancer during the 1920s. Biography Born Geraldine Perdue in Kansas City, Missouri, following high school, she atten ...

, but he was a generation older than other directors in Hollywood's French colony. After 1924 Chautard did not direct again, but continued to make film appearances, in the von Sternberg film ''

Blonde Venus ''Blonde Venus'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film starring Marlene Dietrich, Herbert Marshall and Cary Grant. It was produced and directed by Josef von Sternberg from a screenplay by Jules Furthman and S. K. Lauren, adapted from a story b ...

'' (1932), where he appears for his former protege as "Night club owner Chautard". Chautard died in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. He is interred at the

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematory, and cultural events center which regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movie screenings. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angeles ...

Selected filmography

* ''Protéa'' (1913) - Ministre de CEltie * '' The Eaglet'' (1913) - Napoleon Bonaparte * ''

The Rack The rack is a torture device consisting of a rectangular, usually wooden frame, slightly raised from the ground, with a roller at one or both ends. The victim's ankles are fastened to one roller and the wrists are chained to the other. As the in ...

'' (1915, director) * '' The Boss'' (1915, director) * '' Human Driftwood'' (1916, director) * ''

The Family Honor ''The Family Honor'' is a 1920 American silent drama-romance film directed by King Vidor and starring Florence Vidor.The Fires of Youth ''The Fires of Youth'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Emile Chautard and starring Frederick Warde, Helen Badgley and Ernest Howard.Connelly p.348 Cast * Frederick Warde as Iron Hearted Pemberton * Helen Badgley as Billy * Er ...

'' (1917, director) * ''

Magda Magda is a feminine given name, sometimes a short form ( hypocorism) of names such as Magdalena, which may refer to: * Magda Apanowicz (born 1985), Canadian actress * Magda B. Arnold (1903–2002), Czechoslovakian-born American psychologist * M ...

'' (1917, director, lost) * ''

A Girl's Folly ''A Girl's Folly'' is a 1917 American silent comedy film directed by Maurice Tourneur and starring Robert Warwick, Doris Kenyon, June Elvidge, Jane Adair, Chester Barnett, and Johnny Hines. Tourneur also played the director for the film within ...

'' (1917) - Actor (uncredited) * ''

The Eternal Temptress ''The Eternal Temptress'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Émile Chautard and written by Fred de Gresac and Eve Unsell. The film stars Lina Cavalieri, Elliott Dexter, Mildred Conselman, Alan Hale, Sr., Edward Fielding, and Hallen ...

'' (1917, director) * ''

The Marionettes ''The Marionettes'' (1963) (variously translated as "The Puppets" as well) is a puppetry play by Bahram Beyzai, and one of the most important plays of the Persian language. It has been staged numerous times in various languages around the world. ...

'' (1918, director) * '' The House of Glass'' (1918, director) * ''

The Ordeal of Rosetta ''The Ordeal of Rosetta'' is a 1918 American silent drama film directed by Emile Chautard and starring Alice Brady, Crauford Kent and Ormi Hawley.Bertellini p.233 Cast * Alice Brady as Rosetta / Lola Gelardi (twins) * Crauford Kent as Aubrey Ha ...

'' (1918, director) * ''

Under the Greenwood Tree ''Under the Greenwood Tree: A Rural Painting of the Dutch School'' is a novel by the English writer Thomas Hardy, published anonymously in 1872. It was Hardy's second published novel, and the first of what was to become his series of Wessex n ...

'' (1918, director) * ''

'' (1918, director) * '' Eyes of the Soul'' (1919, director) * '' The Marriage Price'' (1919, director) * ''

'' (1919, director, based on a Gaston Leroux story)Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 243.. * ''

The Black Panther's Cub ''The Black Panther's Cub'' is a 1921 American silent melodrama film produced by William K. Ziegfeld, Florenz Ziegfeld's younger brother. It stars stage actress Florence Reed in her last silent screen portrayal where she plays multiple roles. ...

'' (1921, director) * ''

Whispering Shadows ''Whispering Shadows'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by Emile Chautard and starring Lucy Cotton, Charles A. Stevenson and Philip Merivale.Soister, Nicolella & Joyce p.641 It is based on the 1917 play '' The Invisible Foe'' by Wa ...

