''L'Enfant prodigue'' (, French for "

The Prodigal Son The Parable of the Prodigal Son is a parable of Jesus in the Bible. The Prodigal Son or Prodigal Son may also refer to: Film * ''L'Enfant prodigue'' (1907 film) (The Prodigal Son), by Michel Carré, based on his play * , a short silent film by ...

") was the first feature-length motion picture produced in Europe, running 90 minutes. Directed by

Michel Carré Michel Carré (; 20 October 1821, Besançon – 27 June 1872, Argenteuil) was a prolific French librettist. He went to Paris in 1840 intending to become a painter but took up writing instead. He wrote verse and plays before turning to writing li ...

, from his three-act stage pantomime, ''The Prodigal Son''. The film was an unmodified filmed record of his play. Filmed at the

Gaumont Film Company Gaumont SA () is a French film and television production and distribution company headquartered in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Founded by the engineer-turned-inventor Léon Gaumont (1864–1946) in 1895, it is the oldest extant film company in ...

studios in May 1907. The film premiered at the

Théâtre des Variétés The Théâtre des Variétés () is a theatre and "salle de spectacles" at 7–8, boulevard Montmartre, 2nd arrondissement, in Paris. It was declared a monument historique in 1974. History The theatre owed its creation to Mademoiselle Montans ...

on the

Boulevard Montmartre The Boulevard Montmartre () is one of the four Boulevards of Paris, grands boulevards of Paris. It was constructed in 1763. Contrary to what its name may suggest, the road is not situated on the hills of Montmartre. It is the easternmost of the g ...

, in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, on 20 June 1907.Patrick Robertson, ''Film Facts'', Watson-Guptill, 2001, p. 9. . Carré directed another film version of ''L'Enfant prodigue'' in

1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Empire, British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that has been stored ...

Cast (in credits order)

Georges Wague Georges Wague, born Georges Marie Valentin Waag, (14 January 1874 – 17 April 1965) was a French mime, teacher and silent film actor. Birth and education Georges Marie Valentin Waag was born in Paris on 14 January 1874. His parents were strict ...

* Henri Gouget * Christiane Mandelys * Gilberte Sergy

References

External links

* 1907 films French black-and-white films French silent feature films 1900s French films {{1900s-France-film-stub