''Feu Mathias Pascal'' (''The late Matthias Pascal'') is a 1925 French silent film written and directed by

Marcel L'Herbier Marcel L'Herbier (; 23 April 1888 – 26 November 1979) was a French filmmaker who achieved prominence as an avant-garde theorist and imaginative practitioner with a series of silent films in the 1920s. His career as a director continued unti ...

. It was the first film adaptation of

Luigi Pirandello Luigi Pirandello (; 28 June 1867 – 10 December 1936) was an Italian dramatist, novelist, poet, and short story writer whose greatest contributions were his plays. He was awarded the 1934 Nobel Prize in Literature for "his almost magical power ...

's novel '' Il fu Mattia Pascal''.

Background

Since seeing a Paris production of Pirandello's play '' Sei personnaggi in cerca d'autore'', L'Herbier had been eager to collaborate with the author on a film of one of his works, but hitherto Pirandello had been unwilling to give permission for any adaptations because he would not accept the compromises that were asked of him. When however a proposal was put to him on L'Herbier's behalf to film his novel '' Il fu Mattia Pascal'', he was sufficiently impressed by the film-maker's earlier work to give his enthusiastic agreement.Marcel L'Herbier, ''La Tête qui tourne''. (Paris: Belfond, 1979.) pp. 115–117. L'Herbier's ideal choice for the title role was the Russian émigré actor

Ivan Mosjoukine Ivan Ilyich Mozzhukhin ( rus, Иван Ильич Мозжухин, p=ɪˈvan ɨˈlʲjitɕ mɐˈʑːʉxʲɪn; —18 January 1939), usually billed using the French transliteration Ivan Mosjoukine, was a Russian silent film actor. Career in R ...

who was under contract to the

Films Albatros Films Albatros was a French film production company established in 1922. It was formed by a group of White Russian exiles who had been forced to flee following the 1917 Russian Revolution and subsequent Russian Civil War. Initially the firm's pe ...

company. Negotiations then led to a shared production agreement for the film between L'Herbier's own company Cinégraphic and Albatros.

Production

Filming began in December 1924 with location shooting in Rome, San Gimignano, and Monte Carlo. Studio filming took place at the Montreuil and Épinay studios. Set designs were produced by

Alberto Cavalcanti Alberto de Almeida Cavalcanti (February 6, 1897 – August 23, 1982) was a Brazilian-born film director and producer. He was often credited under the single name "Cavalcanti". Early life Cavalcanti was born in Rio de Janeiro, the son of a ...

and

Lazare Meerson Lazare Meerson (1900–1938) was a Russian-born cinema art director. After emigrating to France in the early 1920s, he worked on French films of the late silent cinema and the early 1930s, particularly those directed by René Clair and Jacques F ...

(in his first assignment). L'Herbier was delighted with the dynamic performance of Mosjoukine in the leading role, as well as by the rest of his cast, among whom Pierre Batcheff and

Michel Simon Michel Simon (; 9 April 1895 – 30 May 1975) was a Swiss-French actor. He appeared in many notable French films, including ''La Chienne'' (1931), ''Boudu Saved from Drowning'' (1932), ''L'Atalante'' (1934), ''Port of Shadows'' (1938), '' The He ...

were both making their film débuts.

Plot

After the financial ruin of his family, Mathias works in the library of the village of Miragno. He marries Romilde, whom he had previously been courting on behalf of his timid friend Pomino, and they live with his shrewish mother-in-law. When his mother and baby daughter die on the same day, Mathias in despair runs away to Monte Carlo. In the casino he soon wins 500,000 francs. On his way home he reads in a newspaper that he is believed to have committed suicide and another body has been identified as his. He decides to seize this chance of freedom and to start a new life in Rome. There, under the name of Adrien, he falls in love with his landlord's daughter, Adrienne, who is engaged to an archaeologist, Térence Papiano. At a séance, Papiano and his brother Scipion steal Adrien's money. Unable to go to the police, Adrien/Mathias resigns himself to returning to Miragno. He discovers that Romilde has remarried, to Pomino, and they have a new child. He decides to leave them in peace, and sets off again for Rome and Adrienne.

Cast

as Mathias Pascal *

Marcelle Pradot Marcelle Pradot (born Marcelle Marie Claire Pénicaud, or Pénicaut; 27 July 1901 – 24 June 1982) was a French actress who worked principally in silent films. She was born at Montmorency, Val-d'Oise, near Paris. At the age of 18 while she ...

as Romilde * Lois Moran as Adrienne Paléari *

Marthe Mellot Marthe Mellot (16 February 1870 - 13 August 1947) was a French film actress. Marthe Mellot was born in Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire, Nièvre, France, and died in Paris. Selected filmography * ''Feu Mathias Pascal'' (1925) * ''The Red Robe'' (1933) * ...

as Madame Pascal *

as Jérôme Pomino * Jean Hervé as Terence Papiano * Pierre Batcheff as Scipion Papiano

Reception

The film received its first screening in Paris in July 1925. Because of its length, it had to be shown in two parts, which L'Herbier felt was damaging to its impact. Nevertheless, it was mostly well received by both critics and public, and overall it represented the best contemporary success that L'Herbier had with any of his films. It also received distribution abroad (rare for a French film of the period). The receipts of the film were valued at 1,219,026 francs; around two-thirds of this amount was earned outside France.Phil Powrie, "Marcel L'Herbier au carrefour des avant-gardes: ''Feu Mathias Pascal'' et le dédoublement", in ''Marcel L'Herbier: l'art du cinéma''; d. byLaurent Véray. (Paris: Association française de recherche sur l'histoire du cinéma, 2007.) p.79.

Alternative titles

English versions of the title have included: ''The Late Matthias Pascal''; ''The Late Matthew Pascal''; ''The Late Mathew Pascal''; ''The Late Mattia Pascal''; and in the United States, ''The Living Dead Man''.

References

External links

*
Virtual exhibition on the Albatros film production company, with an excerpt of ''Feu Mathias Pascal''.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Feu Mathias Pascal 1925 films French black-and-white films French silent feature films Films based on works by Luigi Pirandello Films based on Italian novels Films directed by Marcel L'Herbier