'' (1921, director) * ''

Forsaking All Others ''Forsaking All Others'' is a 1934 American romance film, romantic comedy-drama, comedy-drama film directed by W.S. Van Dyke, and starring Robert Montgomery (actor), Robert Montgomery, Joan Crawford and Clark Gable. The screenplay was written b ...

'' (1922, director) * ''

Youth to Youth ''Youth to Youth'' is a 1922 American silent melodrama film directed by Emile Chautard and starring Billie Dove, Edythe Chapman, and Hardee Kirkland. It was released on October 16, 1922. Cast * Billie Dove as Eve Allinson * Edythe Chapman as M ...

'' (1922, director) * ''

The Glory of Clementina ''The Glory of Clementina'' is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by Emile Chautard and starring Pauline Frederick, Edward Martindel and George Cowl.Munden p.298 It is based on the 1911 novel '' The Glory of Clementina Wing'' by British a ...

'' (1922, director) * ''

Daytime Wives ''Daytime Wives'' is a 1923 American drama film directed by Émile Chautard, and written by Helmer Walton Bergman and Wyndham Gittens. The film stars Derelys Perdue, Wyndham Standing, Grace Darmond, William Conklin, Guy Edward Hearn, and Kathe ...

'' (1923, director) * ''

Untamed Youth ''Untamed Youth'' is a 1957 American teen film directed by Howard W. Koch, written by John C. Higgins and Stephen Longstreet, and starring Mamie Van Doren and Lori Nelson as two starstruck sisters who are sentenced to farm labor. Plot Sisters ...

'' (1924, director) * ''

Paris at Midnight ''Paris at Midnight'' is a 1926 American silent drama film starring Jetta Goudal and Lionel Barrymore and was directed by E. Mason Hopper. It was distributed by Producers Distributing Corporation. It was based on the novel '' Le Père Goriot'' ...

'' (1926) - Père Goriot * ''

Broken Hearts of Hollywood ''Broken Hearts of Hollywood'' is a 1926 American silent comedy drama film released by Warner Bros. and directed by Lloyd Bacon. It is unknown, but the film might have been released with a Vitaphone soundtrack. A print of the film exists. Plot ...

'' (1926) - Director * ''

Bardelys the Magnificent ''Bardelys the Magnificent'' is a 1926 American silent romantic film directed by King Vidor and starring John Gilbert and Eleanor Boardman. The film is based on the 1906 novel of the same title by Rafael Sabatini. It was the second film of the ...

'' (1926) - Anatol * ''

My Official Wife ''My Official Wife'' is an 1891 novel by Richard Henry Savage, popular in its day, soon after adapted for the stage, and for silent films in 1914 and in 1926, and a German-language film in 1936. Book Savage wrote the first draft of his firs ...

'' (1926) - Count Orloff, Hélène's Father * ''

Upstage Upstage may refer to: * UpStage, an open source server-side application that has been purpose built for cyberformance * ''Upstage'' (film), (also known as The Mask of Comedy) is a 1926 American silent romantic drama film *The Upstage Gallery, feat ...

'' (1926) - Performer (uncredited) * ''

The Flaming Forest ''The Flaming Forest'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Reginald Barker and starring Antonio Moreno and Renée Adorée. The film is based on the novel of the same name by James Oliver Curwood, and was produced by Cosmopolitan P ...

'' (1926) - André Audemard * ''

Blonde or Brunette ''Blonde or Brunette'' is a surviving 1927 silent film comedy directed by Richard Rosson, produced by Famous Players–Lasky and released by Paramount Pictures. It stars Adolphe Menjou, Greta Nissen and Arlette Marchal. Copy held at Library ...

'' (1927) - Father-in-Law * ''

Upstream Upstream may refer to: * Upstream (bioprocess) * ''Upstream'' (film), a 1927 film by John Ford * Upstream (networking) * ''Upstream'' (newspaper), a newspaper covering the oil and gas industry * Upstream (petroleum industry) * Upstream (software ...

