''Forces occultes'' (''Occult Forces'' – subtitled ''The mysteries of Freemasonry unveiled for the first time on the screen'') is a French film of 1943, notable as the last film to be directed by
Paul Riche (the pseudonym of
Jean Mamy
Jean Mamy (8 July 1912, Chambéry, Savoie – 29 March 1949, Arcueil) was a French actor, producer, film and theatre director, screenwriter, film editor, and journalist, notable for directing the anti-Masonic propaganda film '' Forces occultes'' ...
).
Plot
The film recounts the life of mr Avenel, a young member of parliament who joins the Freemasons in order to relaunch his career. He thus learns of how the Freemasons are conspiring with the Jews and the Anglo-American nations to encourage France into a war against Germany.
History
The film was commissioned in 1942 by the ''Propaganda Abteilung'', a delegation of
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
's propaganda ministry within
occupied France
The Military Administration in France (german: Militärverwaltung in Frankreich; french: Occupation de la France par l'Allemagne) was an interim occupation authority established by Nazi Germany during World War II to administer the occupied zo ...
by the ex-Mason Mamy. It virulently denounces
Freemasonry
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
, parliamentarianism and Jews as part of
Vichy
Vichy (, ; ; oc, Vichèi, link=no, ) is a city in the Allier Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of central France, in the historic province of Bourbonnais.
It is a Spa town, spa and resort town and in World ...
's drive against them and seeks to prove a Jewish-Masonic plot.
On France's liberation, its writer Jean Marquès-Rivière, its producer Robert Muzard, and its director Jean Mamy were
purged for collaboration with the enemy. On 25 November 1945, Muzard was condemned to 3 years in prison and Marquès-Rivière was condemned in his absence (he had gone into self-imposed exile) to death and
degradation
Degradation may refer to:
Science
* Degradation (geology), lowering of a fluvial surface by erosion
* Degradation (telecommunications), of an electronic signal
* Biodegradation of organic substances by living organisms
* Environmental degradation ...
.
Mamy had also been a journalist on ''
L'Appel
''L'Appel'' (''The Calling'') was a collaborationist periodical of Vichy France. It was the organ of the collaborationist French League and edited by the League's leader, Pierre Costantini of the Parti populaire français (PPF). The paper was e ...
'' under
Pierre Constantini (leader of the
Ligue française d’épuration, d’entraide sociale et de collaboration européenne) and on the collaborationist journal ''
Au pilori'', and was thus condemned to death and executed at the fortress of
Montrouge
Montrouge () is a commune in the southern Parisian suburbs, located from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe. After a long period of decline, the population has increased again in recent years.
...
on 29 March 1949.
Cast
*
Maurice Rémy Maurice may refer to:
People
*Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr
*Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor
*Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and Lo ...
as Pierre Avenel
*
Marcel Vibert
Marcel Vibert (2 November 1883 – 11 June 1959) was a French film actor. Vibert worked primarily in the French film industry, but in the late 1920s he also appeared in several British silent films including ''Moulin Rouge'' and ''Champagne''.
...
*
Auguste Bovério Auguste may refer to:
People Surname
* Arsène Auguste (born 1951), Haitian footballer
* Donna Auguste (born 1958), African-American businesswoman
* Georges Auguste (born 1933), Haitian painter
* Henri Auguste (1759–1816), Parisian gold and ...
as Bovério
*
Gisèle Parry Gisele or Gisèle may refer to:
Persons
* Gisele (given name)
* Gisele, mononym of Brazilian model Gisele Bündchen
See also
* Giselle (disambiguation) '' Giselle'' is a ballet.
Giselle may also refer to:
* ''Giselle'' (film), a film based on th ...
as Madame Avenel
*
Léonce Corne
Léonce Charles Corne (18 March 1894 – 31 December 1977) was a French film actor. He appeared in 120 films between 1931 and 1974.
Selected filmography
* ''The Girl and the Boy'' (1931)
* ''Luck'' (1931)
* ''The Premature Father'' (1933)
...
*
Pierre Darteuil
Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...
*
Marcel Raine
*
Louise Flavie
*
Simone Arys
*
Colette Darfeuil
Colette Darfeuil (born Emma Henriette Augustine Floquet, 7 February 1906 – 15 October 1998) was a French actress whose film career began at age 14 in 1920 and continued through the early 1950s.
Darfeuil made her screen debut in at age 14 ...
*
Henri Valbel
Henri Valbel (1885–1956) was a French film actor.Goble p.121
Selected filmography
* '' Simone'' (1918)
* '' Madonna of the Sleeping Cars'' (1928)
* ''The Divine Voyage'' (1929)
* '' The Tunnel'' (1933)
* '' Forces occultes'' (1943)
* ''Girl with ...
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forces Occultes
1943 films
Anti-Masonry
French collaboration during World War II
Nazi antisemitic propaganda films
1943 drama films
1940s French-language films