'' (1927) - Campbell-Mandare * ''

Whispering Sage ''Whispering Sage'' is a 1927 American silent Western film directed by Scott R. Dunlap and written by Harold Shumate. It is based on the 1922 novel ''Whispering Sage'' by Harry Sinclair Drago and Joseph Noel. The film stars Buck Jones, Natal ...

'' (1927) - José Arastrade * '' Seventh Heaven'' (1927) - Father Chevillon, the Priest * ''

Now We're in the Air ''Now We're in the Air'' is a 1927 American silent comedy film directed by Frank R. Strayer, starring the late-1920s intermittent comedy team of Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton. In a supporting role, Louise Brooks plays twins, one raised Frenc ...

'' (1927) - Monsieur Chelaine * ''

The Love Mart ''The Love Mart'' is a 1927 American silent drama film directed by George Fitzmaurice starring Billie Dove, Gilbert Roland and Noah Beery, and featuring Boris Karloff. The film is lost. Cast * Billie Dove as Antoinette Frobelle * Gilbert Roland ...

'' (1927) - Louis Frobelle * '' The Noose'' (1928) - Priest * ''

His Tiger Lady ''His Tiger Lady'' is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by Hobart Henley and written by Herman J. Mankiewicz, Alfred Savoir and Ernest Vajda. The film stars Adolphe Menjou, Evelyn Brent, Rose Dione, Émile Chautard, Mario Carillo and ...

'' (1928) - Stage Manager * ''

The Olympic Hero ''The Olympic Hero'' is a 1928 American silent film, silent comedy film, comedy sports film directed by Roy William Neill and starring Charles Paddock, Julanne Johnston and Crauford Kent. It incorporated some real footage from the 1924 Summer Oly ...

'' (1928) - Grandpa Brown * '' Lilac Time'' (1928) - The Mayor * '' Out of the Ruins'' (1928) - Père Gilbert * '' Caught in the Fog'' (1928) - The Old Man * '' Adoration'' (1928) - Murajev * '' House of Horror'' (1929) - Old Miser * ''Marianne'' (1929, silent and

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

versions) - Père Joseph * ''

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...

'' (1929) - David Lederwitski * ''

South Sea Rose ''South Sea Rose'' is a 1929 American comedy-drama film distributed by the Fox Film Corporation and produced and directed by Allan Dwan. This picture was Dwan's second collaboration with star Lenore Ulric, their first being ''Frozen Justice''. ...

'' (1929) - Rosalie's Uncle * '' Tiger Rose'' (1929) - Frenchman (uncredited) * '' Free and Easy'' (1930) - Minor Role (uncredited) * ''Le spectre vert'' (1930) - Abdoul * ''Sweeping Against the Winds'' (1930) * ''

Estrellados ''Estrellados'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Salvador de Alberich and Edward Sedgwick, and written by Salvador de Alberich, Paul Dickey and Richard Schayer. The film stars Buster Keaton, Raquel Torres, Don Alvarado, Ma ...

'' (1930) * ''

A Man from Wyoming ''A Man from Wyoming'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code war romance film directed by Rowland V. Lee and starring Gary Cooper, June Collyer, and Regis Toomey. Written by Albert S. Le Vino and John V.A. Weaver, the film is about a man from Wyoming w ...

'' (1930) - French Mayor * ''

Mysterious Mr. Parkes ''Mysterious Mr. Parkes'' (French title: ''L'Énigmatique Monsieur Parkes'') is a 1930 American Pre-Code comedy drama film made by Paramount Pictures, directed by Louis J. Gasnier. It was a French-language version of '' Slightly Scarlet'' for t ...

'' (1930) - Sylvester Corbett * ''Just Like Heaven'' (1930) - Jacques Dulac * ''

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

'' (1930) - French General (uncredited) * '' Counter Investigation'' (1930) - O'Brien * ''Échec au roi'' (1930) - Le roi Eric VIII - The King * '' The Little Cafe'' (1931) - Philibert * ''

The Big Trail ''The Big Trail'' is a 1930 American pre-Code Western early widescreen film shot on location across the American West starring 23-year-old John Wayne in his first leading role and directed by Raoul Walsh. In 2006, the United States Libra ...

'' (1931) - Padre * ''Révolte dans la prison'' (1931) - Pop * '' The Common Law'' (1931) - Doorman (uncredited) * '' The Road to Reno'' (1931) - Andre * ''

The Yellow Ticket ''The Yellow Ticket'' is a 1931 pre-Code American drama film based on the 1914 play of the same name by Michael Morton, produced by the Fox Film Corporation, directed by Raoul Walsh, and starring Elissa Landi, Lionel Barrymore and Laurence ...

'' (1931) - Headwaiter (uncredited) * ''Le procès de Mary Dugan'' (1931) * ''

Cock of the Air ''Cock of the Air'' is a 1932 American pre-Code aviation comedy film directed by Tom Buckingham and written by Charles Lederer and Robert E. Sherwood. The film stars Chester Morris, Billie Dove, Matt Moore, Walter Catlett and Luis Alberni. ''Co ...

'' (1932) - French Ambassador * '' Shanghai Express'' (1932) - Major Lenard * ''Le fils de l'autre'' (1932) - John Whitcomb * '' The Man from Yesterday'' (1932) - Priest * ''

'' (1932) - Chautard, French Nightclub Manager (uncredited) * ''Le bluffeur'' (1932) - Oscar Brown * ''

Rasputin and the Empress ''Rasputin and the Empress'' is a 1932 American pre-Code film directed by Richard Boleslawski and written by Charles MacArthur. Produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), the film is set in Imperial Russia and stars the Barrymore siblings (John, as ...

'' (1932) - Minor Role (uncredited) * '' The California Trail'' (1933) - Don Marco Ramirez * ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight f ...

'' (1933, Serial) - Gen. Pelletier h. 1* ''

The Devil's in Love ''The Devil's in Love'' (also known as ''Consul of the Damned'') is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film directed by William Dieterle and written by Howard Estabrook. The film stars Victor Jory, Loretta Young, Vivienne Osborne, David Manners, C ...

'' (1933) - Father Carmion * ''

The Solitaire Man ''The Solitaire Man'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code Drama (genre), drama film directed by Jack Conway (filmmaker), Jack Conway and starring Herbert Marshall and Mary Boland. Plot summary After a job in Monte Carlo, an English ...

'' (1933) - French Hotel Clerk (uncredited) * ''

Design for Living ''Design for Living'' is a comedy play written by Noël Coward in 1932. It concerns a trio of artistic characters, Gilda, Otto and Leo, and their complicated three-way relationship. Originally written to star Lynn Fontanne, Alfred Lunt and Cowa ...

'' (1933) - Train Conductor (uncredited) * '' Gallant Lady'' (1933) - French Hotel Clerk (uncredited) * '' The Way to Love'' (1933) - M. Prias * '' Man of Two Worlds'' (1934) - Natkusiak * ''

Wonder Bar ''Wonder Bar'' is a 1934 American pre-Code film adaptation of a Broadway musical of the same name directed by Lloyd Bacon with musical numbers created by Busby Berkeley. It stars Al Jolson, Kay Francis, Dolores del Río, Ricardo Cortez, Dick ...

'' (1934) - Pierre - the Concierge (uncredited) * ''

Come On Marines! ''Come On Marines!'' is a 1934 American pre-Code drama film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Richard Arlen and Ida Lupino.Riptide A rip tide, or riptide, is a strong offshore current that is caused by the tide pulling water through an inlet along a barrier beach, at a lagoon or inland marina where tide water flows steadily out to sea during ebb tide. It is a strong tidal fl ...

'' (1934) - Doctor (uncredited) * ''

Viva Villa! ''Viva Villa!'' is a 1934 American pre-Code film directed by Jack Conway and starring Wallace Beery as Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa. The screenplay was written by Ben Hecht, adapted from the 1933 book ''Viva Villa!'' by Edgecumb Pinchon an ...

'' (1934) - General Told to Leave Room (uncredited)

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chautard, Emile 1864 births 1934 deaths French film directors French male film actors French male silent film actors French male screenwriters 20th-century French screenwriters Actors from Avignon French emigrants to the United States 20th-century French male actors Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery 20th-century French male writers Articles containing video clips